Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Austerity on Parade

Was this some Dickens inspired piece of tasteless performance art? Sadly no, but still you have got to be fucking kidding me:
A group of long-term unemployed jobseekers were bussed into London to work as unpaid stewards during the diamond jubilee celebrations and told to sleep under London Bridge before working on the river pageant.

Up to 30 jobseekers and another 50 people on apprentice wages were taken to London by coach from Bristol, Bath and Plymouth as part of the government's Work Programme.

Two jobseekers, who did not want to be identified in case they lost their benefits, said they had to camp under London Bridge the night before the pageant.
Were they given gruel to eat too?

When does the GOP adopt this plan?

4 comments:

Montag said...

Umm, the GOP is trying. The Georgia legislature passed a similar law requiring the unemployed to work for private industry for free or for small stipends in exchange for unemployment benefits. It was euphemistically called "job training."

These assholes want to bring back slavery so badly they can taste it.

pansypoo said...

AUSTERITY FOR THEE. let them eat...minnows?

Privatize the Profits! Socialize the Costs!e said...

Remember Pat Paulsen's immortal words...

This is the richest nation in the world, and we'd be richer if it weren't for the poor people.

You can't just give poor people money. The poor people will just go out and buy food and clothes and pay rent and junk like that.

Yastreblyansky said...

Remember the famous apothegm of Anatole France? "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich and the poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

These guys are being encouraged to sleep under bridges, how is that not a privilege? Go Tories!