How Not To Do It

[poliphilo]

The British Government commissioned a report on its drugs policies. The report concluded that the policies weren't working. The Government suppressed the report(it has now been leaked) and continued with the failing policies.

None of this is the least bit surprising.

Because to admit that the policies are failing and then to change them would involve re-educating the public, defying the right-wing press (and the government of the USA) and really that's too much like hard work- not to mention electorally risky. Better to bury the report and carry on as before.

It is far more important for Government to appear strong and effective than for it to be so.

Comments

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

...would involve re-educating the public, defying the right-wing press (and the government of the USA) and really that's too much like hard work- not to mention electorally risky.

Once upon a time, political parties had policies, based on their experience of life, their ideals and their study of the issues. They believed these policies were right, and wanted power in order to implement them. To do this, they worked on educating and persuading people, on gaining members and winning votes.

Admittedly, once they were in power, they discovered all sorts of reasons for not doing the things they believed in, but at least they set out with principles, and might, while in opposition, exercise some control on the government's actions in the name of those principles.

Now we have two major parties whose policy is to find out what the electorate wants, and give it to them. Worse, we have a government confident (with some justification) that its traditional supporters with vote for it whatever it does, and therefore needing to find out what the opposition's supporters want (or are afraid of) and give it to them (or protect them from it)...

This is all too depressing: I'm going to do some work instead!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I used to be a stalwart Labour man. I never cared that much for Blair and the modernizers, but I assumed that their victory in '97 would swing the country leftwards.

I'm bewildered by the way things have turned out.

[ibid.livejournal.com]

Tra la la......
Well they have turned into old fasioned tories, we have no viable socialist opposition and even at age 15 I thought the new labour project sounded like a mcdonalds advertising campaign.

Blair actually frightens me because he doesn't seem to graps what poplitics is about. AHve you read Anthony Seldon's study?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't read Seldon. But I've just been and read the Guardin review. It sounds good.

I find Blair detestable. The shiny eyes, the shiny teeth, the pulpit mannerisms. And I can't forgive him for Iraq.

[ibid.livejournal.com]

Nor I. The thing I hate most is the way he tries to be everyone's friend while talking down to us.

But I refuse to think of it any more as I don't want to get cross.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

But fortunately, as Abe Lincoln pointed out, you can't fool all the people all of the time.