A desire for social connection is fundamentally hardwired into our psychology, and so being deprived of it has devastating mental and physical consequences. Yet we live in a society which has become ever more fragmented and atomised.
Neoliberalism has left Britain's boss classes drunk on triumphalism, paying themselves record salaries and bonuses while their workers are imprisoned by poverty and insecurity. It was never going to last.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques the excesses of the wealthy in a neoliberal system, highlighting the resulting inequality and its unsustainability.
Owen Jonesβ quote analyzes the consequences of neoliberalism, suggesting that the greed and triumphalism exhibited by the upper classes in Britain, symbolized by exorbitant salaries and bonuses, stands in stark contrast to the struggles faced by workers who endure poverty and insecurity. It underscores the notion that while this system may seem profitable for a select few, such extreme inequalities and imbalances in wealth distribution are ultimately untenable and destined to collapse.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about economic reform, one could use this quote to illustrate the pitfalls of unregulated capitalism.
More from Owen Jones
All quotes βHere in Britain, black people are disproportionately targeted, arrested and imprisoned for drug offences, while organised and violent crime are granted a massive source of revenue.
Socialism is the democratisation of every level of society, or it is nothing. It is based on an understanding that the concentration of wealth and power leaves democracy hollowed out, and that simply trooping to a polling station every few years is an insufficient counterweight to the behemoths of global capital.
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Truth is proper and beautiful in all times and in all places.
Women have to be extremely careful about choosing something that they consider an act of defiance that can really be used to further their enslavement.
As God talked with Arjuna, so will He talk with you. As He lifted up the spirit and consciousness of Arjuna, so will He uplift you. As he granted Arjuna supreme spiritual vision, so will He confer enlightenment on you.
Time makes more converts than reason.