Yesterday I said that I thought it would be unlikely that all these changes that were proposed will be put into effect. In other words all the rhetoric, the heart baring and admissions were all window dressing. It seems I was right. I also said on a previous day that Brown would retain his position as Prime Minister, because there were strong people behind him, the bully boys, threatening the Backbench, and anyway, today being a politician is often more to do with having a job, than it is sticking to your own principles.
I think I’ve already said previously that my father-in-law used to say ‘Whatever you say, say nothing.’. This is precisely the current situation, a case of all talk and very little do. One of the protocols I am talking about seems to be, that providing the factors are not irrefutable, convenience, coupled with pragmatism and self-interest are more important than the spoken promise. Add to this a long finger that reaches years rather than weeks into the future, and you have what I see as the current political situation, and the way in which our problems are being dealt with. I’m not in any way under the impression that by a change of leadership the whole thing will be turned upside down, and the changes that the new leadership had proposed as being essential, would be implemented. Not only the level of rhetoric, but the intensity of the way it is presented is not so much like a debate as a shouting match in the Public Bar of a pub on a Saturday night, with all the sincerity that it implies on Sunday morning.. I am convinced that I put the case in yesterday’s article cogently, that very little would be done.
If you look at the EU, European parliaments, the American system, not to mention South America, Africa, Russia, and Eastern European states, I think our system is no worse than any of them, and a lot are considerably more so. The ubiquitous man in the street speaking any language you like, is just as disillusioned as we are. Unfortunately he is also so busy with his own life, he has neither the time nor the inclination to fight for a change, with strikes, marches, taking the politicians apart, and to court. This would require funding, an overall National will, and yet more leaders, who also would have their own agenda. So, the current ones will go on wiping his eye, peering out at him through the windows of the gravy train, and that is about all he can expect in today’s political climate.