Yes you can see why Tolkein may have had a problem with allegory!

You could easily see Sauron as Stalin, or Hitler even. Although I suppose the Nazis were themselves capitalists.

But these analogies are starting to "feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread"

Yeah Tolkeins obviously not a Marxist lol but seeing a critique of industrial capitalism in his work is definitely not a stretch. Especially given that theyre both basically responding in different ways to the industrialisation of England

He has a mind of metal and wheels; and he does not care for growing things, except as far as they serve him for the moment.

Marx is quite clear that capitalism is driven by the insatiable need for growth and acquisition. And in LOTR that "greed" is consistently condemned. So the parallels are clear, even if Tolkien "cordially disliked allegory in all its manifestations"

"What would the good Dr. Aikin say if he could rise from his grave and see the Manchester of today?

Accumulate, accumulate! That is Moses and the prophets!"

But obviously Marx wasnt nostalgic! He admired capitalism while opposing its social consequences, and imagined a utopian future.

I mean Marx very clearly distinguishes between the productive capacity and appetite of capitalism vis a vis feudalism. One can see Tolkien doing the same, but where Marx sees historical progress, Tolkien laments a lost idyll.

Conversely you have Elon Musk, whose main added value seems to be presenting himself as the "real life Tony Stark"

Oh my god I didnt think we could get any more "clarity" but here we are

Or things they might like to do!

For example raising income tax, trans rights, saying immigrants/refugees/a diverse society as a whole enrich society

Equally public opinion is something that can be shaped by arguing the case, something this gov doesnt do much.

Its frustrating Starmer also ruled out Levenson 2 because the media does so much to influence the electorate.

No I agree there probably isnt a left majority (although obviously Keir only got some 30% himself!). Its more that the left is an important constituency that Labour cant take for granted.

To be fair I think the left has moved on, in going to the Greens. But Labour figures are still processing the consequences of the divorce.

Yes the analogy of a toxic marriage is an apt one and it would be much healthier for all involved (including the voters!) If we could change the voting system and get a divorce. Staying together for the sake of the kids isnt worth it!

Yes, Labour did raise taxes, but by ruling out income tax they dont have enough revenue, so are forced into the same austerity logic, like the Disability cuts. And disengenuously employing language of scroungers/overdiagnosis etc

It seems to me that the whole mantra of the Labour right is to acknowledge the electorate as it is, not what you'd like it to be. But that attitude isn't extended to left-leaning voters, its felt they have nowhere else to go. And Labour figures are indignant when they actually do go elsewhere.

I dont understand, how can they ignore the provision that its an invasion of privacy to ask if you have a GRC?

This just go back to auroboros discourse of whats left/right wing thats been doing the rounds lately.

Partly its an issue of salience of issues with voters and partly what labour chooses to prioritise in comms

I think "works out its differences internally" is a key phrase here because Starmer is widely regarded to have won the leadership disingenuously, presenting himself as more left than he is, and his subsequent attitude of "if you dont like the changes to my Labour Party, leave"

Maybe cause he's so rich already he didn't need to go off being a global consultant to despots to make his fortune like Blair