Originally Posted by squiggle:
What a shame that this thread has deteriorated into yet another bash the government thread. What about 13 years of Labour government? Or is it only Conservative and Liberal governments that can make mistakes?
What we need to do is to get behind everyone who is trying to put this situation right and attempt to mend what we can all see is a tragic breakdown of some elements of our society into greed and lawlessness, and the bling culture.
And yes, in my opinion, you stand a far better chance of raising children to respect their society if you do have a mother and father to look up to. OK this isn't always possible and many mums do a heroic job raising decent boys and girls on their own. But especially with boys it is my belief that a dad that can provide a real role model to respect and emulate is a head start.
Something is badly wrong and unless we all, as a society, are prepared to admit that and try to regain standards of decency and honesty, then we don't stand a chance.
Call me a cynic, but it's very difficult to take seriously Dave and Boris, playing guardians of our morals, when in their youth they were paid up members of arguably the most obnoxious drinking/vandalising club in the country.
Call me a cynic, but in the same week as our cities are burning, tax avoider, George Osborne, is pushing for tax cuts for the wealthiest.
Although I am firmly on the left and pretty much despise the Tory party, the fact is, New Labour were far from perfect and their biggest fault was doing pursuing pretty much the same market-knows-best solutions as the Tories, likewise, under Blair they jumped from one soundbite solution to another as in Blair's ludicrously stupid (and massively open to police corruption) idea of the police marching drunks to cash machines.
I really can't see that Cameron is doing anything other than playing to the gallery. I genuinely don't think he gives a damn about putting the situation right.
Cameron refuses to accept that ever widening wealth gaps plays no part in this, he refuses to accept it because the Tories are the party who said there was no such thing as society.
The bling culture, is largely imported from America and is a symptom of their media. It's also a symptom of our society that has become very unequal - much like America. I can provide stats.
Remember that it is Cameron's party who have railed against the BBC at every opportunity, sneered at their collective, liberal, communal ideals that are actually more in keeping with the desired values that people claim they desire. Cameron's party has sneered at this as 'socialist', in much the same way that his party sneers at everything that has a hint of collectiveness about it. If it moves hives it off to the fatcats in the private sector. Labour were also guilty of this.
Of course, our police have been taking bungs from Murdoch and our politicians have had their noses in the trough. Let's not forget that John Major preached 'family values' while shagging Edwina Curry.
