the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Jun 19, 2017
At least 58 people are confirmed dead from the fire at the Grenfell Tower apartments in London. Hundreds of local residents protested British Prime Minister Theresa May when she visited the area, and marched to the town hall demanding justice.
This catastrophe could have been avoided. Long before the fire, local residents voiced concerns about unsafe conditions. They complained of piled-up garbage near the building’s entrance, vehicles parked in emergency access areas, and unmaintained firefighting equipment. Survivors complained that some fire alarms failed to go off.
The fire also spread more quickly because of building materials used in its construction. The exterior "cladding" was changed during a renovation in 2016, and the construction company used a less fire-resistant material than others available. It used a cheaper cladding made of an aluminum composite with a flammable plastic core. The material used saved them a few dollars per square meter.
A few dollars per square meter; that’s the value capitalism places on at least 58 lives, not to mention all the injuries and other losses suffered by those who survived, and the families of the victims!