-
I think that is a willful misinterpretation. Oliver is saying that the systemic issue is that even if the ratio of declared houses 'needed' were matched by houses built the issue would remain, the inequality would remain, and none of the social stresses created by the lack of housing would be solved. He is saying the state structure and industry surrounding the housing market is fundamentally distorted (politically, economically, legally) and that matching demand with supply will not solve it.
If you don't agree that's fine. But to say it's Farage politics is a huge disservice to what he's saying and how he has said it.
-
Oliver’s view is also very exclusionary- middle class people with well paying office jobs can move to for e.g. a small place in the country.
Where did I say that only middle-class people should be able to make that sort of move?
Someone who works in Greggs cannot- unless Greggs precedes them, and also I suspect that few who work for Greggs intend on doing that cradle to grave, so you’d need other employers.
Well, yes. You do realise that in talking about a well-balanced and well-distributed economy I'm fully including all that?
Oliver’s statement above could be paraphrased as “if we change absolutely everything, then everything would be different”, it’s Farage level politics. Simplism, dismissing complex reality with a confidence that the underlying arguments do not support.
This is quite a fascinating comprehensive fallacy. I say two very simple things--change government policy to strengthen neglected sectors of the economy, and strengthen places evenly, e.g. by being home to economic activity. Consequences of this would be that currently unused housing would come back into use, and that new housing could be built with better distribution. That's not in any sense 'changing absolutely everything' or even 'changing everything'. It's not even unusual, but simple, textbook economic policy. Obviously, the oversimplification of it doesn't make any sense.
Oliver’s view is also very exclusionary- middle class people with well paying office jobs can move to for e.g. a small place in the country. Someone who works in Greggs cannot- unless Greggs precedes them, and also I suspect that few who work for Greggs intend on doing that cradle to grave, so you’d need other employers.
Oliver’s statement above could be paraphrased as “if we change absolutely everything, then everything would be different”, it’s Farage level politics. Simplism, dismissing complex reality with a confidence that the underlying arguments do not support.