Monday 19 April 2010

Cameron's Big Society: Handing Us Power ... Selectively

All kinds of conundrums wander through one's mind while waiting for the juices to run clear over a hot barbecue.

Yesterday, they included 'Can the Coen Brothers ever top The Big Lebowski?', 'How does one go about becoming a professional breaker in of shoes?', 'What do bloodless dead fox cubs die of?', and ... 'This Big Society of which Dave speaks, how does that work exactly?'.

He will allow people to be “your own boss, sack your MP, run your own school, own your own home, veto council tax rises, vote for your police, save your local pub or post office, and see how the government spends your money”.
You see, it struck me - just before I flipped another burger over the searing hot flames that we are still, for the time being anyway, allowed to light without state interference - that all these things assume a measure of intelligence from British people.

And if we assume that people are intelligent enough to make such important decisions, it should follow that they are also able to weigh up benefits and risks, and therefore determine their own choices in life.

Choices such as, for example, whether to indulge in marijuana or not, which foods they'd like to eat, how many units of alcohol to consume in a week, and the choice of entering a smoking or non-smoking pub.

You know, like that 'personal responsibility' which Dave keeps banging on about, eh Dave?

Dave? Err, Dave? Hello?


6 comments:

Sam Duncan said...

The huge increase in State power over the last century coincided with universal suffrage, and it's not hard to make the connection between this power-grab and the "legitimacy" conferred by election. I can see Dave's "Big Society" being the cover for yet more extension of the State: Council tax rises are okay because 51% of the people affected haven't vetoed them; it's okay for the state to own all the schools, because the parents have a say in running them... and so on.

This is authoritarianism in liberal clothing. Which was only to be expected when they started wittering about all that "Nudge" garbage.

Uncle Marvo said...

... or whether to buy a padded bra. I believe he was instrumental in banning that before he even got a vote.

I don't agree with selling them, but I don't agree with banning. And Dave has said "I'm not a banner".

Really.

wonderfulforhisage said...

I wonder if Local Conservative Associations will be free to choose whomsoever they like to be their prospective MPs. Or, will they have to choose from a list drawn up centrally by CCHQ?

Dick the Prick said...

Steady on - Miller's Crossing is the best Coen Brothers' film by a country mile.

Dick the Prick said...

OT but some twat of a mayor in Yanksville wants to fire people who smoke:

http://www2.hernandotoday.com/content/2010/apr/16/162137/city-wants-nip-tobacco-use-butt/

The future?

Dick Puddlecote said...

Sam: A clever ruse to further embed ochlocracy, you mean? I don't doubt it. Most will be fooled, yet again.

Marvo: Yep, with you there. Cameron is definitely not a banner ... unless he's talking of banning things, of course. It's right up there with Alan Maryon-Davies's "I'm a libertarian but ...", isn't it?

wonderfulforhisage: Are we talking Turnip Taliban here? ;-)

Dick: I knew someone would contest the incontestable wrt The Dude. He abides, OK? And ta for the link, it's not the first time I've seen such a policy from over there, but quite possibly the loopiest.