Letters: global capitalism is the left’s problem

Andrew Rawnsley is saddened by the decline of the “centre left” and the rise of the “nationalist right”, but suggests that the terms “left” and “right” may no longer be relevant (“Corbyn’s cross-eyed attitude to wards the Kremlin doesn’t inspire confidence”, Comment, 18 March).

I agree that the traditional terms here are inappropriate. The term “left” now seems to imply support for the ideology of green, liberal, global capitalism. The term “right” now denotes nationalistic capitalism, with resistance to the global capitalist plans for free movement of commodities and labour. The qualifications “green” and “liberal” before the term “global capitalism”, may sound appealing. However, global capitalism, whatever the qualifications, still means an ideology dedicated to the insanity of perpetual growth in a finite world for the enrichment of ever fewer ultra-rich people. It also stands for a homogenisation of the world in the interest of maximising the wealth of a tiny global elite.

However, in a homogenous world of open borders, the extreme poverty that used to be confined to the third world will come to haunt poorer people in richer countries. If this vision is labelled “left”, no wonder poorer people in richer countries are turning “right”. Rawnsley also states that “heavy-metal socialism of a super-statist society” is not appealing. Yet some version of socialism or eco-socialism might make “left” ideas appealing if things were not so confused by the misuse of the term “left” for globalism and its end destination of globalised poverty.
David Kault
Townsville, Australia

As Andrew Rawnsley points out, Jeremy Corbyn’s history provides plenty of scope for cynicism regarding his posture towards Russia, the previous Soviet Union and Vladimir Putin. However, that is not to say that his reaction to the nerve agent attack in Britain was inevitably flawed. It may well be that evidence will emerge that the Russian state was responsible. If and when it does is the time for reprisal. The fact remains that when Theresa May made her accusation, no such evidence had been provided. In jumping to this conclusion, our government has given Moscow the opportunity to accuse it of a prejudice which Russia has been only too eager to condemn.
Michael Benoy
Cranleigh, Surrey

I could not disagree more strongly with Andrew Rawnsley. Over recent decades, many of us have become thoroughly wearied by the frequency with which politicians and journalists employ pseudo-Churchillian, jingoistic bombast when faced with complex and difficult foreign policy and security issues.

Thatcher with the Falklands, Blair with Iraq and Cameron with Libya all resorted to overblown rhetoric where measured diplomacy would surely have achieved more. The fatuousness of the language would matter less if it were not that such language is so often the prelude to suffering and death.
John Harries
Reading

The power of yes

I greatly enjoyed William Leith’s article on the power of “no” (The Observer Magazine, 18 March), but I couldn’t endorse his decision on the example he gave for the following reasons.

There will come a point when Mr Leith’s friends are gone or he himself is too infirm to get out to see them. Then he will wish he had gone to parties when he still could.

It’s a week-long party, for heaven’s sake. Surely he could write for three or four days, spurred on to greater focus and diligence by the prospect of going to the party for the last few days?

The most important reason of all: Mick wants him – his friend, after all – to participate in celebrating a big birthday. Can he really bear to disappoint Mick when he doesn’t strictly need to? Go, go, go!
Verity Ridgman
London

Old-school education

I read with interest your article concerning the headmaster in Charles Dickens’s Nicholas Nickleby (“Suspect emerges as the model for Wackford Squeers”, News, 18 March).

As Dickens states, Squeers was representative of his class, as even the small village of Bowes possessed four schools at the time of Dickens’s research, each with a Wackford Squeers headmaster.

Nicholas Nickleby was a campaigning novel highlighting the brutality of these schools to an ignorant or compliant society, which ultimately resulted in the schools’ demise. Today, Dotheboys Hall is filled with children being children, innocent fun and mischief, blissfully ignorant of Dotheboys’ past. The parallels between Nicholas Nickleby and modern-day campaigning journalism should not be lost.
Sean Webb
Dotheboys Hall
Bowes, Co Durham

Co-operative Finns

I was intrigued by your comment (“Finland’s story shows equality is a better route to happiness than rapid growth”, Business leader, 18 March): “All these areas of Finnish life exemplify a co-operative spirit.” Unfortunately, the article failed to elaborate on that and the fact that Finland, along with most other Nordic countries, has a very strong co-operative business sector. Over 20% of Finland’s GDP comes from co-operative enterprise.

Business journalists rarely report on the enormous size and scale of global co-operative enterprise and the progressive influence of its values-based business model. As neo-liberalism becomes more and more discredited, co-operatives and mutuals are being increasingly seen as the way forward.

The Observer should look a bit more closely at Finland and most other top 10 countries in the Happiness Index, and examine the real nature and impact of their “co-operative spirit”.
Dr Iain Macdonald
International co-operative consultant
Cranleigh, Surrey

Poor show from diners

I read the cri de coeur from Jackson Boxer (“We restaurateurs are all hopeless optimists”, Focus, 18 March) and was astounded by the fact that 36% of people who had booked tables for Mother’s Day did not show up. I would suggest that deposits should be taken to offset the considerable expense laid out and this hopefully will deter such rude diners in the future.
Judith Daniels
Great Yarmouth

No value from gambling

Government estimates suggest that a reduction from £100 to £2 per spin at bookies’ fixed-odds betting terminals could lead to a £5.5bn loss in tax revenues over the next 10 years. The gambling business is basically an intermediary that passes money from the hapless punter to the taxman, extracting a large commission for itself. There is nothing in the process that creates additional value. It can be argued that the money has considerably less value after the bookies take their cut. There is never any worthwhile outcome for the gambler and their families (quite the reverse).

Economists do not appear to understand that you cannot fund beneficial public services from the taxation of empty services.
Geoff Naylor
Winchester

A rocket for Zuckerberg

I’m guessing that Mr Zuckerberg is the first billionaire to pay for a one-way trip to Mars on his pal Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon rocket, while he can still afford the ticket (“Stephen Hawking gave space travel his blessing. Now plutocrats claim him as their own”, Catherine Bennett, 18 March).
Liam Power
Dundalk, Ireland