Thursday 11 August 2011

A waste of 'op-ed' space

As with so many political commentaters given the prime 'op-ed' space in newspapers, John McTernan, Daily Telegraph, does not fail to disappoint. As is often the case the print edition headline and sub-headline has been changed, no doubt for 'editorial reasons' - the print edition heading being: "This crisis is a symptom of a politics stripped of morality; Once politicians and policemen were prepared to act - now they seem paralysed". Having asked the question: "As we face a breakdown of social norms in the UK and a potential meltdown of the global financial system, what can we tell about our current generation of political leaders?" - a question that could simply be answered by stating: because they are no bloody good - McTernan then writes a few hundred words which fail to provide any real answers, whatsoever.

What we do find is confirmation of something that many of us have known for some time now:
"Part of the problem is that the three main political parties in Britain are all, essentially, the children of David Owen. Cameron, Miliband and Nick Clegg stand on a broadly SDP platform, based on a liberal approach to both social issues and the economy. That makes for far less disruption when government changes hands, but it also means that there is no longer a contest between sharply different views of how society should be run."
Do note that phrase "how society should be run" - a phrase that also shows we are not a free people as we are so often informed, but ones subject to an elected dictatorship. Mind you, it should be borne in mind that John McTernan was Political Secretary to Tony Blair - which probably explains his use of those words. Also it must be very convenient for the Lib/Lab/Con that there is less disruption when government changes hands as it allows for the seamless game of musical chairs to continue unhindered.

McTernan ends his article with another question:
"So why can’t our leaders talk to us about it? Don’t they know, don’t they care, or are they too scared?"
Perhaps the answers to that are: (i) Half the time they have no idea about that which they talk; (ii) they know only too well and  no, they don't care - as long as their own personal status remains unchanged; and (iii) yes, they most definitely are scared as they realise if the truth were to get out, their life expectancy would be somewhat foreshortened.

4 comments:

microdave said...

As I said to my MP in an email - "No matter who we vote for, the government always gets in".

I didn't get a reply...

WitteringsfromWitney said...

md: And you actually expected one?

TomTom said...

They are puppets. They know they will lose the perks as "the decorative part of the Constitution" if they don't play ball; but in fact this is a society where Conformists get to the top in business and politics. Independent Thought is destructive of career progress....you must have dirt under your nails so you can be blackmailed and controlled, that is how the system works.

Imagine an executive working in a supermarket chain recruited to a major bank to "do marketing", then made CEO to replace a strong CEO....picked no doubt for his pliability as a non-banker. Key baronies continue rampant, but when the bank crashes he gets a nice payoff and heads to a Buyout of a large pharmacy chain. There he is "mentored" until he jumps ship from "stress" and needs time with family; but suddenly decides he likes risk and joins a bookies.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

TT: That they are puppets is why I despise them!

Love the analogy, by the way....