On Fri, 19 Jun 2020 at 16:21:40, Nick Odell
<***@themusicworkshop.plus.com> wrote:
[]
Post by Nick OdellJust to establish where I am coming from with this soon-to-be-written
little rantette, I lean to the left (or so my tailor tells me) but
given the opportunity to form my personal fantasy government I would
pick good people from all over the political spectrum because it is my
("Government of national unity", I think some were calling for a few
months ago.)
Post by Nick Odellopinion that the vast majority of people of any persuasion who go into
politics do so to try and make their town/county/country/world a bit
better but the few who are in it for themselves get noticed for being
in it for themselves. So if we may we presume, for the sake of
argument, most people in politics want to get our country through this
current mess with compassion and care for each other and as little
personal and economic damage as possible, why are we getting it all so
horribly wrong?
It has been my view for some time - certainly from before COVID - that
the entire political party system is well past its sell-by date. (I'm
not sure it _ever_ had a [good] purpose, but it might have.) IMO, all
MPs should be independent. Not to say there shouldn't be the possibility
for them to _align_ themselves with various
companies/unions/pressuregroups, even to the extent of such funding
their campaigns: that would happen anyway, so it might as well be open.
But parties - especially whipping, and ejecting people - seem to me to
do a lot more harm than good.
However, you'd also have to change how aspects of the system work, with
various things with various names - parliament, "the government", and
"the executive", to name just three. 2019 proved that _as it stands_, no
overall majority causes stalemate with little being done, and us
becoming a laughing stock. But countries _can_ survive - and thrive! -
with no majority: Germany in the 1970s seemed to do very well. I don't
know enough about politics/government/whatever to know what the
differences were/are.
Post by Nick OdellLet us look over the pond. In my opinion, the Republican Party is not
made up entirely of racists and bigots: there are some damn fine
Republican people there who care about their neighbours and their
country in a Republican way. But because the Republican Party was
failing to win majorities in the country, they collectively took the
decision to front the party with someone who was not a real Republican
but who could win back power. And what they got was someone who won
power for themselves in the name of the Republican Party and governs
by effectively sidelining the Republican rump - who are too frightened
to fight back for losing what remnants of power the rump still
retains.
I think you've about summed it up there.
Post by Nick OdellDoes that sound familiar? I think that is what the ailing Labour Party
did when they brought in Tony Blair - who was not "real" Labour and
who consigned old Labour values to the sidelines - and what the
I never liked TB: I was never sure where he was _going_. I've never been
a Labour supporter, but strongly _respect_ many Labour personalities,
either because I _understood_ where they were coming from, or I thought
they were very intelligent. (Or occasionally both.)
Post by Nick Odellflailing Conservative Party did when they elected Boris Johnson as
Prime Minister.
I used to like Boris, and still can't bring myself to actually hate him:
I don't think he's competent to be PM, though.
Post by Nick OdellIn short, we no more have a Conservative government of the UK than the
US has one of Republicans.
The US barely has a government at all, it sometimes seems to me. (Though
I am - slightly - reassured by some recent Supreme Court decision, even
after it was stuffed very unevenly by a Trump appointment. I just hope
that wasn't a flash in the pan.)
Post by Nick OdellUntil Parliament gets itself a backbone and
demands better, I think we are stuck with government by a
non-representative putsch and the chaos that imbues therein.
Trouble is, our system needs reform (e. g. the voting system), but the
only way to get things done fast is a reasonable majority, who then have
no _reason_ to change anything as it's what got them where they are.
(And a populace who don't _understand_ anything other than the current
voting system - though the referendum on that was IMO bodged.)
Post by Nick OdellAhhhh. I feel better now.
I can tell (-:. I do too, a little. [Can't see things changing much
though. )-:]
John
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)***@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
Of course some of it [television] is bad. But some of everything is bad -
books, music, family ... - Melvyn Bragg, RT 2017/7/1-7