Day: April 11, 2017

Letters: Life or death problems can’t be solved by capitalism

Dear Editor

The working population rightly expect the wealth they produce by their efforts to give them and their families a fair and comfortable life. It is also essential the population has work stability. But we know to our cost every so often a crisis appears and sets everyone back: why does this happen? What are the causes?

The system under which we all live is capitalism, where in the main most of the economy and decision-making is in private hands – so the causes of failure and crisis is theirs, not ours.

In our system of democracy the right to elect Parliament to represent us now happens every five years and against the heavy odds and power of the mainly privately-owned press than can and does manipulate opinion, very many good people have been elected to change the failing system.

Many people are also elected to maintain the capitalist system at all costs, despite past evidence of crisis after crisis: either they are unable to understand or feel the damage they cause, or they have a vested interest in the existing system.

On a national scale it is a disaster for the working population, on an international scale it is extremely dangerous to peacce and the co-operation needed to deal with world problems of climate change, water, food and energy supplies. These life or death problems can be solved – but not by putting profit above everything.

A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens