“The society which has abolished every kind of adventure makes its own abolition the only possible adventure.” Paris, May 1968


Sunday 9 January 2011

Financial transparency for all.

We are unlikely to learn details of the huge bonus payments made to top bankers and now we are told that the Royal Family are to become totally exempt from the Freedom Of Information Act. The ruling elite tend to be very touchy about details of their wealth and privilege being revealed. They walk a fine line between wanting to flaunt there wealth on the one hand and being only too aware that if the wool was ever finally removed from the eyes of the great unwashed the doors would burst open and the treasure passed out to the outstretched hands below.
Personally I'm in favour of complete financial transparency for everyone. Just imagine if every single financial reward, every wage, salary, bonus, property deal or trading profit, was out in the open for all to see. Surely only those of us who are ashamed of having an unfairly large slice of the collective cake could possibly object. But wouldn't this be a gross violation of our privacy? I don't think so. Provided we do no harm to others, we have a right to keep private our sex lives, to associate with whoever we choose and to walk freely without let or hindrance from the state; we don't necessarily have a right to keep secret how much of the common wealth we are apportioned Financial transparency is nothing to be afraid of - unless you are afraid of inequality.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think it is in Sweden where all tax returns are in the public domain. Can't ever see that happening here as it's not so much how much the rich are making but how little tax, if any, they are paying on their income.