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Wednesday 4 September 2024

Two Lists



A tongue in cheek approach perhaps, but in a sense a continuation of the previous optimism post. There is an obvious retort to that one – how do we get there? Economically the UK is a first world country, so there are a number of national assets which should help us achieve our optimistic journey to 2034.

  • First world roads
  • First world education
  • First world healthcare
  • First world public transport
  • First world culture
  • First world energy policies

Unfortunately one or two of these assets are not as they should be. These are –

  • First world roads
  • First world education
  • First world healthcare
  • First world public transport
  • First world culture
  • First world energy policies

It seems almost ludicrously obvious that the political games we play won’t do. The House of Commons and the party system of political oversight don’t provide political oversight. Loons, charlatans and fools churning out laws we don’t need - this isn’t the way. 

And we know it.

We need much more direct, knowledgeable and experienced political oversight of the major government ministries where we vote for specific pragmatic oversight of their activities. Their internal policies need to be transparent and subject to that same oversight. 

Currently this doesn’t happen, our creaking, outdated, foolish party system doesn’t deliver it. We need reform but not necessarily Reform.

8 comments:

Macheath said...

‘Loons, charlatans and fools’ - excellently put!

Ancient Rome went the same way; I’m not sure a democracy can survive beyond the point at which government consist of career politicians who have completely lost touch with the general populace and public scrutiny is superseded by cronyism and a manifest disdain for the electorate.

Scrobs. said...

How on earth anyone voted for Labour with the idiot Miliband going to double power prices at a stroke is way beyond me! To think that we really are self-sufficient in enough resources to power us for the next hundred years, and instead, import at huge expense, some sort of fatasy green stuff to compensate, is really insane!

A K Haart said...

Macheath - thanks and yes, ancient Rome went the same way. I almost wish it had never existed because it shows us how futile it may be to resist evolving decline.

Scrobs - I suppose the Labour vote does hammer home a lesson that too many voters don't pay anywhere near enough attention to what they are voting for. It seems to be much the same as supporting a football club - whatever the results buy another season ticket.

DiscoveredJoys said...

But the Party system encourages the belief that there are only two schoolyard cliques. The Bullies and the Sneaks. (West Side Story music plays in the background).

The Conservative Party are the Bullies, but they have not merited respect because of their idleness. The Labour Party are the Sneaks who impose their authority by insisting that everyone wears 'proper' school uniform.

Both Bullies and Sneaks are rushing us along to the end of the cul-de-sac. Perhaps Reform could reverse course or divert down some side ally. But we would still end up with two main parties.

It may be that proportional representation, for all its many drawbacks, would be a better solution to our current woes - but the two main parties will not countenance any competition until they are obliged to by 'events'.

Sam Vega said...

Political parties are increasingly likely to acknowledge we are in a mess - which, as far as it goes, is a step forward. Little is achieved, however, if people give false and transparently self-serving reasons as to why we are in that mess. Labour are saying that it is entirely the fault of the Conservative 14 years. Well, OK, but it misses out

1) Sacred cows which must never be cited as reasons for things going wrong. Lockdown, immigration, greencrap, woke ideology, etc., etc.

2) Labour complicity in the above. Who wanted to lock down harder, import more useless and dangerous third worlders, set up nationalised energy industries based on windmills and solar, and promoted trans nonsense?

2)

Woodsy42 said...

A first world population would help too.

A K Haart said...

DJ - I like that, Bullies and Sneaks. I agree, we ought to try proportional representation because we know FPTP doesn't work. At least it might weaken the Bullies and Sneaks.

Sam - yes, Labour complicity is a major problem because the party wasn't a viable alternative to the Tories. We have a perpetual headache with the quality of our MPs who don't represent the voting population. It's not easy to see what to do about that.

Woodsy - I agree, people with a first world outlook, we don't have enough.

Woodsy42 said...

I should have noted it's the outlook that matters, not where people originated.