There were great changes made to our political system in the 70s that have been continued on a sort of broad-brush principle ever since. In particular it was the way in which things that were really serious and affected us most, were centralised. The reason I feel is that those in charge have not had the experience that the older generations, who have seen and recognized the pitfalls of these changes, have had. There has been a steady move away from careful, considered change, to the sort of changes that have now been perpetrated causing the credit crunch and political meltdown. These latter are clearly the result of those in charge having more interest in their own aggrandisement, than that required by their responsibilities. One glaring example was the removal of the matron from the hospitals, and turning hospitals into trusts, where those required to operate the system had less say than they had previously. I have been warbling on for three years in this vein, with no change at all, and others have been doing the same, It therefore seems that we need to have a mechanism, similar to a referendum, that addresses certain aspects of our lives, and that we, the average citizen, may contribute in a reasoned manner, rather than by extravagant rhetoric.
We have by the very nature of this discussion, a tool that can be used, providing that somebody, or some people, have the wish and the energy to run a series of referenda covering topics that the general public feel need attention. I refer to the Internet. I give you one basic example to make the point. Three years ago not only I, but the press as well, were constantly writing about the growth of debt being allowed to build, unmonitored, and unrestrained. Warnings were given and not heeded. If we had had, at that time a website devoted entirely to taking public opinion on a question and answer, tick the box, basis, I believe that we wouldn’t be where we are today because the majority of people, and in particular those over 60, a reasonable portion of the country, would have been totally averse to the overspend. If the Telegraph is prepared to do as much damage as it has to our political system, then perhaps it might offer some readdress by sponsoring such a tool. I firmly believe that this will be a winner, because people would feel at long last that their opinions were of value, and they were not just a cipher, a statistic on an electoral roll.
By the number of people who read on this blog the number of pages they do, I feel that what I say appeals, I know that others are also saying the same thing, but by the same token, it still seems that we are being ignored where it matters. This post therefore, will be ignored also