tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post4417103651673625906..comments2024-02-10T12:12:06.028+00:00Comments on The Real Blog: The elusive, missing political ingredientDavid Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11410159311875228620noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-41499248455839920602015-05-18T21:02:42.498+01:002015-05-18T21:02:42.498+01:00Thanks, Iain. I could agree with that - as long a...Thanks, Iain. I could agree with that - as long as it doesn't exclude individuals.David Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11410159311875228620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-9844729660965470552015-05-18T13:51:04.191+01:002015-05-18T13:51:04.191+01:00Thanks for this, David - thought-provoking as ever...Thanks for this, David - thought-provoking as ever. I've posted a reply here: http://stephentall.org/2015/05/18/the-liberal-in-liberal-centre-is-not-silent-a-reply-to-the-estimable-david-boyle/ (bit long to submit as a comment!)Stephen Tallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11720133001571029678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4169740113013066976.post-19528026140757247602015-05-18T13:12:08.483+01:002015-05-18T13:12:08.483+01:00I am sympathetic to the argument you are making bu...I am sympathetic to the argument you are making but would want to add a couple of related points. <br /><br />Firstly that entrepreneurs don’t have to be individuals. The long Liberal/Radical tradition back to J S Mill and on through James Meade which includes Co Ownership and outright employee ownership saw the workforce as a driving force creating innovative and sustainable businesses. As Richard Wainwright used to say to Liberal Assemblies (admittedly before 1982) ‘labour should hire capital’. <br /><br />Secondly we can’t accept that the economy should operate chiefly in the interest of the existing owners of capital. David Howarth’s challenging analysis of the key moments of crisis over the last five years asks: ‘Do we worry only about social mobility, or do we care about inequality of wealth in itself? I think most members do care about inequality of wealth, especially in its gross modern form. But the party is going to need to say so loudly and clearly.’ <br /><br />The same radical tradition has always held that the state should set the rules regulating the distribution of wealth-land tax, inheritance tax and employee ownership etc. Taken as a package these ideas would defuse wealth and power and turn our citizens from economic subjects to full economic citizens. I came across a quote from an old (1962) LPD report ‘Just as there is a difference between a citizen and a mere subject, so there is a difference between an employee who is simply hired by his company and one who shares, officially and formally, in the ultimate power to determine the company’s aims and call its directors to account.’ And, of course, shared in the profits.iainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14130477837827628789noreply@blogger.com