And now for something slightly different ... my take on two of the 'highlights' on the UK Tory government, namely the Credit Crunch & Brexit.
I reckon the last 8 years have been the worst politically in my living memory. 'What worse than Thatcher?' Well, yes, but of course she started it, and the cabinet have just carried on where she left off, inflicting such damage that the thought of how we would manage to reverse it should Labour get back to power is difficult to imagine.
I am not one of those who hate all Tories, and with most I meet I just don't agree with their political views. But this cabinet, they are something else! Their behaviour most of the time has come across as mean, cruel, divisive, greedy, arrogant and nasty. Apparently they see themselves as the elite, the ruling class, the 'we know best' and yet they are oh so incompetent, or maybe just vindictive? And from their snooty ivory towers (presumably overlooking their moats) they look down on the rest, treat us like we don't count, and have taken us back not just to the dire 1930s, but to the even worse mid 1800s.
So the Credit Crunch, surely a dream come true for them. Not surprisingly they took full advantage of the fact that Labour were in power at the time, so they could put the blame on them. And then suckered enough of the electorate for them to return to power albeit propped up by the Lib Dems. Even better they used it as an excuse to impose austerity, of course not on themselves or their wealthy pals, like the CEOs of banks & big business. And certainly not for any sound economic reasons, even though that's what they would have you believe. The simple fact is the least well off in the land have been subsidising the wealthy ever since!
And as for Brexit ... what a blinder Cameron played when he gave in to his Brextremists. Maybe I'm taking cynicism a bit too far but I have long suspected that Cameron didn't give a damn which side won, and I'm certain he didn't lose any sleep over it. He knew that either way he could walk away, unscathed, and leave behind the appalling mess he had created. What makes me so angry is that the media push the myth that it's a party political issue when obviously it isn't, as in theory Cameron was backing Remain!
My Dad once told me that one of the frustrating things about politics is that in reality parliament does a huge amount of work on which all parties more or less agree but we only ever hear of the conflict. Sadly despite whatever good has taken place that we never get told about (as it doesn't sell papers!) And what for me is truly frightening is that it doesn't seem to matter what harm they do, the Tories just keep getting away with it. The divide between wealthy and not so gets wider & wider. A few years ago no one would even dream of accepting frozen budgets let alone cuts, of vilifying the disabled & those on benefits as all being scroungers, of such widespread use of foodbanks as if it were acceptable, the treatment of those immigrants who have lived & settled here for decades, the running down of the NHS ... and the list goes on and on. But people continue to vote for them because they are caught up by the understandable fear of the alternative, of which the Tories take full advantage. 'What if it's even worse?' If you are 'just about managing' then you simply wont risk it.
This paints a very gloomy picture, I know, but really not sure there is any other way to put it. Any positives, anyone?
Les
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