So What Is Austerity For Again?

David Cameron announced today that protecting Britain's AAA credit rating is "not important." Oh. We've already seen that austerity is not about reducing Britain's debts since the national debt is actually growing and its not about avoiding recession since double-dip and even triple-dip seem to have no significance. In fact all of the economic goals that the Coalition set itself have gone by the way. So the question is, what is austerity for? If not for economic purposes could it be for social purposes? Well yes, since that is the only other reason for having it. So what are those social goals? Look at the evidence. Austerity has made possible the privatisation of the NHS for the benefit of the wealthy - both in terms of business opportunities and tax cuts for themselves. It has made possible a huge cut in welfare benefits - again for the benefit of the wealthy who can expect even more juicy tax cuts. It has led to even more job insecurity for ordinary working people at any rate - the wealthy and influential seem immune to such insecurities. It makes possible a two-tier education system in Britain in which only the wealthy will have any kind of choice for themselves and their children. It is the direct cause of an ever-increasing divide between the haves and have-nots. Austerity, in short, has only two purposes - to increase the privileges and wealth of the already privileged and wealthy and to decrease the meagre resources of the poor. It is nothing less than an all-out assault on the ordinary working man and woman in this country - an undeclared civil war launched as an ambush from behind the protective cover of the LibDem party and a seemingly never-ending recession. The Tories have, in effect, parked their tanks on our lawn. The only real question left is what are you going to do about it?