As the Grenfell Tower tragedy fades from international headlines, the burnt out building remains as a terrible monument to capitalisms failure.
Arconic, the company that sells the insulation panels that caused the rapid spread of the Grenfell Tower fire has blamed the failure of their product on the “inconsistency of building codes across the world.”
This is a patently absurd excuse, being that they could have ensured their product wasn’t being installed in a dangerous way, wherever in the world it was being sold.
Last Saturday, Reuters reported:
The fact that Arconic knew that their product was flammable while selling it for use on high-rise buildings shows that they placed their profit margin above people’s safety. They knew how dangerous their product was but took advantage of the UK’s lack of proper building regulations to make a killing.
80 people, including a five-year-old boy, have now been confirmed dead. However we likely won’t know the exact death toll until the end of the year.
On Wednesday, the Guardian reported:
Many more would have died were it not for the actions of police, ambulance and fire service personnel who attended the disaster.
You would think that Theresa May’s government would reward emergency service’s for their hard work and heroic actions. However that’s unfortunately not the case.
Today, the Independent reported:
The pawns of capitalism ensuring that the rich become richer at poor people’s expense and lives is clearly not a new way of thinking. It's a very old and outdated way of thinking that must change.
With the bastard tory government in England cutting funds to essential services while ensuring dangerous products continue to be sold and installed throughout the UK, we can expect more tragedies like the Grenfell Tower disaster to occur. Under the failure of the capitalist system, it’s really only a matter of time.
Arconic, the company that sells the insulation panels that caused the rapid spread of the Grenfell Tower fire has blamed the failure of their product on the “inconsistency of building codes across the world.”
This is a patently absurd excuse, being that they could have ensured their product wasn’t being installed in a dangerous way, wherever in the world it was being sold.
Last Saturday, Reuters reported:
REFILE-Arconic knowingly supplied flammable panels for use in tower -emails
Six emails sent by and to an Arconic Inc sales manager raise questions about why the company supplied combustible cladding to a distributor for use at Grenfell Tower, despite publicly warning such panels were a fire risk for tall buildings.
The emails, dating from 2014 and seen by Reuters, were between Deborah French, Arconic's UK sales manager, and executives at the contractors involved in the bidding process for the refurbishment contract at Grenfell Tower in London, where 79 people died in a blaze last week.
When asked about the emails, Arconic said in a statement that it had known the panels would be used at Grenfell Tower but that it was not its role to decide what was or was not compliant with local building regulations.
The fact that Arconic knew that their product was flammable while selling it for use on high-rise buildings shows that they placed their profit margin above people’s safety. They knew how dangerous their product was but took advantage of the UK’s lack of proper building regulations to make a killing.
80 people, including a five-year-old boy, have now been confirmed dead. However we likely won’t know the exact death toll until the end of the year.
On Wednesday, the Guardian reported:
Grenfell Tower death toll may not be known until end of year – police
Scotland Yard has warned it could take until the end of the year or longer to be sure how many people died in the Grenfell Tower disaster, as police raised the number of people presumed dead to 80.
Police warned that the death toll could rise further and said there were 23 flats in the tower where they had not been able to trace anyone alive.
The detective leading the criminal investigation added it had identified 60 firms involved in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower, up from 12 last week, and that number is expected to grow.
The briefing came amid continued claims that the real death toll is far higher than the official count, which now stands at 80 dead.
Many more would have died were it not for the actions of police, ambulance and fire service personnel who attended the disaster.
You would think that Theresa May’s government would reward emergency service’s for their hard work and heroic actions. However that’s unfortunately not the case.
Today, the Independent reported:
Public sector pay cap: Conservative MPs cheer after blocking Labour bid to raise emergency service salaries
Jeremy Corbyn cited the Grenfell Tower disaster and recent terrorist attacks while praising the emergency services and calling for more funds.
But Conservative MPs took to social media to cast doubt on the intent and timing of the amendment.
Mid-Norfolk MP George Freeman said colleagues were cheering "Labour's failed attempt to bring down a serious Government signalling new thinking".
The pawns of capitalism ensuring that the rich become richer at poor people’s expense and lives is clearly not a new way of thinking. It's a very old and outdated way of thinking that must change.
With the bastard tory government in England cutting funds to essential services while ensuring dangerous products continue to be sold and installed throughout the UK, we can expect more tragedies like the Grenfell Tower disaster to occur. Under the failure of the capitalist system, it’s really only a matter of time.
