Wednesday 12 May 2010

Proportional Representation down the shute ?

With AV the Liberals get substantially more seats next time round.

Have they conveniently forgotten about PR?

I can see that The Greens won't be happy.

This should fuel them to fight even more determinedly

I how they start now.

In the long term I believe they are the only ones with far sighted vision.

Too far sighted for most of us but in my view the best.

They are more active, here in Ulverston, than any other party who, in my view, are half asleep, and just drifting along.

My reaction would be to start campaigning at their table by Murray's chemist tomorrow.

Pity they are disinclined to reply to my emails, but hey, what's new!

I suspect I'll be calling round at their house to get my answers first hand!

13 comments:

Gladys Hobson said...

A spirit of co-operation is the only way forward. I myself debated on whether to vote lib-dem or Conservative. Now I feel we have the best of both. It is time to pull together rather then constant confrontation (which you seem to enjoy).

In a country where it pays more not to work, time to get a balance - less tax taken out of the pay of lower paid will help.

Good though it may be to have the influence of the green party, you can't run a country on their policies.

Geoff Dellow said...

Surely you're not suggesting that there won't be/aren't confrontations between Libs and Tories in the future/at this very minute?

There were plenty before the election!

The important thing to my way of thinking to come out and say what's on your mind, then and only then, can compromise be reached.

People who live a liofe of never coming out with what they really think do more harm in the long term by making snide remarks and back biting in the shadows than those that oare honest with each other.

I have many relationships in Ulverston, work well, that operate on this principle.

I am naturally attracted to people who call a spade a spade and disagree with me openly.

As for the Greens, - that's a rather blanket statement. How do you know?

Have you tried?

If you want a society that's heading for the cliff edge of human survival; choose one lead by the Lib-Tory pack.

We'll see!

Anonymous said...

Not wishing to cause offence, but many of the effects of the choices politicians make today won't really become apparent for years / decades. You and Gladys can safely predict the future, because there's every chance you won't be around to be proven right or wrong.

Hopefully you'll be around for a very long time to come, but in your mid to late 70s average life expectancy isn't on your side. Geoff, averages suggest that you will be lucky if you see more than half of the current Con-Lib government's term in office, let alone a ruinous, apocalyptic future for mankind.

Sorry to be morbid, I have a habit of speaking my mind.

Geoff Dellow said...

No doubt we won't be here for 'the end' but just the beginning of the end!

Who's being morbid!

The Earth is, I'm sure, very happy indeed with a bit of change.

Ask the new species that will lap up 'climate change'.

" A bit more space now those ruddy humans are on the way out"

"What bits of them shall we devour?"

Gladys Hobson said...

I listened to Any Questions last night. As usual the debate regarding the present set-up in Downing Street tends to be confrontational. Good sense comes out of the mouths of those who have genuinely weighed up the situation and looked at the alternatives. Which are?
There are always people ready to bash and bring down, it is far harder to be constructive and build up. Anon is right, we may not be around to see the results but this is not about 'us', rather the future of this country and all who live here (including our children and grandchildren). I fear for them, not 'us'.
What alarms me is the way people clamour for more in money and services when the country is in debt to sums of money I cannot even get my head around. For ages it has been like paying off credit card debt with different credit cards until the sum of debt can no longer be sustained or ignored. It is hard to grasp that we are borrowing billions to pay off interest on trillions, with the debt ever mounting.
Would you have another election? The outcome would still be the same because people want change. In the end people have to work together and seek what is the best for stability.
Of course, in the spirit of debate uncomplimentary things are said during elections. Maybe some folk even hate each other, but when push comes to shove, differences have to be resolved for the good of the 'whole'. The way forward can only be done through compromise.
To have a few others from minor parties who can add their voice to future debates in Parliament is good. But to have a lot of tails wagging the poor dog (which is what would happen if the Tories had gone it alone) would be disastrous — we have already heard what certain groups would be demanding.
Take lessons from the past. Even countries at war (with atrocities on both sides, though more one side than the other) eventually come together for the sake of peace and progress.
What do YOU want to happen? A country in chaos so as to prove your point? 'I told you so'!
I have not the slightest doubt that those in the Cabinet are aware of each others feelings. But they are people (mostly men) who are intelligent enough to work with issues not feelings. They have already said what they thought during the election, now is the time to get on with it with integrity of purpose.

You know, some people can achieve more by going about things quietly, with genuine thought and concern, weighing up issues and listening to the points of view of their colleagues. Barking at people only leads to fingers being stuffed in ears.

Geoff Dellow said...

A lot of wisdom Gladys.

Views I share.

There's a great need for people to be pragmatists.

At the same time one has to hold fast to ones principles which help one be clear about where one is aiming to get to.

The goal that I ascribe to closest is held by The Greens. I believe it is perfectly workable in principle and must not be lost sight of or be discarded.

The present set up is a move in the right direction but as an ultimate solution it will in my view fail.

What The Greens propose is I suspect way beyond most peoples comprehension because their analysis of the situation is more realistic.

The average person does not want to be realistic but hangs on to a have-you-cake-and-eat-it philosophy.

It was encouraging that in one constituency The Green philosophy was accepted by the most votes resulting in one MP.

This is a little ray of sunshine that other wards may also be won over.

The trouble is that I'm convince that we don't have the time for this slow rate of change.

Thus I'm convince that there will be big trouble ahead.

What we can do is be prepared for chaos.

Gladys Hobson said...

I strongly suspect it was the student vote that got our green lady in. I listen to idealists and I toyed with the idea of voting for the green candidate but a study of their policies convinced me that they were ignoring the desperate situation the country is in. I considered Labour too, but what they have done in the recent past is part of the problem today. You can't keep handing out sweeties when there is no money in the purse. Now we ALL have to pay and with interest on top of the interest. The least we can do is stop fighting and accept what must be and get on with life. The world is still a beautiful place and here in England we have much to be thankful for.

Geoff Dellow said...

"The world is still a beautiful place" is my optimistic thought.

Depends on your idea of beauty I guess but even a blazing inferno can be beautiful.

So yes - as man continues to destroy himself, the world will always be beautiful. Wait a minute - is the sight of mangled bodies with blood everywhere, beautiful?

I'm sure one can persuade oneself it is.

Not sure about this!

Gladys Hobson said...

Well, every time I look at your Mill Dam garden with butterflies, flowers and children, I'll think or your picture of mangled bodies and streams of blood. Will that help?
I already live with struggles within Africa, India and elsewhere. I can do little but give aid. But you know, a few years ago when part of my family were missionaries in Africa, my grandson asked his mum how was it possible that the children there always seemed to be smiling and happy when they had so little. To me that is beautiful. Many people here can't see beauty, joy or love, gifts which pessimists refuse to open their eyes to.
It is possible to feel the pain of the world and be hit by constant images that bring tears to the eye, but yes, we do live in a beautiful world in spite of all that man can do to it. Disasters are also part of the world. Darkness and light live side by side. As do joy and sorrow. It has always been so.
I'm sorry that you can only see the pain.

Geoff Dellow said...

The point I'm trying to explore is that certain artists use their art to depict images that we may see as painful. At the same time, depending on how you look at these subjects they can be seen as beautiful.

I remember imperfectly an exhibition in London of dissected human bodies that were intended to show the beauty of the way our bodies are made beneath the skin.

I'm exploring the thought that blood a gore can also be beautiful and be separated from thoughts of pain - no doubt a difficulat concept to get one's head around!

.

Geoff Dellow said...

I agree, Gladys, that there's a lot to be learnt from the third world.

They certainly seem to have retained the ability to enjoy life. Sadly we have in the past went people from our culture to 'enlighten' them. We have missed the point that we could be bringing something back from them.

We still have that lessen to learn.

I wonder. Will the humans of the first world start to destroy each other with their resentment of 'injustice' while the third be able to continue to smile through adversity?

Anonymous said...

Easy to understand,I like it!

Geoff Dellow said...

So tell us - What do you like?