Tuesday 3 July 2007

All Change

Democratic centralism in modern dress touched my conciousness while reading the statement on what is to be done? by the Leader. The senior cadres of the Party will consult widely with the lower sections of the Party, and with the people too.

The example to us all of countrywide consultation by the Leader before assuming power , and the promise of a review of voting practices, confirms his intentions for a unified, strong national governance.

14 comments:

Newmania said...

Not sure I `m following you here HG. Are you quoting some favourite Italian Fascist and comparing it to the Authoritarian Brown "National Governement" stuff. Richard Littlejohn made such a comparison.( In the Mail)

hatfield girl said...

I was thinking of Lenin, N, (not someone who often comes to my mind) and the development in the 20s of the 'no factionalism' adjunct.

The people will be widely consulted, their views will be considered and those worthy will be put forward by the local party and appointed consultative organisations, to the higher party and consultative body echelons, to contribute to policies which will be formulated by the leadership, all will be bound by the democratically elected Party enacting agreed policies; consultation, then disciplined acceptance and support for the Party and its leadership and policies, which will embrace all sections of society and its representatives (apart from renegade elements).

And OF COURSE it's not the same, this is 2007; but it won't do, any more than the last go round.

Newmania said...

“A lie told often enough becomes truth” Vladimir Lenin. ...

Another Brownian characteristic. The plot thickens . This presentation of authoritarianism as Consultation happens at every level. I have been irritated by it locally for ages. Its as if the sheer subtlety of the use of democracy defeats its spirit. Leaking smoke screens, phasing introductions, diluting and obscuring responsibility and consulting carefully selected groups at the right time to give the illusion that everyone is implicated in everything that is done . Look how Brown/Blair used the CBI over pensions and then outright lied about what they said . (I may not have made my point very well , I hope it is faintly comprehensible ). I feel Poll tax was the turning point . From then on nothing has been clear. The tactic of asking again and again until we get it right is another infuriating subterfuge that is highly pertinent to Europe
You might like this quote from Jean Monnet( Father of the Common Market)
“ Europe’s nations should be guided towards the superstate without their people realising what is happening. This can be accomplished by successive steps each described as having an economic purpose but will eventually and irreversibly lead to federation “
I suppose the weather is lovely in Italy, it snowed over Clapham on the way home last night . Truly the apocalypse is upon us HG.

Anonymous said...

Lets hope the Unions continue to serve as the engines of transmission from the people to the party...

hatfield girl said...

Mutley, I shall check with E-K.

hatfield girl said...

I may not have made my point very well , I hope it is faintly comprehensible

It's a hard point to make N, good thing it's being made by a wordmaster.

Certainly the hoofbeats are nearing, though snow in Clapham in July is really to do with south of the river.

lilith said...

I think you are clear HG. The vision you project is alarming but undoubtedly just so.

hatfield girl said...

Reading Blears remarks in the paper this morning I thought 'oh good, I'm wrong.' L.

Then almost at the end there was
'the communities department has hired Church Action on Poverty to act as a facilitator to help communities hold discussions on their priorities before a vote'.

What is the matter with having a debate in the local council? And who are Church Action on Poverty? And what has poverty got over every other criterion for reaching decisions?
Being rather keen on the Enlightenment and the secular state, (not talking about religious belief, here, lots of states with separation of church and state and perfectly healthy established churches, and lots of religious citizens), what has Blears got a faith group appointed to 'help discussions for.

hatfield girl said...

ps Blears was talking about local voting on specific local expenditures. Sort of mini referendums, though not on the dustbin emptying.

Nick Drew said...

this devolution to local decision-making will prove a rich seam, there are so many aspects

> post-code lottery on a grand scale

> love-of-money-the-root-of-all-evil

> toe-curling lobbying by all-sorts

> the Rule of Grabber

> outright corruption

but just to show I'm not just a sour cycnic

> heartwarming examples of people of good faith having their good intentions made real by money

> the kind of localism Raedwald talks about

I write as someone fairly involved with various other initiatives of this kind: you really do see a thousand flowers bloom

(but some of them do stink)

hatfield girl said...

All in favour of democratic power pushed to the lowest efficient level, ND; a fundamental pillar of the European Union settlement. (UK opted out).

What is not attractive is using central government funded (actually tax-payer funded) faith groups to 'facilitate discussions'. We have political forums to do that, and perfectly nice council chambers.

hatfield girl said...

Also, if secularism is to be abandoned, -and in the face of the bitter opposition to the fundamentalism expressed through Islam, it seems most do not want it to be abandoned, -but if it is, then see Cheek in the next post.

If we're all taking up political discussion and settlement in religious terms, it's worth pointing out that fundamentalism is no measure of religious belief, but a destructive and dangerous manner of settling political and social dispute.

Nick Drew said...

You are of course 100% correct on 'we already have perfectly nice council chambers', it's just that they have (outrageously) disappointed NuLab, just as they disappointed Mrs T in her turn, and must be undercut.

that's the main reason it will all end in tears: when you reinvent the wheels of local democracy you'll end up with the same thing - or rather, unless you get the same thing you'll have no fiduciary responsibility, with all the obvious consequences

hatfield girl said...

Bins emptied, rubbish dump run without polluting, and recycling of materials, streets cleaned and lit with limitation of light pollution, drains kept clear, public building run and maintained without leaving all the lights burning all night in every one of them, libraries open when users are not at work, restocked regularly and with internet use centres and travelling vans for outliers, swimming pools and sports fields, botanical garden and evening classes, town centres provided with park and ride, local planning priorities regularly publically discussed and reasonable compromise decisions reached, few employees on normal pensions and retirement age.

No welfare - local voluntary organisations are wholly better equipped for that and can target centrally provided cash with far more accuracy.

Patrolling community police officers.

Well why not?