In America, in sum, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.
In his March budget Mr Osborne proposed a cap on the sum that rich people can deduct from their taxes thanks to their charitable donations, framing it as part of a strategy to crack down on wealthy tax dodgers.
The moments which might occasion such a response include the bit where it's revealed that the austerity cuts – which total £80bn – are exactly equal to the sum the rich have gained in the same period, almost as if the cash is flowing directly into their pockets while others literally starve to death.
The hope is that will buy Greece time to bring its deficit under control through savage cuts in public spending: Greece has agreed to austerity measures worth 13% of national income over the next four years.So is this a big leap forward: the start of an economic union willing to transfer vast sums from rich regions to ropier members of the club, in the interests of all?
"If we don't succeed in restoring sound fundamentals in most of the euro zone, this crisis will come back," admits a senior European politician.What the scheme is not is a giant leap towards a common economic government, with the power to siphon huge sums from rich to poor bits of the union.
How can conservatives complain about the dependency effects of the welfare state when they are giving "gargantuan" sums to rich bankers?
But it will dramatically sever the link between federal officeholders and the raising of huge, unlimited sums from rich individuals, corporations and unions.
"The debates will be especially important in an election campaign in which the Conservatives will have access to significant greater sums from rich donors as well as the support of large sections of the printed press.
In 2004, the Howard Dean campaign made electoral history by harnessing the power of the internet to raise more than any other Democratic contender: more than $25m raised, largely in small-money donations averaging $80 – a marked contrast to the usual way of doing things, which involves raising titanic sums from rich people whom you then owe a lot of favours to, whether or not you take office.
He has been criticised over inequality, which under many measures has risen under Labour: that he cares about reducing poverty, yes, but cares little about the vast sums the richest are paid.
