Category Archives: Essays

Longer pieces up to 2000 words exploring subjects in some depth.

Neoliberalism: Not Just A Financial Crisis But A Crisis Of Democracy

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Chris Jury

Part I: Democracy is not the same as absence of government. The most clichéd description of democracy is “government of the people, for the people, by the people.” This and all other concepts of democracy presume ‘government’. Democracy is not … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged democracy, Financial crisis, Free market, Milton Friedman, Neoliberal, Neoliberalism, politics, United States | 3 Comments

On Harmony, Conflict And Class

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Chris Jury

I read an interview with George Lakey in this month’s. Peace News. Lakey is a life-long activist who re-imagined the nonviolent revolutionary strategies of Gandhi & Dr Martin Luther King for the modern era. In the interview he had some … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged Class conflict, Conservatism, Conservative, Martin Luther King, Middle class, Peace News, Socialism, Working class | 5 Comments

On Holding The Country To Ransom

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Chris Jury

It is often argued in the Anglo-American press that strikes are universally illegitimate; that they are an abuse of power by workers. “The unions are holding the company/country to ransom”, is the cry. “Why should the innocent general public suffer … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged Business, Employment, Grapes Of Wrath, Human resources, John Steinbeck, Law, Northern California, Strike action | 4 Comments

The Democratic Threat to Capitalism

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Chris Jury

As described in The Scorpion And The Frog, the interests of capital are in the generation of profits and, by extension, the maintenance of the social, financial and political conditions that maximise profit. And it the second part of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged BBC, Capitalism, France, Germany, labour, Left-wing politics, politics, United States | Leave a comment

On The Cult Of Managers

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Chris Jury

We live in a world in which corporate CEO’s and senior managers are feted as a class of Ubermensch to whom the rest of us mere mortals owe gratitude, allegiance and deference. It is often claimed that the multi-national corporations … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged Übermensch, Chief executive officer, Economy of the United Kingdom, English nationalism, Harvard Business School, Management, Master of Business Administration, Senior management | 4 Comments

The Revolting Underclass?

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Chris Jury

[Note: A Tory perspective of much of what I am saying in this post was echoed by the Daily Telegraph Political Editor Peter Oborne, in his article, The moral decay of our society is as bad at the top as … Continue reading →