Working for the bankers, not the people

German ex-chancellor Gerhard Schröder has just announced that he will be acting as a consultant for the Rothschild banking emporium. Schröder was the socialist (SPD) leader who turned Germany from a welfare state into a British-style market economy. Standing on a socialist ticket he managed to dismantle German's social security system in a way the conservatives (CDU) could never have done, to a degree where an old lady would be forced to sell her own home before she would be entitled to help from the state. The Schröder years were bad for the German people, but good for high finance, and it seems he is now being rewarded for his loyal service.

Banks don't want the state to exist in order to serve the people. They want taxes to be collected in order to pay the interest for the money the state borrows from them. The European push for privatisation and selling off the nation's family silver started in Britain under Thatcher and has since been exported to many countries. Thatcher's uncaring image and lack of popularity after the poll tax riots made her paymasters realise that this agenda was much better served by people with pretended socialist credentials. In Britain, too, the Labour party destroyed the unions and the welfare state much more successfully than the Tories could ever have done.

Tony Blair might not be able to hold onto his premiership long enough to beat Thatcher in years, but he needn't worry about his immediate future after stepping down as prime minister. If all fails, there is probably another Rothschild vacancy somewhere.