It seems to me that politics is veering from the frustrating to the outright bizarre.
One one level we had a nutcase Mayor who wants to ban parents from playing with their children in state playgrounds, on the basis that the measure aims to “safeguard children”. Presumably Dorothy Thornhill believes that council playgrounds are the only space in which parents could abuse their own or other people’s children. Perhaps she thinks that life stops at the park fence. Perhaps she hasn’t noticed that most abuse is carried out by the child’s own family. Never mind, Dorothy, I’m sure that society has some use for people without any brain cells whatsoever.
On another level we have members of the Labour government campaigning for the appointment of the party’s former leader as President of the European Union. A former leader who was ousted after a ten-year war of attrition against him executed by the very members of the government who now campaign for his appointment. Anyone who dares question whether Tony Blair would be a good choice or politically acceptable is dismissed as being “unpatriotic”. This is a position which would not even exist if the Labour party had fulfilled its promise of a British referendum on the treaty which introduces it. While most people are struggling with more immediate issues, such as the longest recession since the war, senior members of the Labour party are playing a silly game presumably designed to make sure the next government will be embarrassed.
It just seems so odd to me how out of touch with reality these political beasts are. They seem to be operating within a totally different envelope to the rest of us. When I was in Australia a few years ago I tried to involve someone I met in a conversation about Aussie politics. Having seen a news report that I didn’t really understand I wanted to know more about the issues. He couldn’t answer, he said, because he had pro-actively opted out of being interested when the GST (equivalent to VAT) was introduced. He could not believe that something which he regarded as self-evidently a Bad Idea had been pushed through.
I am getting to the stage where the actual issues are so crowded out by posturing, positioning and hypocrisy that they are rarely heard. I feel like I am on the verge of joining that huge swathe of the population who are actively disinterested in what goes on. I think it’s dangerous to opt out in case the “leaders” think they can get away with more and more, but how can I maintain interest in something so utterly off the wall?
Bonjour Monsieur Yeux Bleus. From your own fine pen [keyboard]:
“It just seems so odd to me how out of touch with reality these political beasts are. They seem to be operating within a totally different envelope to the rest of us.”
I think you’ve answered your own question. I’ve thought for a while that this is not an incompetent government. This is just what Socialist competence looks like. Keep annoying the populace with ‘crazy’ or ‘politically correct’ episodes, and you can smuggle in all the other agendas you want in place, ie, a Tony Blair-led Europe. It used to be a question of thinking about leaving the country; with the grinning shyster Blair on the EU throne, we’d better think about skipping the continent.
It is amazing that the man who engaged on a personal campaign to evict the former prime minister is now campaigning for him to be head of the EU.
Mr Bean also had years of vendetta against Peter Mandelson, whom he now has as a new best friend.
Tony McNulty just said that “I should have been much clearer about my arrangements and taken steps to ensure that I was not open to any charge of benefit,” he acknowledged. “And I should have had much more concern for how these rules were perceived by the public rather than just following them.”
He what? He should have taken steps to ensure.. Like not openly, knowingly, deliberately defrauding the taxpayer to enrich himself maybe?
And more concern for how the rules were perceived by the public! The rules, which he didn’t even follow, were a complete crock anyway.
With this level of politics it is no wonder you feel let down BE.
{Still Vote for me though.I need the cash. Mrs Q no longer allowed on the gravy, erm, , I mean payroll..}
There are a good many serious problems out there not being addressed, as well as other things going bad or about to go bad. All we get is clatter, hype, and posturing nonsense. The data is unreliable, truth a disposable commodity, and the image is all. They really do not know what they are doing.
Don’t lose interest, as you say, that is what they want. Perhaps the answer lies in voting for less cretinous parties. In the last election I voted UKIP for the first time.
Labour and Tories need to do more to earn their votes at this point in time.
I often go through stages of deciding it’s not worth bothering about. You look around you at people who pay no attention to politics, who never get angry about any of these things, and wonder whether you’re the mug, pumping up the blood pressure unneccessarily and setting yourself up for a stroke.
It’s just that every time I stop giving a toss though they always go and do something that really pisses me off. I might start voting UKIP too (or even join) once we’re rid of this lot.
What Demetrius said. And no mucking about – if we get the chance to vote, vote to keep the party you detest most out of office. No self indulgence.
And, of course, when someone stands up and criticises what is going on, criticises what the government are doing, the response is not to answer the criticism but to shout “Ah-hah! You’re just trying to make a political football out of the issue!”.
I’m desperate for someone to reply: “No, I’m just trying to say that you’re a cretinous idiot who has made an utter balls-up of your job. An the official opposition, it’s my job to speak up when you do that“
I read somewhere (maybe it was on this blog?) that one of the fundamental problems that we face is that there are 2 kinds of people. There are those who just want to be left alone and live their lives, and those that want to tell you what to do and how to live your life. Guess which ones become politicians and actively try to change the world around you!
I suppose it wouldn’t be so bad if they were a bit like us, but I use the example of the recent by election victory in Norwich ny Chloe Smith as an example.
To mirror BE’s title of this post-where do they find these people? She is like an alien from another planet, and yet she is sitting in Parliament and has power over our lives. I’m starting to think that the monarchy might not be so bad after all, as long as we could get some IQ testing done, and maybe some psychological tests) before anyone assumes the throne. Could they really do any worse?
And it would be a lot cheaper too.
The REAL problem IMHO is PARTY politics. It makes a complete mockery out of ‘democracy’. Party politics ensure that we are totally governed by ‘the few’ regardless of what we want. What a great shame that Terry Waite and others did not pursue their idea of independent candidates, providing decent people who we can trust. Anybody, rather than these ‘professional’ politicians and bloody trade-unionists.
I live in a block of five flats and for 2 and a half years my energy company has been billing me for a gas meter that is not even in this address. Could be anywhere.. it only came to light when they sent me a letter increasing my monthly direct debit to 977 pounds … I have a single gas boiler not a smelting plant. These faked markets just cause loony problems for all concerned.