Rent

[82_28]

Universal Basic Income. I only brought it up since the concept is very closely tied to job automation and housing.

There was some shit on the "news" this morning about robots taking over most service jobs (whatever the fuck that means). It takes me 95% longer at least to "self check out" myself. God, how stupid shit has gotten.

[kool maudit]

I think this is Spengler's "world-city" phase manifesting, an autumnal sign.

[Luther Blissett]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1BQPV-iCkU

Interesting that they want the Kidz to empathize with the thinking feeling robots who help the unthinking, unfeeling humans.

[MacCruiskeen]

Note the name of this building, Grenfell Tower, and the date of this open letter from the Tenants' Action Group, November 20th last year:

KCTMO – Playing with fire!
Posted on November 20, 2016

It is a truly terrifying thought but the Grenfell Action Group firmly believe that only a catastrophic event will expose the ineptitude and incompetence of our landlord, the KCTMO, and bring an end to the dangerous living conditions and neglect of health and safety legislation that they inflict upon their tenants and leaseholders. We believe that the KCTMO are an evil, unprincipled, mini-mafia who have no business to be charged with the responsibility of looking after the every day management of large scale social housing estates and that their sordid collusion with the RBKC Council is a recipe for a future major disaster.

Unfortunately, the Grenfell Action Group have reached the conclusion that only an incident that results in serious loss of life of KCTMO residents will allow the external scrutiny to occur that will shine a light on the practices that characterise the malign governance of this non-functioning organisation. We believe that the KCTMO have ensured their ongoing survival by the use of proxy votes at their Annual General Meeting that see them returned with a mandate of 98% in favour of the continuation of their inept and highly dangerous management of our homes. [...]

https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.c ... with-fire/

Today (top story at the BBC right now):

London tower block fire claims lives

Grenfell Tower on fire



Fatalities are reported as fire rips through a 24-storey west London residential building.

16 minutes ago London



http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-40269625

[SonicG]

C'mon Corbyn! International Permanent Rent Strike starting manana!

'Corbyn's on fire': Watch as Newcastle clubbers chant for Labour leader as election party breaks out
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor ... s-13170147

Senor Manatee! All is (still not) forgiven...

[Iamwhomiam]

I hope some justice is served the survivors and victims in prosecuting the responsible party(ies) and owners. It's been reported the majority of tenants were Muslim, so this is all the more concerning in considering cause. Shoddy wiring is entirely another matter.

[MacCruiskeen]

Twenty hours after the fire broke out: As night falls again, you can see that the building is still burning:

[Iamwhomiam]

^^^ and it is still standing!

[MacCruiskeen]

Of course it's still standing. It wasn't magically sunk at freefall speed by 19 Deathloving Arab Superstudents capable of abolishing the laws of physics, no doubt with the help of a friendly evil djinn. It was just business as usual, capitalists being too greedy and indifferent and complacent to care about anything more than the profits so easily obtained through rent.

So it is no surprise to hear Theresa May immediately calling it a "tragedy" (that weasel word) rather than a crime.

Theresa May’s new Police and Fire Minister, Nick Hurd, was among the 72 Tory MPs – who are also residential landlords – that voted against a motion to make homes “fit for human habitation.”

Many people have been reposting articles about the debate in Parliament last January in light of today’s tragedy at Grenfell Tower.

Labour submitted an amendment to the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill designed to ensure all rental properties were “fit for human habitation.”

The need to improve fire prevention was explicitly set out by then Shadow Housing Minister Teresa Pearce. Proposing the amendment, she said:

“New clause 53 is about safety and would introduce a requirement for landlords to undertake electrical safety checks. Many organisations from across the sector support the measure, such as the Local Government Association, the London fire brigade, Shelter, the Association of Residential Letting Agents, British Gas, Crisis and the Fire Officers Association. They have all given their support in the past to measures that will see the introduction of mandatory electrical safety checks.

“It is estimated that electricity causes more than 20,000 house fires each year, leading to about 350 serious injuries and 70 deaths across the UK. Carbon monoxide, gas leaks and other fires and explosions cause fewer deaths and injuries, with 300 injuries and 18 deaths—these risks remain serious and it is right that we should continue to monitor them, but that shows what is at stake as regards electrical fires in the home.”

Labour’s amendment was defeated with the help of the 72 Tory MPs who top up their Parliamentary salaries as landlords.

Hurd, who makes at least £20,000 a year rental income from a 2 bedroom flat in Ruislip and a house in London, was among them.

Today, as Police and Fire Minister, he is leading the Government’s response to the Grenfell tragedy…

http://politicalscrapbook.net/2017/06/n ... abitation/

Capitalism is a permanent war on humanity.

[Iamwhomiam]

May the victims rest in peace. I sure hope they have a better landlord.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIZG1IcpR-4

[MacCruiskeen]

I sure hope they get a better government, one that will stop pandering to property sharks and profiteering landlords, the scum of the system that is eating the UK and this entire planet unhindered.

London fire: Corbyn angry over fire as MPs demand answers

BBC 1 hour ago
From the section UK Politics

... Labour Leader Mr Corbyn, who earlier released a statement saying he was "very angry that it was possible for the fire to spread in the way it did", told MPs: "The south part of Kensington is incredibly wealthy, it's the wealthiest part of the country.

"The ward where this fire took place is, I think the poorest ward in the whole country.

"And properties must be found, requisitioned if necessary, in order to make sure those residents do get re-housed locally.

"It cannot be acceptable that in London you have luxury buildings and luxury flats kept as land banking for the future while the homeless and the poor look for somewhere to live." ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-40285994

Well said, Jeremy Corbyn.

[MacCruiskeen]

Not all victims may be identified - police

Two days on, there are many people still missing. The final death toll might exceed 100.



The richest borough in the UK. That location is prime real estate.

“This is the richest borough in our country treating its citizens in this way and we should call it what it is. It is corporate manslaughter. And there should be arrests made; frankly, it is an outrage,” [Labour MP David Lammy] said.

“Many of us across the country have been caught up in an election knocking on housing estate doors, travelling up to the top floors of tower blocks and we know as politicians that the conditions in this country are unacceptable.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 ... vors-wanes

[MacCruiskeen]

Interview, 1 min, 39 secs, recommended. Filmed nine hours after the fire broke out. The guy uses the f-word once, right at the end, just before walking off, apparently close to tears; so the BBC now have an excuse to bury it. ("I'm going to apologise for your language".)

azy‏ @azymanzur

Watch till the end. You probably won't see this [BBC] interview again. Someone speaking the truth maybe? #GrenfellTower

https://twitter.com/azymanzur/status/875011006459674627

That young men speaks the truth* and asks the right questions.

London's Fire Chief has called this "the closest thing Britain has experienced to 9/11". Damn right. I wonder if Silverstein, Giuliani and Hess have already tweeted their commiserations, or are they too busy considering a bid for the lucrative "task of reconstruction" in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

* A 10,000,000 pound "refurbishment" last year turned Grenfell Tower into a firetrap and cleared the UK's richest borough of its poorest residents.

[MacCruiskeen]

This man tells it like it is, wittily and angrily, in an even shorter time than the young guy above. Interview, 1 min 9 secs:

Fiona Rutherford‏ Verified Account @Fi_Rutherford

Ishmahil Blagrove had some strong words for the mainstream media outside #grenfelltower and everyone cheered.

https://twitter.com/Fi_Rutherford/statu ... 4633200641

No wonder everyone cheered.

There needs to be a truly massive March on Parliament about this, asap.

[MacCruiskeen]

^^ 45 seconds more from this highly articulate, fast-talking man, who deserves a huge audience:

https://twitter.com/Fi_Rutherford/statu ... 2175765504