Monday 9 February 2009

Rats, sinking ships...

Brown's 'closest ally' (not any longer), Ed Balls, said the economic problems we've been having, far from having been sorted by the self-proclaimed messiah, are in fact "the most serious global recession for over 100 years", and its effects would be felt for 'the next five years, the next ten years and even the next fifteen years.' Balls predicts that 'the economy is going to define our politics' - since when were our politics defined by anything else?
"These are seismic events that are going to change the political landscape,' he continued. 'I think this is a financial crisis more extreme and more serious than that of the 1930s and we all remember how the politics of that era were shaped by the economy."
Far Right extremism, anyone? Well, not if you're sensible and listen to the people so that they feel as though they matter, rather than being driven into the arms of those who promise them a better kind of life in return for their vote. Labour's continuing jack-booting over the civil liberties of the British people isn't - literally - winning Brown *any* votes. Coming down on us harder is only going to cause rioting, the last thing the majority of us want.
In a further smack to Gordon Brown and his unctuous predecessor, Balls went on to trash the Third Way and everything it stands for. "We are now seeing the realities of globalisation, though at a speed, paces and ferocity which none of us have seen before. The reality is that this is becoming the most serious global recession for, I'm sure, over 100 years as it will turn out."
If Cameron et al don't lunge on this with all the ferocity of a half-starved tiger tomorrow morning and force a vote of No Confidence, they bloody deserve to lose the next election.

7 comments:

  1. If Cameron et al don't lunge on this with all the ferocity of a half-starved tiger tomorrow morning and force a vote of No Confidence, they bloody deserve to lose the next election.

    Well they won't, will they. It will be the usual phoney war at PMQ's instead.

    The Conservatives daren't offer a genuine alternative to Labour for fear of causing offence - and I believe that the British public is too supine to do anything like riot, if it clashes with something good on the telly. Unless things get really Really REALLY worse, that is.

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  2. One can live in hope. I guess. Despite far too much evidence to the contrary.
    The Tories are very much a dark horse of a party these days. I find the ConHome blog excessively tedious - it talks of nothing but money; and Grieve's response to the row over Section 8 Clause 152 of the Coroners and Justice Bill was beyond weak. Still, historically they have found it fairly difficult to unveil any new plans because Labour tends to steal them.
    The Wildcat Strikers are planning some big walkouts - we haven't heard the last of them by a long shot. But you're quite right; middle Britain does drown itself in lethargy and Dancing on Ice.

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  3. Dear Miss Macseoinin,

    When he referred to effects that would be felt for 'the next five years, the next ten years and even the next fifteen years", I assumed he was talking about the time it will take to pay off the national debt his government are about to at least triple.
    I think 15 years may well prove to be an underestimate.

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  4. Dear ex-apprentice,
    You're absolutely right - and if expenditure increases any more we'll not only end up like Argentina in the 90s but our great grandchildren will STILL be paying off this debt. Why, oh why, did they not guarantee savers' money instead and let the banks go to the wall instead? At least then there could have been some decent competition and theoretically the establishment of a bank that practises temperance and moderation!

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  5. Hello Mara, thanks for following my blog. I hope you find the thoughts of a Scotswoman amusing

    Regarding your post. Ed Balls says 'I think this is a financial crisis more extreme and more serious than that of the 1930s and we all remember how the politics of that era were shaped by the economy."'

    We all remember? I know I'm a pensioner (just!) but there aren't so many people around who would remember the 30s. What a stupid statement.

    They're all grappling for a place on the lifeboat and making such fools of themselves while they're at it. If they weren't supposedly running the UK it would be funny.

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  6. Unctuous. I like unctuous.

    I used it here http://www.twenty4ten.com/olio/2008/9/1/unctuous.html

    Great metaphor for Balls.

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  7. If I hear the word "globalisation" again I'm going to scream and scream!!

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Life is to be lived, not controlled, and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat -Ralph Ellison