Cameron's Big Idea/Big Society

Now, cut me some slack, and don't jump on me in a shouty ranty way. I'm opening up and telling my thoughts, which I imagine many people will label as naive.

I've read many blog posts which are scathing and dismissive about what has been reported concerning David Cameron's "Big Idea". The things he's said, and some of the language he's used have been caricatured and sneered at.

Now, I know that in many ways it's become the role of the blogosphere to keep our politicians in check by being critical and challenging what we are expected to do by many of those politicians, which is to believe whatever we're told, even when it's blatently untrue.

But.

I've written, albeit sparsely, about the despair I feel for the state of our country, and especially the fact that after 13 years of this evil Labour government so many of our children, youth, and young adults don't remember and haven't experienced a different way. In many senses, they have been effectively indoctrinated, brainwashed.

Let's get real. The only outcomes for the coming election are a Labour win (in which case show me the door out of the UK), a Conservative win, or a hung parliament. In the case of a hung parliament, it won't deliver a more consultative, consensual and sensible government, it will just create a period of stasis for a few months until a new election, in which case return to go, do not pass go, do not collect £200. Does anybody really believe otherwise?

So it's Labour or the Tories. And back to the "Big Idea"

I read all about it, and I felt encouraged, even a little excited. I can see what bloggers are suggesting when they lampoon the "Big Bank" (or was it "Peoples' Bank"?) and the suggestion for voluntary "National Service" and many of the other ideas that have been given unfortunate names, making them sound a bit like loony sandal-footed hippy schemes.

But cut him some slack, please, and open your mind and look at the intention behind the ideas. He's said he wants a small state, which I believe, so it's not really fair to accuse him of simply creating more Quangos. Sure, there may be some new structures set up to implement the new ideas, but if that's in the context of massive reductions in government elsewhere, I'm happy with that.

And the rest of it - surely it's about trying to make the country (and dare I say, society) better again - encouraging individual responsibility, respect, freedom and independance? Isn't that what everybody has ben banging on about in blogs all these months and years?

I want him to make this happen, and I want the country made a better place. He's got my support - not unquestioningly or uncritically, but I want him to win, and I want him to be the person I hope he is, and to do the things I hope he'll do. Personally, I want to encourage him in the right direction, and not spray my despair and anger indiscriminately at all politicians and parties, especially if that aids Labour even marginally in their desperate attempts to get back in.

Go ahead - flame me, call me stupid and naive. But I've said it and I meant it.

HELP! Am I missing something, or what?

I've been pondering this for weeks, and I feel like I must be missing something blindingly obvious - and fear looking stupid.

But.

This business about public spending being used to stimulate the economy. Somehow it makes no sense to me. Seems to me it's a closed system - the money to perform that public spending comes from taxes and borrowing, so surely it can't create growth?

If anything, it makes things worse, because a lot of that spending will be on Gordon's HMG AmEx.

Enlighten me, someone?

Goodbye Harry

Harry Carpenter is dead.

It's a really sad day. I'm listening to heartfelt tributes to the lovely man on the radio right now. It's a voice that brings up so many memories, of listening to his commentary on some great fights.

I'm the first in my family for many generations that didn't pursue a career in boxing. My dad told me once, that when Harry Carpenter got the boxing commentary job he didn't know anything about boxing. He went to my grandfather (who was a boxer, and also trained the British Olympic team for the Rome Olympics) and asked him to brief him on punches and rules.

RIP, Harry, you're fondly remembered.

8.16 million unemployed in the UK!

From Ollie - http://tinyurl.com/yeco54f

Byrne squirms

Interesting. On the Daily Politics last week, Liam Byrne said quite clearly, and was pressed to confirm what he said by Brillo, that because the (current) government had such a great and well defined plan for the defecit reduction, no tax rises beyond those already announced would be necessary. When asked to confirm that, he said "yep" in his slimy way.

Just now, on Fivelive, he was asked the same question (and Sheila Fogherty is a presenter on both shows) he refused to be so bullish.

Got at, or what?

Brown on the Politics Show - gotcha!

If anyone who happens to see this post hasn't seen the Politics Show from 14th March, with Gordon Brown in an open session with a studio of a good cross section of Midlands people, I urge you to find it on iPlayer (parts are on youtube now too, I see).

He was ruthlessly exposed as having no substance behind all the rhetoric he spouts, trying to persuade people that because of his investment, new jobs were coming in "low carbon manufacturing" and the digital technology field, and in things like electric cars (ref Jag Landrover etc) because of the research being done. It showed starkly that this is all jargon and spin.

WTF is "low carbon manufacturing", and how is this going to replace all the thousands of manufacturing jobs lost to China etc?

It was a largely articulate audience, who exposed many lies (a clinical psychologist spelt out how targets are falsely met, and how red tape is grinding them down).

This should be compulsorary reading for everyone!

Eggs....

A little off topic....

Something very strange has happened today. We keep chickens in our garden. Today I've collected six eggs.

We only have four hens! That's never happened before.