We are moving towards a world where everything we do, all we use is measured and charged.
It is why Water Meters were introduced. It is why Smart Meters are in place. Every time you turn on a tap. Flush a toilet, flip on a switch a shareholder somewhere gets access to a tiny amount of money because what you are doing is provided as a service.
The privatisation of everything is geared up to the system getting access to more of your hard earned cash. There are very few flat rate costs any more – if it is then once they have found a method to monetise it – that is what they will do.
The phone in your pocket. That access to anything tool will end up being something that controls you, allows you to be monitored in some way.
It already does, with both the Android and Apple software continuing to collect data even when not connected to a network (in the case of Google at least).
The constant checking and billing has crept up us. But the systems that protect us have started to fail. Rules and regulation are not keeping up with the changes to the system.
Water Companies have been dropping tons of raw sewage into the sea with very small sanctions, some have even got away without a penalty.
Google and Facebook are still pushing against issues with the EU over various policies – and despite years of regulation it seems the tech giants can afford to fight court cases.
As we know Governments are not the best at creating regulation or spotting future trends.
Post Covid all governments seem to want to outsource control where it suits, and maintain it in part if suits. For example, in the area of demonstrations, it passes laws. In the area of a failing healthcare system – a review.
This is a trend that has been going on since the mid 1990’s here in the UK. There are more quangos and regulators than ever before.
Yet nothing seems to be that well regulated.
Most regulated businesses seem to be ‘getting away with it’.
Regulation is just another business prevention tool so that Governments can focus on the next election. So they keep control and not changing the system to make it work for all.
When things go wrong, as they do constantly. There will be a review, a select committee. Lessons will be learned, and off we go again. Waiting for the next scandal.
Governments love a Non Governmental Organisation or a regulator. This allows them to outsource temporary power while keeping control at the centre – but never the blame.
This is why so much stuff is put out to local councils, overseen by a ‘regulatory body’. Every time there is a scandal, every time things go wrong there is no one to blame.
You can apply that to every industry, every aspect of your life. From education right through to the NHS and our financial services industry.
Nothing is anyone’s fault when it goes wrong, but the costs are all borne by you and me.
In the short term we will be told that they are ‘the party of low taxation’ whilst increasing taxes.
At the moment, the state is taking more of your money than ever before and providing more and more services. However the quality of those services is questionable.
It’s a bit like a cheap Holiday Park.
Where the accommodation is a pretty pants, the environment is just about acceptable and the entertainment only just meeting the standard.
For sure you’ve had a week on holiday, but it wasn’t great – but did just hit the mark. There is a 95% chance you won’t be going back.
Only with Government services you don’t really get to decide that.
This is where we are at with Government today, record levels of taxation and genuinely taxation without true representation.
There are several questions to ask about all of this. The sooner we wake up and see what is really going on, the sooner we can start to deal with the issues. But from here on in, doing nothing doesn’t really feel like an option.