I do not share the general view that market forces are the basis for political liberty. Every time I see a homeless person living in a cardboard box in London, I see that person as a victim of market forces. Everytime I see a pensioner who cannot manage, I know that he is a victim of market forces
Interpretation
The quote critiques the notion that market forces alone ensure political freedom, highlighting their adverse effects on vulnerable individuals.
In this quote, Tony Benn emphasizes the shortcomings of a purely market-driven understanding of political liberty. He points out that economic structures can lead to significant suffering among marginalized groups, such as the homeless and struggling pensioners, who are often seen as casualties of the market rather than empowered by it. This perspective invites a critical evaluation of how freedom is defined and the actual lived experiences of those who are directly impacted by economic forces.
In practice
This quote could be used in a speech about social justice and economic inequality.
If the Queen can reject the advice of a minister on a little thing like a postage stamp, what would happen if she rejected the advice of the Prime Minister on a major matter? If the Crown personally can reject advice, then, of course, the whole democratic facade turns out to be false
People in debt become hopeless and hopeless people don't vote. They always say that that everyone should vote but I think that if the poor in Britain or the United States turned out and voted for people that represented their interests there would be a real democratic revolution.
I opposed the Suez war, I opposed the Falklands war. I opposed the Libyan bombing and I opposed the Gulf war and I never believed that any of those principled arguments lost a single vote - indeed, I think they gained support though that was not why you did it. What has been lacking in Labour politics over a long period is a principled stand
We are paying a heavy political price for 20 years in which, as a party, we have played down our criticism of capitalism and soft-peddled our advocacy of socialism
Experience is the only real teacher and if you keep a diary you get three bites at educating yourself - when it happens, when you write it down, and when you reread it and realise you were wrong. Making mistakes is part of life. The only things I would feel ashamed of would be if I had said things I hadn't believed in order to get on. Some politicians do do that.
I think Mrs Thatcher did more damage to democracy, equality, internationalism, civil liberties, freedom in this country than any other Prime Minister this century. When the euphoria surrounding her departure subsides you will find that in a year or two's time there will not be a Tory who admits ever supporting her. People in the street will say, thank God she's gone
I find rebellion packaged by a major corporation a little hard to take seriously.
My solitude doesnβt depend on the presence or absence of people; on the contrary, I hate who steals my solitude without, in exchange, offering me true company.
Corporations take the humanity out of trade - they take the happiness out and replace it with something that is ugly.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
States are not moral agents, people are, and can impose moral standards on powerful institutions.
We are all sensible that the king and Tisaphernes have caused as many of us as they could to be apprehended, and it is plain they design, by the same treacherous means, if they can, to destroy the rest.
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