Hi Mark
Thanks for this and I agree. The report constitutes a somewhat ambitious attempt to make more explicit the way in which specific discourses, regulations and activities of lenders and collectors link the neoliberal anti-labour strategies you mention (the stagnation of wages, changes in labour and housing markets, facilitation of consumption via financial deregulation, the growth of various asset based securities markets and their impact on the proliferation of revolving debt) and the experiences of abuse, distress and suffering experienced by victims of this system of debt growth and management. We hope that if nothing else it contributes to the critique of the increasingly absurd policy focus on financial literacy and capability as solutions to problems of personal debt.
Will look forward to reading your report.
Best wishes
Carl
Carl Walker
School of Applied Social Science
University of Brighton
Mayfield House
Falmer
Brighton BN1 9PH
t. 01273 643475
e. [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mark Burton
Sent: 16 December 2012 10:46
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] Debt and misery event
Thanks for this Carl and all the best with the meeting.
As I'm sure you know, the 'irresponsible lending' engaged in by the banks was not at all irresponsible, in its own terms, but a necessary strategy to keep the motor of growth and accumulation going through maintaining levels of consumption while real incomes declined as a result of neoliberal anti-labour strategies. A major element of this was the consequences of council house sales in the UK leading to the inflation of housing costs. Each time a loan was made, new liquidity (money) was created as a consequence of the fractional reserve system of banking. I'm therefore pessimistic about the chances of there being adequate reform - all the indications are that the banking system is continuing as before with banks having the continued licence to 'print' money. The government is wholly disingenuous in its appeal to housekeeping philosophy in reduction of the public debt - they know exactly what the design of the system is and this is not more than a transfer of wealth from both household budgets and the public sector to private capital.
So what is the alternative - how do we as community psychologists work at a community level to both support households and communities (the ameliorative moment) and to promote changes to the system (the transformative moment)? I've been grappling with these questions for some time and for the last 6 months have been involved with a collective that is promoting practical policies and actions to move our local economy (at municipal and regional levels) towards a steady state model. Hardly an easy task but we have focussed on steps that are both feasible and practical, in full knowledge that the wider context also needs addressing. You can see our substantial report, 'In Place of Growth' here http://steadystatemanchester.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/inplaceofgrowth_ipog_-content_final.pdf
which is on the SSM website at http://steadystatemanchester.net - the relevant section on debt, money, savings and investment begins on page 31 (page 37 counting from the cover).
This is difficult stuff to think through so constructive comments are most welcome - to [log in to unmask] Mark
From: Mark Burton
Scholar-Activist;
Visiting Professor, Manchester Metropolitan University
http://steadystatemanchester.net Steady State Manchester
http://libpsy.org Liberation Psychology Network
http://www.compsy.org.uk Community Psychology UK
http://mmu.academia.edu/MarkBurton Academia.edu profile
Book: Critical Community Psychology
In Place of Growth: Practical steps to a Manchester where people thrive without harming the planet.
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