1.18 - Privatization in Britain

Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy

Targeting state-owned industries
The economics of coal
Breaking the miners' strike
Socialism turned back

Watch all of Commanding Heights at PBS.org

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/hi/story/index.html

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Commanding
• Heights
• Economics
• Nationalization
• Privatization
• Thatcher
• Coal
• Miners
• Union
• Strike
• Capitalism
• Gordon
• Brown

[felixfaster]

I think her whole point was to get away from government "solutions"

[billyysands]

the mines were bleeding the british economy dry

[HBomb2323]

The UK government massively subsidises private industry.

Local authorities give money to transport companies to run empty buses, central government subsidise the nuclear industry and “working tax credit” subsidises low rates of pay offered by private industry.

The cost of administering and paying out “benefits” to the people who lost their jobs through “value engineering” or the “free market economy” (British companies selling out their work forces & relocating their manufacturing base).

[TheRacketBoss]

she was a fucking bitch!, sold this country away to the rich businessmen, competition in the market doesnt drive prices down!!, look at the railways for one.. privitisation has ultimately failed. plus we dont export anymore, we dont make anything!, thatcher caused the state we are in now, a country that doesnt make any money for itself in manufacture and industry.

[parrotcar]

As for no longer needing coal, that isnt true. We still ship in millions of tonnes from China, Europe, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Africa etc. And why should old people be freezing in their homes when there is so much home coal that could be put to use and provide employment without having to be sent over on vastly ungreen ships and mined by children and workers for pennies abroad.

[parrotcar]

MINES AND INDUSTRY WENT, HEROIN AND UNCONTROLLED IMMIGRATION CAME WITH DELIBERATE MEDIA/POLICY RACIAL STIR UP. Now everything is to be privatised, have a look around your towns schools, hospitals, council depots, waste dumps, construction areas etc. You will see names such as Carilion, Viridor, Veolia. Even council housing is private, even the job centre is privatising dole with all these leeching "employment training providers". EVEN PUBS LIKE THE ONE IN THIS VIDEO ARE GONE.

[Sleck06]

Another thing people watching this video should really ask themselves, do you believe the role of the economy is to provide employment or just be efficient and profitable

[Sleck06]

no matter how you view privatization what occurred during the thatcher regime was unemployment skyrocketed the gap between rich and poor quadrupled and privatizing parts of government social care has not proved to be any more efficient but has proven to be a lot more expensive

[MrBillcale]

what many successful european nations in northern europe have done like germany netherlands denmark sweden have done is make their economies more market flexible and maintain a generous welfare state and they seem to be thriving.. flexicurity

[58robbo]

Bring back Mrs Thatcher!

[delavalmilker]

Coal mining employment went from 180,000 to less than 3,000? Incredible!