Tea Time: Conversations Across the Channel With the Macron Presidency

COFFEE BREAK ACROSS THE POND WITH THE STARMER-GOVERNMENT

By Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism

As we sipped our morning coffee, we couldn't help but notice the eerie similarities between the Starmer government's latest moves in the UK and those of the Biden administration in the US. It seems that the notion of "progressive" politicians is a myth perpetuated by the neoliberal media, and that in reality, they're just as beholden to the interests of the ruling class as their more openly reactionary counterparts.

Take, for instance, the Starmer government's decision to increase the National Health Service (NHS) budget by a paltry 3.2% over the next three years. This may seem like a modest increase, but when you consider that the NHS is already struggling to cope with the demands of a growing population and the ongoing impact of austerity measures, it's clear that this "boost" is little more than a token gesture.

Meanwhile, the government's plans to "reform" the NHS by introducing more private providers and increasing the role of the private sector in healthcare delivery are a thinly veiled attempt to further erode the public's trust in the institution and pave the way for its eventual privatization. This is a classic neoliberal strategy, and one that we've seen time and time again in the US, where the likes of Joe Biden and Barack Obama have consistently prioritized the interests of the healthcare industry over those of the patients.

But the similarities don't stop there. The Starmer government's decision to increase the National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for low- and middle-income earners is another example of the kind of regressive economic policy that we've seen in the US, where the burden of taxation has consistently been placed on the backs of the working class and the poor.

And then there's the issue of climate change, where the Starmer government's lack of ambition is mirrored by the Biden administration's half-hearted attempts to address the crisis. Despite the urgent need for decisive action, both governments seem content to kick the can down the road, relying on vague promises and token gestures to placate the public while doing little to actually address the scale and urgency of the crisis.

As we sipped our coffee and pondered the state of the world, we couldn't help but feel a sense of despair at the lack of vision and leadership on display from the Starmer government and the Biden administration. It seems that the notion of "progressive" politics is little more than a myth, and that in reality, the interests of the ruling class will always come first. But hey, at least we can take some small comfort in the fact that we're not alone in our frustration, and that there are others out there who share our concerns and are working to create a better future for all.