A waste of 'op-ed' space

As with so many political commentaters given the prime 'op-ed' space in newspapers, John McTernan, Daily Telegraph, does not fail to disappoint. As is often the case the print edition headline and sub-headline has been changed, no doubt for 'editorial reasons' - the print edition heading being: "This crisis is a symptom of a politics stripped of morality; Once politicians and policemen were prepared to act - now they seem paralysed". Having asked the question: "As we face a breakdown of social norms in the UK and a potential meltdown of the global financial system, what can we tell about our current generation of political leaders?" - a question that could simply be answered by stating: because they are no bloody good - McTernan then writes a few hundred words which fail to provide any real answers, whatsoever.

What we do find is confirmation of something that many of us have known for some time now:

"Part of the problem is that the three main political parties in Britain are all, essentially, the children of David Owen. Cameron, Miliband and Nick Clegg stand on a broadly SDP platform, based on a liberal approach to both social issues and the economy. That makes for far less disruption when government changes hands, but it also means that there is no longer a contest between sharply different views of how society should be run."

Do note that phrase "how society should be run" - a phrase that also shows we are not a free people as we are so often informed, but ones subject to an elected dictatorship. Mind you, it should be borne in mind that John McTernan was Political Secretary to Tony Blair - which probably explains his use of those words. Also it must be very convenient for the Lib/Lab/Con that there is less disruption when government changes hands as it allows for the seamless game of musical chairs to continue unhindered.

McTernan ends his article with another question:

"So why can’t our leaders talk to us about it? Don’t they know, don’t they care, or are they too scared?"

Perhaps the answers to that are: (i) Half the time they have no idea about that which they talk; (ii) they know only too well and  no, they don't care - as long as their own personal status remains unchanged; and (iii) yes, they most definitely are scared as they realise if the truth were to get out, their life expectancy would be somewhat foreshortened.