Tuesday, February 22, 2005

What Have I Got in Common with John Major?

That much maligned ex-Prime Minister, John Major, wrote an article in today's Daily Telegraph deploring the spin culture of New Labour. His key point was that the voting public has become so disillusioned by politics because they know they have been fed a diet of distortion, half-truths and just plain lies that fewer and fewer even bother to vote. At the next election we are likely to be approaching the nadir of voter involvement in the democratic process. A lower turnout than the Iraq managed despite the violence and intimidation.
It is interesting that in 1992 John Major's Conservative Party polled the highest number of votes ever for a single party. That was despite the so-called ERM debacle and the high number of people that went into negative equity and a record level of house repossessions. He went out on his soap box (literally) and actually asked people to trust him. And they did.
Then the New Labour "project" was born with Blair/Mandelson spearheading the most sophisticated political fighting machine this side of the Atlantic with its rebuttal unit, the grid and the relentless spin. The rest is history but, of course, the Tories did not help themselves with stories of "sleaze" and the continual in-fighting over Europe. They were seen as disreputable and divided. A gift to New Labour which they rammed down their throats in 1997.
Strange then that New Labour sleaze (for there have been instances a lot more reprehensible than that self-styled buffoon, Neil Hamilton, taking a bung from Fayed) is not being dragged up again and again by the Tories. Or that the very clear divisions in New Labour over the single currency and the European Constitution are not used to highlight their weaknesses.
Actually, no, it's not strange because the Tories have not learnt how to spin. I think that's a good thing but if they are going to win they have to get out on their soap boxes and ask people to trust them because we can't trust New Labour.

Saturday, February 19, 2005

About 90 Foxes Lawfully Killed Today

Let us rejoice! Today we became a civilised society, at least according to the brave class warriors of the New Labour model army. Instead of these poor little cuddly creatures being chased by packs of hounds callously manipulated by fat, cruel land owning capitalists and ripped mercilessly to pieces they were, apparently, shot to death.

So all is right in the world. An important point of principle has been established by a democratic society using the law to bring about an immense change in the nature of our society and the forces of conservatism have been repelled once again. We should feel good about ourselves.

Why do I have a feeling that this is a hollow victory? These so-called nasty people have been stopped doing something they have been doing for centuries which has done no harm to anyone - except to themselves when they fall off their horses. As for the foxes, they still end up dead after being hunted.

What will these class warriors set their freedom-loving minds to next? Here's a suggestion - why not turn your attention to equally despicable groups of people who practice unspeakable cruelty against other human beings? These particular groups of warriors think it's acceptable to blow themselves and dozens, hundreds or even thousands of totally innocent people into tiny pieces to satisfy their lust for eternal life. Now there's a challenge.

And it might take your mind off the fact the foxes will continue to savagely kill newly-born lambs, rip the heads off all the chickens in a coop and only eat one of these innocents birds as well as eat poor little rabbits, mice and spiders.