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From The Socialist newspaper, 30 September 2020
News in brief
Trump's tax
A self-declared dollar billionaire US president pays $750 in federal income tax a year, whereas the average US worker pays $8,196 a year in income taxes. Who says capitalism is unfair?
This disparity was revealed by the New York Times (NYT), which got hold of Donald Trump's tax returns. But as a rich US socialite once remarked: 'It's only the little people who pay taxes. Indeed, the world's super-rich employ tax lawyers to minimise their tax bills, as do the giant corporations who continually shift their wealth - accumulated from the labour of the working class - from tax haven to tax haven.
That said, while the NYT report shows that the author of 'Trump: The Art of the Deal' has paid no income tax in ten of the last 15 years, it also reveals that he has been a complete capitalist failure with his investments.
A series of crashed business ventures has left him owing hundreds of millions of dollars which, while lowering his tax bill, has left Trump teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.
Media jobs for the boys
Talk about putting the fox in charge of the hen house. Boris Johnson has demonstrated his political objectivity by considering appointing capitalist ideologues Paul Dacre - former Daily Mail editor and editor-in-chief of Associated Newspapers - to head media regulator Ofcom; and Charles Moore - former Daily Telegraph editor and biographer of Margaret Thatcher - to become chairman of the BBC.
Apparently, Johnson touted the Ofcom job to fellow Tory Dacre over drinks in Downing Street last February. The Sunday Times reported that Moore's BBC post is a 'done deal.
Expect an increased output of anti-trade union and anti-socialist propaganda programmes on the BBC, set in 1950s colonial Britain. Any complaints, feel free to raise them with Mr Dacre.
Patriotic Ratcliffe
Sir James Ratcliffe - the anti-union billionaire of petrochemicals giant Ineos, who also happens to be the UK's richest person - continues to demonstrate what his version of a capitalist Brexit looks like.
In an unbridled display of patriotism, he tore-up a deal with the Welsh government to build a 4X4 vehicle manufacturing plant in Bridgend and instead moved it to France. Ratcliffe then followed up his 'I'm backing Britain' commitment by decamping to Monaco, where he will become a 'non-dom', potentially saving him £4 billion a year.
Any suggestion that 'patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel' is simply socialist envy of a man whose estimated wealth has increased by £1.25 billion in this pandemic year.
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Finance appeal
The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
In The Socialist 30 September 2020:
News
Tory scheme won't halt mass unemployment: mobilise the unions!
Job Support Scheme - too little, too late
International news
Trump's failure over western US wildfires
US: Police escape justice over Breonna Taylor killing
South Africa: Working class unity to stop violence against women
What we think
Covid restrictions expose Tory splits
Students
Students trapped on Covid campuses speak out
Apprehension about Covid - anger at fees, costs and exploitation
Black History Month
Still crawling at 60: Capitalism has failed Nigeria
Workplace news
Trade unions must fight to put their stamp on events
Usdaw elections: Defend members' right to participate
PCS: No to DWP management's plans - Yes to action
NHS workers need 15% rise and full funding
Peterborough CWU have massively voted for strike action
Campaigns and party news
Why I joined the Socialist Party: Labour moved right and left me behind
£71,522 raised: We've smashed our target again
Campaign for new King George Hospital wing gets boost
Readers' opinion
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