Last night on facebook a friend of mine asked me why I only criticise the Tories, as some of the accusations I make about them are just as valid to make of labour. This is, to be fair, true; but the difference is I don’t have a problem with Labour’s philosophy. I am what you might call a left winger, and I think this stems from my disability. I believe, firstly, that everyone is equal, regardless of gender, creed, colour or disability. This might lead one to conclude that if we are all equal, we should all be left to our own devices.. the best will rise to the top. This is more or less the Tory stance, and it is wrong. All it means is that wealth will be handed down from generation to generation; only the rich would get a decent education; and society will remain divided.

On the other hand, if we are all equal, shouldn’t we all be treated equally? If we are all of equal worth, don’t we all deserve equal access to education and healthcare? We all have equal potential to contribute to civilisation, but if some have better access to resources due to their class (or theiir disability), doesn’t it mean that some human potential is being wasted? This is why I think we must do away with the class system; tax thee rich to feed the poor. That way, resources can be pooled – a great example is the NHS. Only then can we start off on an equal footing, so we all have the same chance to contribute. I think, personally, that what Marx ssaid about the socioeconomic constraints of class is equally aplicable and transposable to the physical constraints of disability.

As far as I can tell, the Tories want to perpetuate the class system. They see meritocracy as a good thing; but meritocracy often only benefits the greediest rather than the best. The Tories want to keep their money, rather than giving it away to benefit society. This is a philosophy of greed and selfishness which, in the long term, wastes human potential and gets us nowhere. If we value all human life in all it’s diversity, we must work together and pool our resources in order to foster everyone’s unique talent. The individualism of the right will get us, as a civilisation, nowhere.