Britain Bans Criticism of Capitalism

News:

The Independent Newspaper reported that in Britain, “Schools have been banned from using teaching material that calls for the end of capitalism because it is an “extreme political stance”, sparking criticism.”

New guidance puts groups wanting to replace the economic system on a par with those endorsing racism, antisemitism and violence, or the overthrow of democracy. It comes despite the doubts raised about whether capitalism can withstand the growing risk from pandemics, the mounting gap between rich and poor and – above all – the climate emergency.

The guidance reads: “Schools should not under any circumstances use resources produced by organisations that take extreme political stances on matters. “Examples of extreme political stances include, but are not limited to: a publicly stated desire to abolish or overthrow democracy, capitalism, or to end free and fair elections, opposition to the right of freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of assembly or freedom of religion and conscience.”

Also outlawed is “the encouragement or endorsement of illegal activity, a failure to condemn illegal activities done in their name or in support of their cause, particularly violent actions against people or property.” That section prompted the leading QC Jessica Simor to ask, witheringly, if that meant “schools should not accept government money?” – following the Brexit bill that breaches international law.

Allan Hogarth, Amnesty International’s head of policy and government affairs, said: “It’s a step too far to ban materials which question an economic model such as capitalism. “The only extreme view here is the one which suggests that it's somehow illegitimate to even consider the validity of socio-economic systems other than the prevailing one – a system that has of course only been in existence for a comparatively short period of time.”  

Andrew Scattergood, Momentum co-chair, said “The Tories (the Conservative Party) think they can get away with banning those rights when it comes to speech that criticises the economic system that makes them and their billionaire mates richer at the expense of working class people.”

Comment:

Secular Capitalists over the world hypocritically promote the values of free speech and thought, but rarely tolerate them when their own beliefs are called into question. The Western capitalist nations are again exposing the emptiness of their intellectual foundation, as they cannot find any robust justification why the overtly corrupt capitalist system must continue to prevail. Ironically, the apologists for its many failures, particularly those in and around the governments, treat the secular beliefs and its resultant belief in freedom in the same way that superstitious idol worshippers are protective of their stone gods. They cannot defend themselves; just as the secular belief cannot justify its own existence. Similarly, their apologists cannot provide intelligent arguments to justify why they should be revered above all else.

The governments and their supporters who found that they could not turn to Capitalism for sensible solutions during the global pandemic, also find themselves charged with defending the unjust status quo at all costs. Their fanatical adherence to an obviously failed system, coupled with the extreme shallowness of their attempts to defend it, exposes the true baselessness of their adopted secular belief, and its values of freedom and democracy.

In the West, intellectual debate has been dying for decades, but it can now be seen to be dead and buried. No longer are ideas met with ideas, or arguments met with counter arguments. Instead opposing views are shouted down, hidden or banned, for fear that someone may desire a change. Change is what the privileged capitalist elite fears most.

Islam is often the target of what the secularists attempt to smear, hide or ban because it alone offers humanity a new hope of justice in this so overtly unjust current world order.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Yahya Nisbet
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Britain