Two challenges to inequality: Revalidate society or face chaos

The protesters — around 1,000 — who blocked Dublin streets on Wednesday evening over the repossession of a property on Tuesday may not have realised it but earlier that day one of the cornerstone figures of the British establishment made a powerful, uncompromising speech attacking some of the issues fuelling the housing crisis.

Speaking at the TUC conference, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby declared that the gig economy and zero hours contracts are the “reincarnation of an ancient evil”.

He also attacked tech giants which, he said, were “paying almost nothing in tax” and “leached off the taxpayer”.

In a speech equally relevant on this side of the Irish Sea, the Eton-educated former oil executive said: “Not paying taxes speaks of the absence of commitment to our shared humanity, to solidarity and justice... When vast companies... can get away with paying almost nothing in tax, there is something wrong with the tax system.

“They don’t pay a real living wage, so the taxpayer must support their workers with benefits... they don’t pay for our defence, for security, for stability, for justice, for health, for equality, for education. Then they complain of an undertrained workforce... Those are only a fraction of the costs of aggressive tax management.”

This compelling, if discomforting, argument for an economy dependent on international investment has been made many times before but not by such a figure.

Just last May he married Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

It is unlikely his remarks will have an immediate difference. What does seem certain though is that unless we invent a better way to manage commerce, especially international commerce, and work that is not a “reincarnation of an ancient evil” spectacular disruption will follow.

The redundancy looming for millions because of unstoppable AI doubles that urgency.

Archbishop Welby, just as the North Frederick St protesters did, addressed one of the two great issues of our time: the impact inequality has on ordinary lives.

These inequities are now so entrenched, maybe even more so than at any time in recent history, that it is ever-more difficult to build a secure place in a community, to be a full, active member of a society.

Short-term contracts may suit employers but they work against those most basic human needs — security and stability.

They seem, in human terms at least, unsustainable.

Another unsustainable aspect of recent days was the dark impression created by masked, unidentifiable gardaí standing shoulder-to-shoulder with heavies hired to clear a property.

The Garda suggestion that the unit were wearing fire-retardant face masks is patronising and unacceptable.

It is as if the worst elements of the old boys-in-blue gardaí decided to challenge the new policing culture described so articulately by new commissioner Drew Harris.

How welcome it was that Mr Harris issued a statement last night saying that it was unacceptable.

That, however, is a minor issue compared to how we revalidate the idea of society for those trapped, and for those who may yet be trapped, by the very worst excesses of capitalism.

If we don’t it will be soon enough time to begin to speculate whether the messiah despot comes from the right or the left.