Depression, or forgiveness?
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Depression – Counting Cats in Zanzibar.
I started to write a brief comment over at Counting Cats, where blogger NickM is depressed about today's election. One of his commenters, IainB, said that Labour would not be destroyed as it deserves because of its "client vote". I am sure that hardly alleviated Nick's depression and I tried to weigh in gently. My comment grew and grew however, consuming my blogging time budget for the day, so I am recycling it here.
Many bitter words have been said in the past few weeks. I defer to no-one in my contempt for the Labour Party, but today - as we try to influence our collective future - we should be one nation. We must try to hate the sin and not the sinners, at least as far as Labour voters are concerned
...even those on the client payroll must know in their hearts that this can’t go on. I feel sorry for some who will vote Labour today out of fear for their non-jobs or the future of the lame “services” on which they depend. Apart from the underclass (probably less than a million individuals) they are not willing parasites. They simply have no experience of providing for themselves. More to the point, given the economic destruction wrought by Labour and the lack of any clear, honest solution from the Tories, they understandably have no confidence that any likely government will ever leave them enough of their own earnings to do so.
Of course I am disappointed in anyone who votes for fairyland politics today, but I accept they are not deliberately destroying our country. They are clinging to its wreckage, with no idea what else to do. Most (if they are honest) know in their hearts that they are stealing from their children and grandchildren. They are familiar with the concept because it’s just what their parents and their grandparents did to them with their unfunded Welfare State. It was only during Blair’s time in number 10, after all, that we finished paying America back the money our grandparents borrowed to fund their great “vision” in 1946. Their “stamps” didn’t pay it all. We did.
None of this is Gordon Brown’s fault. Blair concealed his motives well, but Brown has been openly, honestly intent on reducing us to the living standards and civic culture of the former East Germany. He sincerely believes in “equality” and seriously thinks that we will be poorer but happier in social solidarity under firm government. Under his leadership, Labour has once again been an honest party of losers, for losers. It has openly promoted loserdom as a lifestyle. No, the fault for today’s impending fiasco lies entirely with HM Opposition for failing to sell reality to the deluded and/or terrified voters.
My wife says Cameron had no choice. The voters are hypocrites; complaining that no-one tells them the truth, but punishing anyone who tries to do so. She thinks Cameron will imitate Blair in substance as well as style; pretending to be ideologically close to the outgoing government but then introducing by stealth every aspect of his true agenda. I am not convinced, which in a way is a compliment to Cameron. I don’t think he is that warped.
It has come to something, has it not, when our only hope is that David Cameron is a despicable liar? Just like Blair.
The ordinary people of Britain have never had a greater enemy than the Labour Party and, like Nick, I long to see it fatally crushed today. But too many of my friends and family are Labour voters for me to hate them for their political errors. They are my fellow citizens too and today I simply hope against hope that their folly does us all less harm than that of their predecessors in our parents' and grandparents' generations.
Whatever you do today, vote. I am disenfranchised as a long-time expatriate, so if you weren't planning to do it for yourself, please go vote for me. Good luck.
You are correct in the idea that Labours client state will carry them through. It’s a simple matter of demographics.
In Plymouth where I live we have had a massive gerrymandering operation carried out.
The Labour policy of selling off council estates on the advice of the Fabians (A Transfer of Affections by Jeff Zitron), was in my opinion done to distance Labour from large scale immigration and divide and conquer any cohesive opposition in the form of close communities. This policy is proving very effective in Plymouth.
Plymouth has also had a large influx of students, regeneration bodies, and “fake charities”.
I have just visited my polling station and it is surrounded by students and 25ish to 35ish year olds with that odd air of evangelical happiness – all fixed smiles and goggle eyes.
The student population also has a very disdainful opinion of ‘uz janner chavs’.
I feel quite helpless.
Posted by: wg | Thursday, May 06, 2010 at 07:58 PM
Fine words, and sums up the gloom that I voted i this morning.
I am a little more optimistic that Cameron is after all one of the good guys.
I was planning to tactically vote against Labour for the Libdems, last Thursdays debate changed my mind, I now actually want to vote for Cameron.
I was impressed by his persona as well off his arguments.
I also think the state is so bloated that taking 10,15, even 20% in as orderly a manner as possible is both possible and desirable.
When I see Cameron the figure that comes into my head is David Hume, understand Hume and You will get Cameron
Posted by: sean | Thursday, May 06, 2010 at 12:25 PM
Well said Tom, but like Anthisthenes I believe that when Cameron is alone in a room, it is empty.
I too would love to be proved wrong, and naively I still believe that a strong leader could walk the election by promising to undo all that is wrong. Too much of the Biggles, Saint, Bulldog Drummond, Edgar Wallace, Kipling, etc while young and impressionable I suspect.
And while I have always like Fabians descriptor of a 'mediocracy', I have discovered the correct terminology at Bishop Hill.
We live in a kakistocracy.
Posted by: Chuckles | Thursday, May 06, 2010 at 12:08 PM
It's dawned on me too over the last few weeks that a fundamental shift has occurred. The electorate aren't about to do what I saw as inevitable, ditch Brown for the terrible situation that he has wrought, or simply to ditch Brown because he is so clearly an awful human being and an incompetent PM.
We all thought that Cameron merely had to give the right message and endear himself to the electorate to easily stroll into No.10 unopposed, but even if Cameron limps home the winner I doubt he will have much of a mandate to clear up Brown’s mess. However, I no longer feel upset over Cameron’s performance. I don’t think he had any chance selling a conservative message to a country that is now far to the left reality.
My biggest concern this week, which has gone largely unreported, is the 40% tax imposed by the Socialist Republic of Australia on it’s miners profits. Wealth destruction and state enforced theft is now going worldwide. It looks as if those of us who have done the right thing, avoided debt, and invested in commodities, are to be taken down along with all the Keynesian fools and debtors.
Posted by: john east | Thursday, May 06, 2010 at 10:23 AM
Unfortunately with Cameron what you see is what you get. I would very much like to be in agreement with your wife obviously a great optimist but sadly clutching at straws.
I think the the best outcome is a hung parliament with a Labour Lib-Dem government so that the end can come swiftly. That way they not the Conservatives get the blame and perhaps in a relatively short period a new election can be called and Labour then suffer the humiliating defeat they so richly deserve and never again be a force for evil.
Posted by: Antisthenes | Thursday, May 06, 2010 at 07:42 AM