Earlier today I saw a clip of Jess Philips belittling the idea of universal broadband bab as part of her leadership campaign bab. Apparently it was an "issue" that "didn't matter" to "real people" bab.
Why are the representatives of the working classes bab so reticent about ideas that might bring about a slight increase in equality bab?
Why is there a lack of imagination? Where are the jumps of faith that are so small they are virtually imperceptible? It can't be because these ideas are difficult to conceptualise because even a wretch like me can have a tittle think about "them big issues", and I don't even have a column in the Guardian.
Take two areas "Broadband Communism" and rail travel, you don't need to be that radical to make those things fairer.
"Who would pay for Broadband Communism?". Firstly why does a utility company NEED to make billions in profit? If we start to ask that sort of question some people might remember that utilities are things that people need to run a fully functioning home. Secondly if we deviate away from a market driven ideology towards state ownership of the communication infrastructure bab ORDINARY PEOPLE could pay for it, only PAY LESS THAN THEY DO NOW.
For example people might only need to pay a relatively small flat fee to help with the upkeep of the network. I haven't down any maths behind this but we could raise 1.8 Billion quid a year by getting 30 million people pay 5 quid per month (Obviously the flat fee idea will need to make things "work"). This isn't particularly difficult to achieve as BT, through Openreach, still maintains the broadband network.
30 odd years ago my Dad was still working for BT and he said said something like "Watch what'll happened with privatisation, loads of companies will start offering you telephone / electricity / water even though they won't own the pipelines or cables. How's that going to be more efficient? You'll still need people to look after the pipes and cables".
30 odd years later I see Openreach vans everywhere because their drivers are maintaining the network at the same junction boxes that have been there for decades. I'm also paying over 70 quid a month for landline & broadband. My nana had a lifetime buspass because my Grandad worked for Crosvile,. My Dad worked for BT for 27 years yet all I get is an ever growing list of itemised services that add their own little magic to the total cost of each month's bill. Why can't we do better than this?
As for rail travel, the government is already pumping billions into the rail network via franchises and Network Rail so it could revert back to state ownership relatively easily. If the profit motive is removed we could use two things to help fund the rail network; (1) Something akin to the TV license as a way of society helping those in need. (2) Fares based on the lowest possible universal basic rate based on the distance of the journey.
I remember a cartoon from Geography textbooks that told us that the train is the most fuel / energy efficient method of transporting lots of people. I was always reminded of the cartoon when I helped to organise football coaches from Bangor to south Wales. Dues to their want Welsh mountains got in the way so the coaches and trains generally followed the same routes from north Wales to south Wales. We charged people 20 quid for a place on the coach whereas a train ticket would anything between 30 and 60 quid. Can't we do better than the present rail network?
I suppose that these ideas might sound like pie in the sky utopianism but in my defence I should say that I chose not the sainted life of fighting for them working classes what needs the help. Please judge me not, for I did not tread upon the well-worn "NUS > Researching for an MP > Safe Seat" path to self-saintliness.
Why are the representatives of the working classes bab so reticent about ideas that might bring about a slight increase in equality bab?
Why is there a lack of imagination? Where are the jumps of faith that are so small they are virtually imperceptible? It can't be because these ideas are difficult to conceptualise because even a wretch like me can have a tittle think about "them big issues", and I don't even have a column in the Guardian.
Take two areas "Broadband Communism" and rail travel, you don't need to be that radical to make those things fairer.
"Who would pay for Broadband Communism?". Firstly why does a utility company NEED to make billions in profit? If we start to ask that sort of question some people might remember that utilities are things that people need to run a fully functioning home. Secondly if we deviate away from a market driven ideology towards state ownership of the communication infrastructure bab ORDINARY PEOPLE could pay for it, only PAY LESS THAN THEY DO NOW.
For example people might only need to pay a relatively small flat fee to help with the upkeep of the network. I haven't down any maths behind this but we could raise 1.8 Billion quid a year by getting 30 million people pay 5 quid per month (Obviously the flat fee idea will need to make things "work"). This isn't particularly difficult to achieve as BT, through Openreach, still maintains the broadband network.
30 odd years ago my Dad was still working for BT and he said said something like "Watch what'll happened with privatisation, loads of companies will start offering you telephone / electricity / water even though they won't own the pipelines or cables. How's that going to be more efficient? You'll still need people to look after the pipes and cables".
30 odd years later I see Openreach vans everywhere because their drivers are maintaining the network at the same junction boxes that have been there for decades. I'm also paying over 70 quid a month for landline & broadband. My nana had a lifetime buspass because my Grandad worked for Crosvile,. My Dad worked for BT for 27 years yet all I get is an ever growing list of itemised services that add their own little magic to the total cost of each month's bill. Why can't we do better than this?
As for rail travel, the government is already pumping billions into the rail network via franchises and Network Rail so it could revert back to state ownership relatively easily. If the profit motive is removed we could use two things to help fund the rail network; (1) Something akin to the TV license as a way of society helping those in need. (2) Fares based on the lowest possible universal basic rate based on the distance of the journey.
I remember a cartoon from Geography textbooks that told us that the train is the most fuel / energy efficient method of transporting lots of people. I was always reminded of the cartoon when I helped to organise football coaches from Bangor to south Wales. Dues to their want Welsh mountains got in the way so the coaches and trains generally followed the same routes from north Wales to south Wales. We charged people 20 quid for a place on the coach whereas a train ticket would anything between 30 and 60 quid. Can't we do better than the present rail network?
I suppose that these ideas might sound like pie in the sky utopianism but in my defence I should say that I chose not the sainted life of fighting for them working classes what needs the help. Please judge me not, for I did not tread upon the well-worn "NUS > Researching for an MP > Safe Seat" path to self-saintliness.
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