Doing an assignment that taps into the UK political scene. Not sure where else to post this as it looks as though we don't have our own Politics section.. Anyways, what is everyone's general view of the countries current state? Not going to ask who votes what (unless you want to say of course!), but would love a look at how people feel about Gordon Brown, David Cameron and whoever else takes an interest. It is the election this year, and personally I think that the UK is on the brink of something, mostly on a racial basis. I say that after the whole Nick Griffin incident a few months ago. If anyone would like to say anything, please, pray tell. I need a few OBJECTIVE opinions Plus I am curious as either way.
There barely seems to be any difference between the main parties - I'd liken the situation today to that of medieval England, around the time of the Wars of the Roses - various parties fighting it out [literally in those days] to be the ruling party, but basically they were just factions of the same ruling elite. For the average peasent it made very little difference who was actually in power. the results were likely to be the same. We still have a ruling class, now made up of professional politicians, most of whom seem not to have done anything else. And since they have to go through their party's system to get a crack at standing, the chance of any mavericks making it through is virtually zero...hence we have all those clones in suits and strange haircuts who, frankly, are interchangable - they could be of any party, who can tell the difference ? And background of course... we seem to be rather top heavy with millionaire Old Etonians at the moment, but I doubt many of Labour attended the local comprehensive, left at 16 to work on a supermarket till or in McDonalds or had a spell on the dole. Public school and work as lawyers, etc, is the more likely scenario. Living in a region which is going to be hit very badly by the proposed cuts [and since it elected no Con or Lib MPs, there's no-one who risks losing their seat, so full steam ahead...] its very difficult to see how the policies being enacted aren't going to wreck the region. Unemployment is already high, a lot of the jobs that do exist are public sector ones, which are going to be hit by big cuts...so you end up with even more people unemployed, and fewer jobs for them to fight over. Oh, and lets increase the pension age too, so they can be unemployed for longer [Jobsekers Allowance is considerably less than the basic pension, so you can see the twisted logic]. A lot of the slack is supposed to be taken up by the private sector...but the whole ethos of private sector employers is to make as much profit as possible while employing as few people as possible... so its difficult to see how that's going to work. Basically - I think we're fucked, Time for a rethink and a new system ?
The officials of the UK are often being send to America to see how the best things in government are being manganged and implemented. Perhaps we cloud adopt a re-though welfare system based on their model!!!
Was thinking more in terms of new new, rather than rehashing the status quo. Dont ask me what, though.
Getting to know ones inner-self allows you to reject materialism and live a more spiritual life, maybe that's key.
I was vaguely wondering about the scope for grassroots co-operative type ventures. I seem to remember there being more of them around during the 1970s, then they seemed to fade out during Thatcherism.
