Sunday 2 October 2011

'Europe' raises it's ugly head

"Democracy has proved only that the best way to gain power over people is to assure the people that they are ruling themselves. Once they believe that, they make wonderfully submissive slaves."
Joseph Sobran in The Myth of 'Limited Government'


And the problems are that the present incumbent in No 10 doesn't realise that he lacks the ability, nor will he admit it; and that, most regrettably, there is no-one else who has the gravitas, nor ability, to take his place.

Today being the start of the Conservative Party conference, there are various articles in the media about the UK, it's membership of the European Union and what Cameron needs to do about it. We have Gerald Warner castigating the political system and parties, virtually but not quite calling for a revolution; we are informed that MPs will have one day to debate our membership of the EU, although the result of that debate would not be binding on the government; Norman Tebbit writing that we need to know just how Conservative David Cameron really is and suggesting what he needs to tell his conference, party and nation; and finally William Hague categorically stating that there will not be any referendum granted on our membership of the EU. All the articles linked to have one common theme - they all illustrate that our political system is screwed; that politicians act as elected dictators and thus the people's ability to hold their supposedly elected representatives to account is minimal.

To even suggest that David Cameron is a Conservative at heart and not a Liberal Democrat is, in my opinion, absurd when it has been obvious from the start that he is Left-of-Centre in his political beliefs. It is only necessary to consider his party's manifesto for the 2010 general election - one I would suggest he imposed on his party - to confirm my opinion. That Cameron will not - and cannot - do that which 'Stormin Norman' suggests is also a rather absurd suggestion as it would just confirm Cameron's lack of principle where his political beliefs are concerned and that he formed the Coalition for purely personal career reasons.

That our politicians are delusional is confirmed today by Douglas Carswell apparently joining their ranks with his latest post and his plea to 'stop blaming Nick Clegg'. For Carswell to state that we have a Centre-Right administration is utter tosh, especially when to quote Norman Tebbit: "So far, Mr Clegg has skilfully pulled the coalition leftwards into the never-never land of Europhile, green, politically correct, business- bashing, nice windmills and no wicked plastic bags that is inhabited by his activists." - although to be fair I don't believe Cameron need much 'pulling'. For Carswell to promote his vision of 'Localism', one giving power to the people whilst denying that it does no such thing as the element of final control still rests with central government is most definitely delusional. It also begs the question on what planet has Carswell been living for the past 16 months?

Reverting to the matter of principle and that politicians have none, Janet Daley has an article in today's Sunday Telegraph confirming just that point. Her article begs the question of the political elite - and all politicians - that if one has no principles by which a life is led, then just what is the point of their existence?

To paraphrase the words of Pete Seeger: "Where have all the politicians gone?" When will we learn they care not one jot for the people they are meant to serve and only care about themselves and their careers? When will we realise, as a people, that government by elected dictators is not freedom but just another form of servitude?

6 comments:

Bill said...

Carswell used to be one of the 'few good men' in Parliament in my eyes but what is clear now is it is impossible to have any 'good men' in Parliament.

I don't view these people as elected dictators. They are aliens.

Oldrightie said...

What Bill said!

TomTom said...

Pirate Party

These guys are on a roll in Germany and are rated at 7% capable of blocking any party getting a majority.

Edward Spalton said...

I cannot remember who it was - somebody once at Conservative Central Office who knew Cameron in his younger days - said that he had no discernible views or principles whatsoever.

So I don't think he's left or right of centre, or anything else - just keen to use whatever he thinks will keep him in power. Hence the almost juvenile copy-cat wish to be "heir to Blair".

I haven't yet read it (and probably won't) but there's a big spread in the Sunday Times where he is making a pitch for the wimmins' vote, trying to prove that he is non sexist.

I think he has accepted that the "progressive" framework of thought dominates acceptable public discourse and is happy to work within that framework.

But I doubt whether he shares its "values" or has any principled view of anything - being simply wedded to what he thinks will be fashionable and instrumental in securing his position - tree-hugging greenery and all.

Anonymous said...

Cameron is nothing but establishment trash!! He and his ilk have been a burden on this country for centuries. He actually has no interest in politics per se, but rather in maintaining power. Even if he completely destroys the United Kingdom he will consider himself a success for merely " being in power " to reside over its demise.

He lacks any political vision, has no heartfelf convictions, is bereft of imagination and has no instinctive loyalty to anything.

He is a complete and total nightmare. Even old style Labour party machine politicans like Wilson or Callaghan were preferable to this numpty!! My God I cant believe that I have just said I preferred Wilson to Cameron. But there you are that is the measure of how truly awful Cameron is!!

WitteringsfromWitney said...

Bill & Or: Agreed.

TT: Perhaps we could get them to teach Ukip a thing or two?

ES: He hasn't changed then!

Anon: Agreed too!