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Sunday, 24 April 2005
Which Devil Do You Know?
OK, Margaret Thatcher was a cunt.
There's no point disputing that, or the damage that she and her Conservative government did to this country during the 1980s. But consider the fact that many other western countries suffered under similar rape-and-pillage, restructure-and-privatise regimes during the same period. Consider also the fact that since there's nothing left to sell at home, Tony Blair is supporting the exact same policies being imposed on developing nations, threatened with the sharp trident of US foreign policy, the World Bank and the IMF.
Now please don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating a Conservative government.
I'm just saying that if you're reluctant to vote against Labour because you don't want to risk the Tories coming into power, you should really think long and hard about what it is that you're afraid of. If it's Maggie, well obviously she's out of the picture. And Michael Howard? I mean seriously, what kind of whimpering wet blanket tyrant would he make? And anyway, what outrageous, unthinkable right-wing agenda is left for him to indulge after Tony's Three-Term Circus?
Perhaps you're thinking: "better the devil you know". But is Tony Blair really that devil? Isn't it in fact the case that Michael Howard is the devil you know? The predictable, close-minded, old-fashioned, old-school conservative? While on the other hand, doesn't Tony Blair keep surprising you? Has he not proved himself to be an unpredictable, unreliable, unaccountable puppet to big business, big bucks and baby Bush?
Why does New Labour policy smell of neo-conservatism?
I believe that if everyone who is unhappy with Hard Labour, and unwilling to revert to Tory rule were to put aside their fear of a Tory win and vote Liberal Democrat, Plaid Cymru or SNP as appropriate, we would end up with a genuinely left-wing coalition in power in this country. In turn, that might pave the way for a more representative model of government and in any case would teach Blair and his wannabes that this cavalier form of elected dictatorship is simply not acceptable to the people of the UK.
14:04 Posted in UK Election 2005 | Permalink