UK capitalism’s real scandal is what’s tolerated

Lionel Barrymore as Henry Potter in the 1948 Frank Capra classic It's a Wonderful Life. The movie's Pottersville is a fable for what happens when a society forgets the values of community. (Image: Wikipedia)

Bloomberg

Thu, 28 Dec 2023

By Matthew BrookerThe dark chuckles from colleagues should have been a warning. Late last year, I returned to London after three decades in Asia and wrote about how glad I was to be here. It elicited a less-than-laudatory reaction in some quarters. Give it a few months, I was told. The implication was that it was only a matter of time until I sank to the default level of misery of the local populace.I’m still an optimist. It’s refreshing to live in a country that continues to prize the liberal values of freedom of speech and de...

Subscribe to BusinessDesk

Stay informed on business, government and financial developments across New Zealand.

Deeply researched, twice-edited and fact-checked news
Annual subscribers also receive a complimentary subscription to The Wall Street Journal
Personalised email news alerts, plus gift up to 5 stories a month to non-subscribers

You can cancel anytime with two clicks, an email or a phone call.
Find out more.

We are serious about journalism.

Name {{ registerForm.errors.get('name') }}

Email address {{ registerForm.errors.get('email') }}

Phone Number {{ registerForm.errors.get('phone') }}

Job Title {{ registerForm.errors.get('title') }}

Password Minimum password length of 8 characters.
Require at least one upper and lowercase, numeric, and special character. {{ registerForm.errors.get('password') }}

Repeat password {{ registerForm.errors.get('password_confirmation') }}

We had trouble validating your card. It's possible your card provider is preventing us from charging the card. Please contact your card provider or customer support.

Credit Card

Cardholder's name

{{ __(plans[index].name) | capitalize }} {{ plans[index].attributes.old_price | currency }} {{ plans[index].price | currency }}

All subscriptions auto renew but are easy to cancel.

I Accept The Terms Of Service

{{ registerForm.errors.get('terms') }}

Tax: {{ taxAmount(selectedPlan) | currency }}

Total Price Including Tax: {{ priceWithTax(selectedPlan) | currency }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerSeat ? '/ '+ spark.seatName : '' }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerTeam ? '/ '+ __('teams.team') : '' }} / {{ __(selectedPlan.interval) | capitalize }}