Wednesday, 18 December 2013

Karl Marx is an Imperialist

Yesterday, as my socialist revolutionary friend and port and policy adversary Archie first pointed out to me, Karl Marx was trending on Twitter. I've no idea why the left wing celebrate Marx because it's economics is entirely based on imperialism, which I'm sure they'd love to have explained to them.

Socialist Oppressor.

In the mind of Marx trade was a win/lose situation. This is the whole basis for the idea of oppression of the proletariat; the workers lose by having to forcibly trade their labour to the factory owner who winds a big profit. This win/lose idea is based on the medieval idea of zero sum economics. According to this economic theory there is only so much wealth in the world and the objective of any person or state is to achieve as much of it as possible. But how can you measure wealth?

It was believed that money was wealth and money of course, until we very recently started to base it on a hope and a prayer, was based on bullion (silver or gold). A persons objective under the Marxist/zero sum economics idea is thus to obtain as much wealth as possible by oppressing anyone you meet who has any.
This is exactly what monarchs across Europe did to finance their wars and keep them in power. In the late medieval era countries started to send people off across the world to look and set up colonies to gain wealth. Spain was best at doing this and got hold of half of the Americas and its very rich gold and silver reserves. England was not so good; in the early 17th century we hadn't found any bullion. This was of course a great national disappointment.



Because of this disaster England had to keep as much of the gold and silver in the country as possible. If the government could not do so it thought it would become less wealthy and would lose power consequently. The problem was those pesky merchants who were trading money for other countries' goods. This needed to be stopped and so massive tariffs were imposed on all imports to dissuade merchants from trading gold for foreign goods. This starved other nations of the worlds wealth and encouraged merchants to export and gain money from the other countries' wealth.


In economic terms England had created a mercantalist or 'perfect' imperial system under zero sum economics. It had become wealthy by oppressing the merchants, other nations and the people either directly or as a consequence of its system of tariffs.

The only problem is this didn't work because Marxist/ zero sum economic assumptions are entirely wrong. Under these ideas wealth is money or bullion. Yet this clearly isn't true because pieces of gold and paper are worth nothing but the materials that can be made out of them or bought with them. It's the goods that produce wealth. A miser lives in absolute poverty but still has lots of money.


There is also no limit on how much wealth there is in the world, another Marxist/zero sum economic mistake. As you probably have realised in the world by now, there is no shortage in goods and services that can be bought in the world. If you take gold and silver for instance more of it is being found today than ever. There is quite literally no limit to these resources. We can always create wealth.

It should be quite obvious then that to gain wealth and to better the lives of the oppressed factory workers, known less technically as the poor, we should open up trade so that we can produce more wealth and more things so people can have better lives.


This then begs the question what the hell is the economics of imperialism and Marxism about, it clearly doesn't gain wealth or improve people's lives. It's one thing only and that is control. Marxism follows the same ideas of empire and that is to ruthlessly oppress the people so leaders can have control over subjects, and that's still true even if we only count the true socialist systems like the Paris Commune. Marxism, state capitalism, socialism, imperialism, mercantilism, protectionism, statism are all about the same thing and that's oppressing the people.


It is Christmas.
I take this as no surprise. I have been telling people about the socialist oppressors for a while now. Just look at Marx and Engels. Both of them were snobby middle class elites who wanted power. Engels was a rich factory owner who wanted to increase his own influence for God's sake. Owen Jones constantly talks about state control over people's lives and how we should return to the socialist economy I outlined above. If people genuinely want to help others left wing economics should be treated in the same way as imperialism. It should be reviled and hated. For increased wealth workers of the world unite around free trade. 

The real revolutionaries looking after the poorest are free marketeers like Mrs Thatcher.

Tuesday, 17 December 2013

Sarah Jane's Election Complaint Thrown Out

Today #ThingsElliottSays has heard confirmation from his sources that the Royal Holloway election scandal is over, which will deeply annoy Sarah Jane Sewell. Royal Holloway SU has emailed the Conservatives to say Sarah Jane's complaint against the society has been well and truly kicked out.

SJS' complaint to Royal Holloway SU has been kicked out.


After the legitimate election of Antonia Jade King, Sarah Jane contested the results of the RHCF leadership vote by complaining formally to the Royal Holloway SU. Sarah Jane argued that the election was invalid because Antonia Jade asked people not to vote for her, which we in the political business call canvassing. The SU quickly dismissed this charge as they believed it to be ridiculous. An email has been sent to members of Royal Holloway Conservatives describing their decsion and that Antonia Jade is the rightful President. One source told #ThingsElliottSays the SU thought Sarah Jane's complaints 'had no basis and was built around personal vengeance'.

Antonia Jade is now indisputably in charge at RHCF.

Sadly #ThingsElliottSays cannot show you this email, despite it probably being a gold mine of hilarity, because Royal Holloway CFers would get in trouble if the email's exact content was revealed. However, #ThingsElliottSays has soldiered in the mission for more facts and has found out that Antonia Jade is very excited about running Royal Holloway Conservatives and glad that this saga is over.

Sarah Jane has a new fan club.

#ThingsElliottSays wishes Antonia Jade the best of luck on running RHCF and from what he has seen of her believes she will take care of the members well.

#YBFX


As you know, if you read my blog regularly or are an ultrasound Conservative, I have been to the YBF conference. Sound!

Unless you are accepting a knighthood from the Queen, you must make sure you are at Churchill College with Donal Blaney and YBF chums for next years conference. The YBF conference is arguably better than the Tory Party one, there is certainly more debate and better food. I really enjoyed YBF and so did everyone else in the NUCA contingent.


So what exactly happened you may ask? Well that would be telling because YBF operates under the Chatham House rule, in other words I cannot relate who said what etc. . However, I have special permission from Mr Donal Blaney to say what did happen and tell you all the fun events (and we're not skipping on the 'sound', 'shame' and 'resign').



The conference kicked off with a great speech, as ever, by the one and only Peter Botting. It really inspired us all to become the revolutionaries he encouraged.


Indeed we were inspired very much by the Botting's revolutionary tweet as he said he would randomly pick out of the people who retweeted the above comment one person who he would give a bottle of something special. Needless to say the Botting revolution was more successful than the Brand one.

Another great discussion of the day was about the moral case to lower taxes. Sound! In my opinion people should keep as much as their money as possible, especially if they have low or middling incomes. Why should we take money off people when it effects their lives noticeably? I was not the only person to believe this.

Never forget this, as was pointed out on the day.


During Friday evening we went to the Thatcher and Churchill archives in the college library. It was great to see documents which made such an impact on the world, for example the original copy of Churchill's Finest Hour speech. There was also a letter sent by Margaret Thatcher replying to a young boy who said he believed her to be a good person like Jesus.

In the Thatcher and Churchill archives.

This tour was universally popular and the YBF crew must be greatly congratulated for there organisation of this.



Following this there was a slap up meal to commemorate the passing of Eric Forth MP, a conviction politician who never backed down from the defence of freedom. Eric Forth MP was a great supporter of YBF in the early days so I am sure, looking down from up above, he would be pleased to see how many people are being taught by YBF to stand up for their values.


At the dinner Jennifer Salisbury Jones, of Bristol, gin and NUS leaving fame, won the Eric Forth Memorial award for her campaign for Bristol Uni to leave the NUS. JSJ has done so well that she got elected to be the NUS rep for the university; I thus think the award is pretty deserved. I think we're all waiting with anticipation for a share of the £50,000 amount of gin that Jenny promised.



The night however was young and so we had the odd refreshments. It was great fun, except the hour ramble around Cambridge David Cowan led me on so we could find so more alcohol after the bar had closed. Resign! But this tweet made us all a lot happier.


Hear Hear! Sound!

The night definitely had its effects on everyone in the morning too.





But we had a really great speaker to cure all our hangovers. Andrew Macleod, fellow Aussie, ex Labour member and former manager at the UN talked to us about the trade vs aid debate. Companies are the ones investing most into the lives of the poorest in the world and doing so much great work. Furthermore companies measure by results and are more effectively using their money to get people jobs and a better life with no poverty. We should be backing 'development investment' not 'development aid'. In my opinion this was the best speech of the conference.



There were other great speakers up to lunchtime with Ian Dale conducting a media training session, Jonathan Isaby who now heads up the Tax Payers Alliance (Sound), and Charlotte Vere who gave a great debate about women in the Conservative Party.

More great speakers were still to come however. The post lunch slot was filled by Robert Halfon MP who inspired us by talking about how we should do to things in the Conservative Party. Firstly, frame our arguments in a language ordinary people can understand to show conservative policies are helping them. Second, we must rename the Conservative Party they Workers Party to accurately portray what our party stands for. Thirdly, take the language of the Left to empathise with people. Rob also pointed out that the Smurfs are conservatives and not Marxists, Pappa Smurf is blue after all.


Comrade Steve Baker then followed to talk to us about sound money. Ultra-Sound!.



Steve really emphasised the problems we're facing in the West. Our economy, despite Gideon trying to help, isn't stopping us from having a 800% predicted national debt in 2040. I would rather have a 1% Conservative government than a 100% Labour one but we're still not doing enough. Freedom is at peril.



Chloe Smith then spoke to us all about how the Conservatives need to engage with young people, something that I think is very important. Chloe talked much about how jobs and speaking to young people is the way forward. No one was brave enough to mention Newsnight to her however.





There were at this time a complaint however, not about the speakers but the views of the stage. This complaint came from NUCA's very tall freshers rep Sam Armstrong on Twitter. Apparently this near 6 foot chap couldn't see past me, although I am 5 foot 4 inches. Perhaps it may be something to do with the fact Sam was rolling around in the seat above me in agony from the night before?



A tub thumping right wing speech was then heard from Mallory Factor. Mr Factor doesn't like the democrats and is a great freedom lover who really got the Yankees going at the conference. shouts of U-S-A were heard quite loudly for a good while.






We then had a talk that really interested #ThingsElliottSays talking about social media and blogging. It was a very good debate but I cannot help thinking some people were distracted.



But onto the second dinner, the Margaret Thatcher banquet. Some people got ready for this in an unusual way.



The dinner started very well with a smashing grace from Robert Halfon MP.



But by far the best bit of the meal was Connor Burns' speech; the best I have heard from him. There is still a moral crusade to bring about classical liberalism and its clear Connor Burns still has this passionate belief. Sound!


Many enjoyed Connor Burns' speech so much that they play Connor Burns bingo.

The meal also contained a few surprises. The biggest of the evening was not the great speeches but the food. I'm sure my sea bass was pink and salmon flavoured. Donal Blaney also was surprised by a huge YBF cake with a sparkling candle being wheeled out to celebrate 10 years of the Young Britons Foundation. All we could say to that was 10 more years.


By far the least surprising event was Oliver Cooper being awarded the Dolphin prize for ultra-soundness. Colonel Cooper is most definitely the first Conservative in charge of CF in many years.



The main prize was still to be announced however, and it was who had won Peter Botting's revolutionary prize. By shear luck the winner was NUCA's own Alex Bright. I hope he saves the expensive wine he received for a party with me in Nottingham. Hint, hint Brighty.



But the night, like the one before was still young, and plots, parties and some solid drinking still needed to take place.








Still everyone was up the next day for another round of speeches.



The Sunday started off with a foreign policy talk on Putin and his Russia. I was very interested by this as the sad thing seems to be that Russia is returning to the bad old days back in the USSR. Thanks goes to Daniel Hamilton who gave this excellent discussion.



But then Ukiper (Shame), Alderman and YBF organiser (Resign) Matt Richardson said something disgusting. Let's just say it involved a big white telephone.



Highlight of the last day was Rory Broomfield from the Freedom Association. This wasn't because of anything he said though. I think you may have pulled Rory.






But there was also love for another YBFer.






Last minute controversy also appeared at the conference with Robert Smith backing Stalin. NUCA's Robert Smith is known for taking up some very strange positions . At the #ThatcherDeabte last academic year Robert clapped for the proposition of this house regrets Mrs Thatcher. Shame!



But sadly all good things must come to an end. The conference finished at 2:30. My thanks goes to Donal Blaney and his tremendous team for an excellent #YBFX and I hope that #YBFXI is just as good if not better. If you're a conservative make sure you come to the YBF conference, if not you will miss the greatest weekend of the year.


So after a quick meal at KFC with the Colonel.



We headed back home. We were all very tired.


But some people spent their time productively on the train home.


As a last point I'm sorry this post has taken 3 days to do. I had to do some other things.


Sunday, 15 December 2013

Thursday, 12 December 2013

Muppet's Pledge

Julian Huppert the Lib Dem MP for Cambridge has kicked off the new year pledges season for those in Parliament. Julian has an amazing reputation in my home county of Cambridgeshire where he is known as Julian Muppet. This name is not surprising when he has backed the scrapping of Trident, is massively for the EU and has as his top priority the statutory registration of hairdressers. Maybe we'll cross path over the weekend at YBF? Anyway, this is what he has pledged.


Can we trust Julian on his pledge though considering the last one he made has gone down in history.


At least he is not making this one with Cleggers who is having to make do and mend more than his clothes.

Wednesday, 11 December 2013

Fall of the Nottingham Wall


Well after the fall of the Iron Curtain across Nottingham I am finally free. My essays are over and I can now return to daily posts for #ThingsElliottSays, have you missed it? What have I learnt whilst I have been away.

1) Always contain communism to give free people hope.

2) Japan had an burgeoning democracy and that the military and bureaucracy will try gain more power even if it ends democracy.

3) The First British Empire was built on mercantalism (essentially state capitalism), what made Britain great was internal free trade built on farming.

4) Kennedy has a lot to answer for in the Vietnam War and make sure you understand your enemy, don't just wonder in and hope for the best.

So anyway its back to the normal routine commenting on the current events of the time. I will also be going back over some of the things I felt to be important recently. But don't get too comfy for I am off to YBF so will be gone Friday to Sunday (i'll give a good low down of what happened at YBF without mentioning who said what as per Chatham House rules).



#TheBigPicture

Its Wednesday at that means I am on the Big Picture, URN's flagship politics radio show. Tonight we are debating Nelson Mandela, the Autumn Statement and the Comic Relief scandal. Please tune in at 6pm and send us a free web text. You can do this at http://urn1350.net/.