Caoimhin O’Muraile ☭ As we now move towards the end of the summer, darker nights, longer periods of darkness requiring more lighting, and cooler weather requiring more heating we are also facing, and have already had imposed, huge price hikes on gas and electric by our energy suppliers.

We are told, on a regular daily basis, that the war in the Ukraine is to blame for the increase on our energy bills, in fact that nasty man in the Kremlin if you believe half the crap fed by our ever-reliable media is to blame for all our problems.

Do not blame our poor beleaguered energy suppliers who, incidentally, are making eye watering profits year on year, war or no war, for the incessant price hikes, no blame Mr Putin in Moscow. If it rains don’t blame the weather, it’s all fucking Putin’s fault. This is the information, in not those exact words but by implication, spewed out by most capitalist governments around the misleadingly called, “Free World”. The unfortunate events in the Ukraine are being used to cover a multitude of sins and the capitalists, while pretending to be very sorry, are still making a bloody fortune which we either have to sustain for them or freeze. 

The situation in the Ukraine is a golden opportunity for the capitalist class to cash in, and cash in they are doing, big time certainly in energy provision. So much for the often-spoken crap about “all being in this together” as only an unfortunate patient held in an asylum would believe such rubbish. According to those who masquerade as government, and those whose affairs they govern for the benefit of the capitalists we are all going to pay through the roof for energy because of a war thousands of miles away and not because the energy providers are too greedy to take a hit themselves!

For the record, if one or indeed all these companies make a profit of, say, ten billion euro in one year, then, the following year those profits are down to nine billion that goes down not as a profit of nine billion but a loss of one billion! It’s one big con trick which we are the butt of! That is the greedy nature of 21st century capitalism. The bourgeoisie never, never, take a hit and we are supposed to understand and sympathise with their difficulties. The problem is, us suckers, like the patients of an asylum, swallow this crap and do fuck all about it! The difference is of course, the unfortunates in the asylum have an excuse, they’re sick and we are supposed to be sane!!??

At the beginning of the summer the doctors of this asylum, the government, afforded each of us 200 euro to help us with these higher bills. Admittedly that was better than nothing at all and should not be snubbed at. Now, some of us are supplied with gas and electric by billing companies which were forced to take this money off our bills, others are supplied by pay-as-you-go, like myself. Pay-as-you-go advised all their customers, patients, to keep topping up by a small amount each week to maintain a decent credit. This I for one have done, thanks for telling me the fucking obvious. Irrespective of how we pay our gas and electric bills, utilities, we got this money long before the price hikes were set by the various companies. Now, most of us will have used the government subsidy when the prices were at the old cheaper rate. So, the suppliers now increase their prices again, having got the money from the government by the way of the 200 euro, so they want even more. They have no need to hike prices at all, let alone by the amount they have with more increases down the road. 

These brigands, the suppliers, are raking it in profit on profit, year on year. War in the Ukraine or not, they are not going to take a fall in profits at any cost. Why do we stand for this blatant robbery? Simple, we lack the balls to do anything about it. Our 200 euro subsidy has been spent over the summer months spread across the few months of warmer weather and longer days, meaning we have used less by the way of energy. All the same, the money is now gone and the more expensive time of year, with or without the needless hikes, is on us. Suddenly and well thought out the brigands up their prices and, reliably inform us, they will be increasing them again. The fact is, even in summer we still use electricity and gas to a certain extent, just a little less of it which is where the subsidy went. That subsidy and more would have been better given now at the onset of winter.

Now Vladimir Putin has given these bandits another excuse to increase our bills he has, from his view point understandably, closed down the gas pipeline which supplies gas to Europe. now, Ireland, we are told, are not too dependent on this gas but I bet it will not prevent the energy suppliers upping their prices again citing this move by Moscow as the reason! To hear these brigands talk it would be believed, if you believe it, that they’re taking a massive hit and living in poverty. For this reason, the prices have to go up. Only a fucking idiot would believe such rubbish. They could easily foot the bill, perhaps in “the national interest” after all we are supporting the Ukraine together, aren’t we? Well, obviously not as some people are only supporting the Ukraine if there is a profit to be made, if not then fuck the Ukraine!

This winter millions of people across Europe will freeze and sit in darkness due to this greed. Even within the loony capitalist economic system of production for profit only irrespective of need this is bordering on the economics of the asylum. What makes this more difficult to swallow is, the people most seriously hit, will, in many cases, as they have been told, blame Moscow and the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin for their plight. Not once will an eye of accusation by glanced at the energy suppliers and their utter unfettered greed, or their legislators in Dail Eireann.

A single person will be using around 20.30 euro per week on electricity up from 15.20 prior to these hikes. That is somebody like myself who is certainly more fortunate than a family, with only my arse to keep warm. I have no responsibilities like children whose needs should always take preference. So, what of a family? Small business, the petty bourgeois strata of society and equally if not harder hit, how many of those will survive? The Covid pandemic was bad enough for these unfortunates now with these hikes in energy prices on top for many it may be the final straw. Why did the government, anticipating these extra hikes on top of the earlier ones, not give us our subsidy now, at the start of the harder time of year? No, instead these brainless, or perhaps not so chicken brained philanthropists, gave us our money at the start of summer, the cheaper time of year regards gas and electric. Why did they do this? Could it have been to help the energy suppliers make even more money while, at the same time, crying crocodile tears to the rest of us?

Now, we are told, there are more price hikes around the corner. Why do our ever-caring government not cap the profits of these mega rich, and getting richer, companies? Simple, such a cap would not be in the interests of capitalism and profits, I call it neo-Laissez Faire (my term). They could, if they wanted to, nationalise all the companies thus relieving them of this tremendous burden they carry of providing energy while a war is being fought 6,000 miles away. Will they do this? Of course they won’t, they would rather put knitting needles in their eyes than do such a simple but helpful thing. The Energy Minister, Mr Eamon Ryan is, I understand, talking of another subsidy for us which, again, would be better than nothing. Such a subsidy will not go as far as the last one because now we get less gas and electric for the money, and quite possibly the providers will increase prices again to coincide with the subsidy either in billing or pay-as-you-go running out. Therefore, unless the companies are forbidden by law from any further increases it will be of little long-term use! We should remember, and never mind the crap we are fed, that any government in a capitalist country, just about all of them, are merely a “committee” tasked with governing the affairs of the wealthy, for the benefit of the wealthy. Prosperity means exactly that, for the wealthy!

On top of the extra credit Eamonn Ryan is talking of, Leo Varadkar at the Fine Gael talk-in has suggested another helping hand in the New-Year. Again, neither of these credits should be snubbed as they are a damn sight better than nothing but are not the answer. Subsidies are all very well but can they continue indefinitely? My mind thinks of the General Strike in Britain back in 1926, when the government of Stanley Baldwin subsidised the coal-owners so they would not have to cut, in pursuit of profits, miners wages. This became known as “Red Friday” by the MFGB and the unions. These subsidies were a one off and when they stopped the bosses cut the mineworkers wages and increased the working day to increase output and profits. This led to the TUC calling a general stoppage. What has that got to do with the energy crisis in 2022 Ireland? The point I am trying to make is subsidies, credits, eventually run out, then what?

If we believe, as we are supposed to believe, that this energy crisis is all the fault of Vlad the Lad in Moscow and if Putin had not invaded the Ukraine these hikes would not be happening then, surely, it is logical to expect when the war is over energy price reductions in much the same way will follow? Will this be the case? I doubt it very much, these prices are here to stay I reckon! If the war is the cause of these poor hard-up companies increasing the gas and electric prices then, applying Newton's theory of “what goes up must come down” to price rises, when the conflict in the Ukraine comes to an end, as all wars do, then the “must come down” aspect of Newton's theory must apply it would be thought? Prices must then revert back to something in line with pre-invasion rates, mustn’t they? Remember while we are sat in darkness and freezing our balls off, the directors and shareholders of these companies will in all likelihood be sat sunning their nether regions in the Bahamas!

The instability of international capitalism will always be with us unless we do something about it. The free market does not work for most of us, though we are led to believe it is the finest available to mankind which is, of course, bollocks. It is capitalism which must go without a doubt. The lot, the so-called free market and all the other legalised theft trappings of capitalism must be replaced. The question is, what do we replace it with? 

A Marxist policy regards goods and services would never be allowed to be passed in Dail Eireann or any other Pandoras Box called Parliament, the bourgeoisie would, as in Chile, fight back and as we the disposed proletariat, have no means to resist bourgeois aggression via their state we would be destroyed. So, where are the so-called revolutionary Marxist groups in Ireland? Those who masquerade as an alternative system of government, where are they? Why is it every time something comes up worthy of the word, to quote James Connolly, “sedition” comes along the would-be revolutionary leaders, SWP (Joke), WRP (both factions), CPI, RCT, IMG, and even my former comrades in the IRSP are found wanting, why is this? When not much is going on most of these groups are agitating against nothing, yet, when something worthy of Marxist politics and an alternative to capitalism comes along these same rabble rousers are nowhere to be seen or heard. 

At least the Parliamentary left, in the form of People Before Profit have something to say but what of our brave street orators and would be supporters and, dare I say it, leaders of the revolution? Probably in the Atlantic Ocean with all the other spineless jellyfish!! If a revolution were to kick off, unplanned as most are, these masquerading leaders would be telling us why “the time is not right comrade” for socialist revolution. For these people the time will never be right, and that is a fact!!!
 
Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent 
Socialist Republican and Marxist

The Economics Of The Asylum

Caoimhin O’Muraile ☭ As we now move towards the end of the summer, darker nights, longer periods of darkness requiring more lighting, and cooler weather requiring more heating we are also facing, and have already had imposed, huge price hikes on gas and electric by our energy suppliers.

We are told, on a regular daily basis, that the war in the Ukraine is to blame for the increase on our energy bills, in fact that nasty man in the Kremlin if you believe half the crap fed by our ever-reliable media is to blame for all our problems.

Do not blame our poor beleaguered energy suppliers who, incidentally, are making eye watering profits year on year, war or no war, for the incessant price hikes, no blame Mr Putin in Moscow. If it rains don’t blame the weather, it’s all fucking Putin’s fault. This is the information, in not those exact words but by implication, spewed out by most capitalist governments around the misleadingly called, “Free World”. The unfortunate events in the Ukraine are being used to cover a multitude of sins and the capitalists, while pretending to be very sorry, are still making a bloody fortune which we either have to sustain for them or freeze. 

The situation in the Ukraine is a golden opportunity for the capitalist class to cash in, and cash in they are doing, big time certainly in energy provision. So much for the often-spoken crap about “all being in this together” as only an unfortunate patient held in an asylum would believe such rubbish. According to those who masquerade as government, and those whose affairs they govern for the benefit of the capitalists we are all going to pay through the roof for energy because of a war thousands of miles away and not because the energy providers are too greedy to take a hit themselves!

For the record, if one or indeed all these companies make a profit of, say, ten billion euro in one year, then, the following year those profits are down to nine billion that goes down not as a profit of nine billion but a loss of one billion! It’s one big con trick which we are the butt of! That is the greedy nature of 21st century capitalism. The bourgeoisie never, never, take a hit and we are supposed to understand and sympathise with their difficulties. The problem is, us suckers, like the patients of an asylum, swallow this crap and do fuck all about it! The difference is of course, the unfortunates in the asylum have an excuse, they’re sick and we are supposed to be sane!!??

At the beginning of the summer the doctors of this asylum, the government, afforded each of us 200 euro to help us with these higher bills. Admittedly that was better than nothing at all and should not be snubbed at. Now, some of us are supplied with gas and electric by billing companies which were forced to take this money off our bills, others are supplied by pay-as-you-go, like myself. Pay-as-you-go advised all their customers, patients, to keep topping up by a small amount each week to maintain a decent credit. This I for one have done, thanks for telling me the fucking obvious. Irrespective of how we pay our gas and electric bills, utilities, we got this money long before the price hikes were set by the various companies. Now, most of us will have used the government subsidy when the prices were at the old cheaper rate. So, the suppliers now increase their prices again, having got the money from the government by the way of the 200 euro, so they want even more. They have no need to hike prices at all, let alone by the amount they have with more increases down the road. 

These brigands, the suppliers, are raking it in profit on profit, year on year. War in the Ukraine or not, they are not going to take a fall in profits at any cost. Why do we stand for this blatant robbery? Simple, we lack the balls to do anything about it. Our 200 euro subsidy has been spent over the summer months spread across the few months of warmer weather and longer days, meaning we have used less by the way of energy. All the same, the money is now gone and the more expensive time of year, with or without the needless hikes, is on us. Suddenly and well thought out the brigands up their prices and, reliably inform us, they will be increasing them again. The fact is, even in summer we still use electricity and gas to a certain extent, just a little less of it which is where the subsidy went. That subsidy and more would have been better given now at the onset of winter.

Now Vladimir Putin has given these bandits another excuse to increase our bills he has, from his view point understandably, closed down the gas pipeline which supplies gas to Europe. now, Ireland, we are told, are not too dependent on this gas but I bet it will not prevent the energy suppliers upping their prices again citing this move by Moscow as the reason! To hear these brigands talk it would be believed, if you believe it, that they’re taking a massive hit and living in poverty. For this reason, the prices have to go up. Only a fucking idiot would believe such rubbish. They could easily foot the bill, perhaps in “the national interest” after all we are supporting the Ukraine together, aren’t we? Well, obviously not as some people are only supporting the Ukraine if there is a profit to be made, if not then fuck the Ukraine!

This winter millions of people across Europe will freeze and sit in darkness due to this greed. Even within the loony capitalist economic system of production for profit only irrespective of need this is bordering on the economics of the asylum. What makes this more difficult to swallow is, the people most seriously hit, will, in many cases, as they have been told, blame Moscow and the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin for their plight. Not once will an eye of accusation by glanced at the energy suppliers and their utter unfettered greed, or their legislators in Dail Eireann.

A single person will be using around 20.30 euro per week on electricity up from 15.20 prior to these hikes. That is somebody like myself who is certainly more fortunate than a family, with only my arse to keep warm. I have no responsibilities like children whose needs should always take preference. So, what of a family? Small business, the petty bourgeois strata of society and equally if not harder hit, how many of those will survive? The Covid pandemic was bad enough for these unfortunates now with these hikes in energy prices on top for many it may be the final straw. Why did the government, anticipating these extra hikes on top of the earlier ones, not give us our subsidy now, at the start of the harder time of year? No, instead these brainless, or perhaps not so chicken brained philanthropists, gave us our money at the start of summer, the cheaper time of year regards gas and electric. Why did they do this? Could it have been to help the energy suppliers make even more money while, at the same time, crying crocodile tears to the rest of us?

Now, we are told, there are more price hikes around the corner. Why do our ever-caring government not cap the profits of these mega rich, and getting richer, companies? Simple, such a cap would not be in the interests of capitalism and profits, I call it neo-Laissez Faire (my term). They could, if they wanted to, nationalise all the companies thus relieving them of this tremendous burden they carry of providing energy while a war is being fought 6,000 miles away. Will they do this? Of course they won’t, they would rather put knitting needles in their eyes than do such a simple but helpful thing. The Energy Minister, Mr Eamon Ryan is, I understand, talking of another subsidy for us which, again, would be better than nothing. Such a subsidy will not go as far as the last one because now we get less gas and electric for the money, and quite possibly the providers will increase prices again to coincide with the subsidy either in billing or pay-as-you-go running out. Therefore, unless the companies are forbidden by law from any further increases it will be of little long-term use! We should remember, and never mind the crap we are fed, that any government in a capitalist country, just about all of them, are merely a “committee” tasked with governing the affairs of the wealthy, for the benefit of the wealthy. Prosperity means exactly that, for the wealthy!

On top of the extra credit Eamonn Ryan is talking of, Leo Varadkar at the Fine Gael talk-in has suggested another helping hand in the New-Year. Again, neither of these credits should be snubbed as they are a damn sight better than nothing but are not the answer. Subsidies are all very well but can they continue indefinitely? My mind thinks of the General Strike in Britain back in 1926, when the government of Stanley Baldwin subsidised the coal-owners so they would not have to cut, in pursuit of profits, miners wages. This became known as “Red Friday” by the MFGB and the unions. These subsidies were a one off and when they stopped the bosses cut the mineworkers wages and increased the working day to increase output and profits. This led to the TUC calling a general stoppage. What has that got to do with the energy crisis in 2022 Ireland? The point I am trying to make is subsidies, credits, eventually run out, then what?

If we believe, as we are supposed to believe, that this energy crisis is all the fault of Vlad the Lad in Moscow and if Putin had not invaded the Ukraine these hikes would not be happening then, surely, it is logical to expect when the war is over energy price reductions in much the same way will follow? Will this be the case? I doubt it very much, these prices are here to stay I reckon! If the war is the cause of these poor hard-up companies increasing the gas and electric prices then, applying Newton's theory of “what goes up must come down” to price rises, when the conflict in the Ukraine comes to an end, as all wars do, then the “must come down” aspect of Newton's theory must apply it would be thought? Prices must then revert back to something in line with pre-invasion rates, mustn’t they? Remember while we are sat in darkness and freezing our balls off, the directors and shareholders of these companies will in all likelihood be sat sunning their nether regions in the Bahamas!

The instability of international capitalism will always be with us unless we do something about it. The free market does not work for most of us, though we are led to believe it is the finest available to mankind which is, of course, bollocks. It is capitalism which must go without a doubt. The lot, the so-called free market and all the other legalised theft trappings of capitalism must be replaced. The question is, what do we replace it with? 

A Marxist policy regards goods and services would never be allowed to be passed in Dail Eireann or any other Pandoras Box called Parliament, the bourgeoisie would, as in Chile, fight back and as we the disposed proletariat, have no means to resist bourgeois aggression via their state we would be destroyed. So, where are the so-called revolutionary Marxist groups in Ireland? Those who masquerade as an alternative system of government, where are they? Why is it every time something comes up worthy of the word, to quote James Connolly, “sedition” comes along the would-be revolutionary leaders, SWP (Joke), WRP (both factions), CPI, RCT, IMG, and even my former comrades in the IRSP are found wanting, why is this? When not much is going on most of these groups are agitating against nothing, yet, when something worthy of Marxist politics and an alternative to capitalism comes along these same rabble rousers are nowhere to be seen or heard. 

At least the Parliamentary left, in the form of People Before Profit have something to say but what of our brave street orators and would be supporters and, dare I say it, leaders of the revolution? Probably in the Atlantic Ocean with all the other spineless jellyfish!! If a revolution were to kick off, unplanned as most are, these masquerading leaders would be telling us why “the time is not right comrade” for socialist revolution. For these people the time will never be right, and that is a fact!!!
 
Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent 
Socialist Republican and Marxist

6 comments:

  1. A good piece but seems to imply that Putin is somehow outside the capitalist system. His invasion of Ukraine is the work of a capitalism with even less democratic constraints than exist in the West, limited as they are.
    I would be one of those people not advocating socialist revolution because unless there is a way of doing it that excludes the revolutionaries, any socialist revolution is banjaxed.
    Another point is that the article lambasts the SWP while lauding PBP. I have felt over the years that they are one and the same body. Not that I much follow what is going on in the Left circles.
    I vote PBP when the opportunity comes around and genuinely believe that in parliamentarian terms they are the best in the Dail.

    ReplyDelete
  2. They are one of the same body Anthony, the very same, but to have gone into that and all the many contradictions would have been too long. The subject is the price hikes, I added that last bit as an after thought. In hindsight a mistake, my own contempt for those who preach revolution, when safe, and do nothing when something should be done. A little unfair perhaps on the erps, but the socialist aspect of republican socialism should be pushed more, and now is a golden opportunity.

    Socialist revolution is tge only way to change anything, but it is more complex than that, as I touched on.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Caoimhin - that's fine on SWP/PBP. The divisions on the Left can be as difficult or tedious to trace as those of the religious fundamentalist hue.
      Socialist revolution is the only way to change anything to me is just a slogan and not a strategy - much like One Ireland One Vote.
      Revolution just creates a new class and reaffirms the universal principle that all systems only ever produce three strata of people - those at the top, those in the middle and those at the bottom. I think the most a progressive movement can achieve is reforms which it has to work hard at maintaining.
      There is the old alarm from Marx that it is either socialism or barbarism - but what happens when those claiming to be socialist resort to barbarism?

      Delete
  3. Oh, can I add Anthony, any implication Putin is "outside the capitalist system" is unintentional. He, along with Yeltsin, his boss, were partly responsible for the fall of the USSR.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

    ReplyDelete
  4. Privatization of national utilities NEVER leads to cheaper prices. Why the fuck do we subsidize these bastards too? Re-Nationalize all utilites ASAP.

    And Chernobyl killed the USSR not Yeltsin nor Vladdy. They simply couldn't pay to cover it up nor hide it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wrong Steve, though see what you mean. A meeting took place between the presidents of Russia, Yeltsin with Putin as understudy, Ukraine and Belarus. Yeltsin was pissed off with being second to Gorbechev, the President of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian and Belarus leaders wanted independence for their indigenous bourgeoisie. These three, while the President of the USSR was away, discussed the bring down, "winding up" of the Soviet Union. These plans well laid brought about its demise, Glasnost and Peristroika, mainly the latter, aided their scheme and look at the mess they left. The USSR was not perfect, far, far from it, but compared to this mess it was at least working.

    Chernobyl certainly did not help, but it equally was not the cause of the breakup of the Soviet Union.

    As to the question, "why do we subsidie these bastards" we, as working class people have no choice. It is the arses we elect, masquarading as politicians who are privatisation mad, similar to Thatcher in that respect. When they speak of "prosperity" they do not mean for the people. They mean more wealth for the business classes, the minority, not the working class. Once they secure our vote, we are surplus for another five years,or such time as an election is called. All "liberal democracies" are the same or work on the same principle.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

    ReplyDelete