Better to suffer

+My congratulations to Kim Ledbetter MP for introducing an assisted dying bill. I hope she succeeds—and doesn’t have to suffer too much abuse from hardline Christians, et al. There are those, like Ed Davey on the radio this morning who argue that palliative care is the solution whilst in the same breath admitting that such services are woefully inadequate. So why not let the bill go through until palliative is up to scratch for everybody? Some chance under Austerity 2. The bill requires two doctors to sign you off. That could be a problem—it’s hard enough to get hold of one doctor these days. Those against the bill would much prefer it if the state forced you to suffer, whilst it considers it fine and dandy to march young people off to war. With, as I suggested the other day God’s blessing.
 
+After a bit of a hiatus I have finished reading Joseph Stiglitz’s ‘The Road to Freedom.’ (see blog 28/8/24) Stiglitz has demolished the case for neoliberal capitalism and proposes progressive capitalism instead. The latter calls upon our better instincts to ensure it works for everybody, not just a rich elite. Which sounds fine, but the problem is how to get there? Few members of the rich elite (which includes developed countries) will be inclined to give up their privileges. They got where they are by not particularly caring about e.g. wealth inequality. As Stiglitz acknowledges, we don’t have much time, with climate change bearing down on us, to re-order society. His route map is a bit vague, and he rules out revolution. Still, it’s good to have such senior countervoices to the Trumpian/Gekko bandits currently in the ascendancy.