Democracy Has Jumped The Shark

[poliphilo]

I am sick of reading political news and comment.

It used to be the first thing I did every morning after making breakfast. I'd call up my on-line Guardian and flick straight to Comment to find out what those clever folk in Lunnon were saying about smiley Mr Blair or grumpy Mr Brown.

I won't say I never do it any more, but the fun has gone out of it.

These characters bore me. It's like soap opera. The same stories keep coming round. The shark has been jumped.

And I begin to understand why 17 year olds, interviewed on the street, can't name the leader of the conservative party.

Politics used to be about ideology. That ended with the defeat of socialism. Now everyone's a little Englander and mildly racist and equally afraid of Rupert Murdoch.

The next election will be a contest between clones. It doesn't matter who wins because either way the product will be the same.

It's like All-Saints v the Spice Girls- only with ugly men in suits.

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I see Bush has been hammering away at the freedom bell.

Words are so easy.

I hate to have become so jaundiced. I really thought it would make a difference when people of my generation finally came to power- and just look what's actually happened!

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

There has been some interest in running Bush's brother Jeb in the next election.

(Bush's proposed budget has just been printed. There's a reduction in many social programs--a 3% cut to some--while increasing the homeland security budget again.

And Bush's plan to divert payroll taxes into private accounts so that the social security money can be gutted--how are people making minimum wage and raising families going to save for their retirement in private accounts?)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Why not just make the presidency a hereditary office?

I can't believe some of the things your leaders and our leaders are getting up to these days. They seem intent on destroying what I think of as civilised values.