“Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable – the art of the next best.”Otto von Bismarck, 1867Bismarck’s most famous quote is characteristically double-edged. Understood passively, it implies working within the constraints of the world as we find it. But to what end? Understood assertively, it implies redefining those limits, steadily moving the goalpostsContinueContinue reading “If Enough Is Never Enough”
Tag Archives: Growth
The Moody’s Blues
“Growth is the disease for which it pretends to be the cure.”quoted by Australia’s Stable Population PartyTwo pieces of news this week illustrate the contrasting worldviews of today.The credit-raters have spoken. The UK is no longer AAA. While the Tory Chancellor bows deeply before the infinite wisdom of the Markets, Labour calls for more toContinueContinue reading “The Moody’s Blues”
New Wessex, New World
Our attention was recently drawn to a couple of very interesting links.The first link is to a blog that asks of Mebyon Kernow why it has a view on anything more than the internal affairs of Cornwall:“…the MK manifesto is littered with ‘policies’ relating to national and global issues over which the party will neverContinueContinue reading “New Wessex, New World”
Regrets: A Few
In Pakistan, the Supreme Court has ordered the arrest of the Prime Minister on corruption charges. Our own top politicians could do with being arrested, to face far more serious allegations of disturbing the peace of the world.And not just the politicians. One of the questions we continue to pose is ‘do we or doContinueContinue reading “Regrets: A Few”
Seismic Shift?
“Vote Blue, Go Green.” Remember that? And, of course, “the greenest government ever”? Listen as the peals of maniacal laughter echo down the corridors of power.Last week DEFRA launched its triennial review of Natural England and the Environment Agency. According to his foreword to the consultation paper, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson sees his job asContinueContinue reading “Seismic Shift?”
The Great Dictator
David Cameron told the CBI yesterday that he wants a war economy, with himself as Winston Churchill, to pull the country out of recession.Of course, it’s all ridiculous, prep school nonsense. The only real war is being fought by British troops in Afghanistan, despite public opposition. No-one in the UK is going to be shotContinueContinue reading “The Great Dictator”
Analysing ‘Dave’
The MP for Witney is a Tory Prime Minister for our times. Not too blatant a representative of the landowning and military class (though do scratch and sniff), nor the child of a grocer, but a public relations man. What you see is anything but what you get. Like Blair, Cameron is first and foremostContinueContinue reading “Analysing ‘Dave’”
The Great Turn-Off
In his 1915 poem In Time of ‘the Breaking of Nations’, Thomas Hardy wrote of young love and the agricultural routine as the unchangeable backdrop to war, the things that ‘will go onward the same, though dynasties pass’. The first verse features a man guiding a horse, still then the unassailable essence of farm powerContinueContinue reading “The Great Turn-Off”
Bye Bye Beauty
Last week saw the first results published from the 2011 census of England (& Cornwall) & Wales. (We’ll call that ‘ECW’ for short.) The results are interesting both for what they say and what they don’t. There’s a gap of maybe a few million who aren’t included and therefore have to be estimated. It’s anContinueContinue reading “Bye Bye Beauty”
Building a Worse World
We didn’t ask for the National Planning Policy Framework. We pointed out that a government actually committed to localism wouldn’t issue detailed instructions on how local powers are to be used; it would get out of the control freakery business altogether.Nevertheless, the NPPF arrived, on Tuesday, amidst much trepidation. Environmental groups, alarmed by the slash-and-burnContinueContinue reading “Building a Worse World”
Wessex Regionalists 