British people are glum and grumbling after Rachel Reeves’ budget, but what did they expect? They should know by now that government is an extortion racket.

While many voters regret their decision in last year’s general election, die-hard Labour supporters continue to make excuses: Tory mismanagement and Brexit ruined the economy. Daily Mail readers, meanwhile, have been told that the budget has taken from hard-working families to give to benefit claimants. This is exactly what the powers-that-be want people to believe, not only as the old divide-and-rule strategy, but because society needs to understand that jobs are disappearing rapidly, and the future is basic universal income and total dependence on the state.

The looming technocracy has no use for the majority of the workforce. Data and distribution centres will be run by robots. Artificial intelligence will rise through the occupational strata to replace professional practitioners such as lawyers and doctors.

Call it new technology

And they use it to burn

And they show no concern

Work for their prosperity

While the big wheels turn

Now it’s too late to learn

Don’t upset the teacher

Though we know he lied to you

Don’t upset the preacher

He’s gonna close his eyes for you

And it’s a shame

That you’re so afraid

Just a worker waiting in the pouring rain

Putting back the pieces of a broken dream

Father worked in industry

Now the work has moved on

And the factory’s gone

See them sell your history

Where once you were strong

And you used to belong

There was once a future

For a working man

There was once a lifetime

For a skillful hand – yesterday

\Read more: Money for nothing