This is a non-fiction book published in 2014 by Owen Jones. Owen Jones is a British writer and political commentator. In the book, He describes the relationships between the groups of people he believes create the establishment. He describes and explains the links between different elements within the structure of the establishment. He talks about how right-wing groups claim that they are doing something for the common good but in reality, they are pushing for right-wing ideas.
the chapter of the book is based on the different part of the establishment
Chapter 1- The Outsiders
in this chapter, he talks about think tanks and groups that push for the Overton Window (describes the range of ideas tolerated an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems, and through that discussion influence political action this is also called public discourse. (confusing af)) he claims in this chapter that they are making other people push for a right-wing agenda. as the groups receive funding from conservative parties and a lot of them have ties to the conservative side within politics.
Chapter 2 - The Westminister Cartel
He goes into the political system in the UK, and how it has changed throughout time. the chapter goes into the revolving door between politicians and big UK businesses. He goes into the fact that 46% of the most profitable companies in the UK have an MP in their board of directors or as a shareholder. He goes into the involvement of the church of England within UK politics. he also quotes a report from the daily mail that said that 40% of the MPs stood to gain financially by privatizing the NHS.
Chapter 3 - Mediaocracy
Here he discusses the involvement if the media has with both the outsiders and politicians. Jones claims that the rich have so much control within the media so they tend to have to have a right-wing view on the world, with lobbying for personal gain.
Chapter 4 - The Boys in Blue
This chapter goes into the police and their role within the Establishment. In this chapter, he discusses a number of incidents which involved the police including Plebgate, The Hillsborough disaster and the News International phone-hacking scandal. he uses these examples to highlight the intricate relationship between the police, the media, and politicians and how these are often at odds with the ‘policing by consent’ model that the British police adopt. Jones claims that because of political changes that effectively create a privatizing and incentivize parts of the British police force.
Chapter 5 - Scrounging off the State
the chapter goes into the relationship between the State and the establishment. It goes into how recent governments have been privatizing previously public services, like the NHS. He goes into how the Establishment benefit from fraud and makes cut-backs and imposes austerity measures on the people on the bottom of the financial ladder. Jones points out what he believes to be a contradiction in this position, where big business relies on the state to provide infrastructure, education to their workers, and also to subsidize their low wages with income and housing benefit relief. Jones calls this a form of “socialism of the rich”.
Chapter 6 - Tycoons and Tax Dodgers
Here he goes into how big businesses in Britain avoid paying tax. He gives several examples of companies who have intricate systems in order to avoid paying tax. the chapter also goes into how big accounting companies gives advice to the government on the drafting of tax laws, they then use that to inform their customers on how to avoid tax. the chapter goes into how these practices are legal but cost the country huge amounts of money. This mostly affects the people on the other side of the financial scale( those with low income).
Chapter 7 - Masters of the Universe
Here he takes on the financial sector, he claims that it is a threat to the British democracy, and how the city has changed over the years. he goes into the bailout of the banks in 2008 and the quantitive easing employed to revitalize the financial sector at the expense of taxpayers. He goes into the PR companies that represent the financial sector and their close relationship with politicians and the media.
Chapter 8 - The Illusion of Sovereignty
In this chapter discusses the establishment's relationship with America and with the rest of the EU and how it has changed. He goes into historical events that have shaped Britain's relationship with America, also the relationship with the EU in comparison and how that relationship has a different dynamic, with regard to what British people regard as The State and The Establishment.
Conclusion - A Democratic Revolution
he gives a broad summary of the previous chapters and goes into the complex relationships between the different groups that the establishment consists of. He talks about how it has become a way to establish more power for the rich and already powerful. He goes on to give possible solutions to some of the problems that the establishment creates for other people than the powerful and rich. He states that people should work for a "democratic revolution".
Here he talks about the book is focused on how to rebalance the society in order to not have people envy or blame the ones on the bottom of the financial chain but rather fight for equal rights so they they can thrive, insted of blaimin immegrants or people out of jobs.
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