Socialist Worker protests socialist policy?

[uberd00b]

Ok I'm probably wrong here, but I saw recently on the news that the Socialist Workers Party organised a protest in response to the plan to bail out the institutions involved in the current financial crisis, but...

Isn't the bail out quite a socialist policy?

Does it differ to the idea of paying into say the NHS so that other people can get treatment?

It just seemed a little odd to me. I suspect I'm missing a piece of the puzzle.

 

[zaksmummy]

Socialism is all about "power to the people".

Because money is going into capitalistic coffers and not directly to the people they will protest.

Funny think is about capitalism - it is all about survival of the fittest in the market place - so by governments bailing out the banks they are actually denying their own capitalist beliefs. That is why so many of the US senators wouldnt vote for Bush's initial bail out plan.

 

[ScottishJohn]

It's probably not socialist enough. They would prefer wholesale nationalisation.

 

[shout2thelord]

How is taking money from people and letting a huge central government decide what we should do with our money "power to the people".

 

[Robbie_James_Francis]

The Socialists are protesting because the bail-out is taking money from the poor to give to the rich and prop up the capitalist system that keeps the masses poor and powerless. It doesn't prohibit absurd bonuses for failing CEOs and gives no guarantees that interest rate cuts will be passed on, that repossessions will end or that there will be no job cuts.

To quote a headline from The Socialist, They offer "bankers' socialism"; We say "Workers' Socialism!"

 

[ScottishJohn]

How is taking money from people and letting a huge central government decide what we should do with our money "power to the people".

Funnily enough democracy rests on the principle that the people choose government policy.

However in a country like ours where half of the people can't be bothered to turn up, and a large number of those who do manage to trot along to a polling booth every 4 years or so haven't a notion of what policies are on offer, the government can do pretty much what it likes.

We get the government we deserve.