The Mayfair Set - Episode 2: Entrepreneur Spelt S.P.I.V. (Part 3/6) [Adam Curtis Documentary]

The Mayfair Set is a series of programmes produced by Adam Curtis for the BBC, first broadcast in the summer of 1999.

The programme looked at how buccaneer capitalists of hot money were allowed to shape the climate of the Thatcher years, focusing on the rise of Colonel David Stirling, Jim Slater, James Goldsmith, and Tiny Rowland, all members of The Clermont club in the 1960s. It received the BAFTA Award for Best Factual Series or Strand in 2000.

The second episode tells of rise of Jim Slater who became famous for writing an investment column in The Sunday Telegraph under the nom de plume of The Capitalist.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Adam
• Curtis
• Mayfair
• Set
• Margaret
• Thatcher
• David
• Stirling
• James
• Goldsmiths
• Capitalism
• Business
• Politics
• Democracy
• Clermont
• Club
• The
• Trap
• Power
• of
• Nightmares
• Century
• Self
• Suez
• UK
• British

[malkooth]

Great observant comments on this episode. 

[robertk1968]

Asset Stripper !!

[roryphelan]

Christopher Fildes is an interesting presence.

[postrealitysyndrome]

@Jcolinsol

At some point we'll have to give up on a lot of things. Don't blame the institutions, though. The public allowed themselves to get drunk in luxuries and cede power to corporations, and are now enslaved to oil and prefer ignorance. Gov't had the power. Andrew Jackson fought the bankers throughout his life but others since, those like Lincoln and Kennedy, have paid with their lives. Ike tried to warn. The US lost when K's death was accepted and the military-ind complex thrived.

[Jcolinsol]

@postrealitysyndrome

Yes, but who is to be doing the regulating? As I say, politics attracts psychopathic people too, and they are so effective at manipulating people that they dominate the government.

To me, the de-regulation (and strategic re-regulation to benefit corporations) of the past century, is evidence of the inability of the state to effectively regulate.

I think we need to give up on institutions entirely.

[postrealitysyndrome]

@Jcolinsol

True, but the fact that such emotionally-stunted people routinely rise to positions that enable destabilization justifies regulation. Notice that as deregulation continued from the 80s till now, wealth consolidated upwards. Of many examples, most relevant is repealing Glass–Steagall Act, which removed the separation between Wall Street investment banks and depository banks, allowing Wall Street to capitalize on the mortgage devaluations that fueled the Financial crisis. 

[Jcolinsol]

@radicalsquare

I don't think it's "unregulated capitalism", I think it's the behavior of emotionally stunted people. In both politics and economics psychopaths and zealots rise to power and destabilize society as a whole.

[radicalsquare]

Under the pretext of making industry more globally competitive, Slater's quest for personal profits results in destroying domestic industry, laying the groundwork for outsourcing in the decades ahead. This is why unregulated capitalism can be destructive to a society.

[IrishClaudius]

The music you hear here has interesting history - it is the music used for Dr Mabuse -The Gambler(1927) Originally there was no music but following the huge succes of the film a sound track was added and the film was re-relased it is often cited as a film that described the mesmeric power of Hitler.

[NinjaVsPredator]

ahhh tony benn finally comes up for hypocrasy...ahh fate you unkind mistress..