Another PM full of hot air

There's an interesting piece on Gordon Brown and what he says about promoting democracy, and what he actually means. It's by my favourite commentator, George Monbiot - see here. Many will no doubt dismiss it as left-wing nonsense, but Monbiot deserves credit for the way he cites sources for any statistics in his arguments, so you can at least verify that what he says is true. Contrast that to the accounts of how far away Gerry and Kate McCann were dining when Madeleine McCann was allegedly abducted - some reports say 300 yards, the BBC's report stating the "facts" claimed 100 yards, the Daily Mail made it just 50 yards. They can't all be right, but because none of them have to at least provide a reference to back up their claims, who do you believe?

Monbiot talks about the public being treated like idiots. Sadly, it could be argued that the political system that we have is the one we deserve - after all, when it comes to protecting our rights, we do act like idiots. We're too easily distracted by the latest sale at B&Q or what's on TV tonight to even care that our civil rights are being systematically eroded. We have a system of electing that delivers a party virtually unfettered power in return for just 36 per cent of the popular vote (and that's 36 per cent of those who could be bothered to vote).

Brown is now making strong statements that sees him lurching ever further to the right - whether that's on the economy, immigration or "Britishness". Sadly, come the next election, millions of Labour voters will kid themselves that at least Brown isn't Thatcher, and vote on party lines, despite the fact they'll be voting for a lighter shade of blue. Since the rise of Margaret Thatcher in 1979 this country has been ruled by right or centre-right parties. In that time our so-called GDP might have grown, but our society is crumbling, our environment is at breaking point and our education system is dumber than ever. It looks like we've become the proverbial lobster dropped into a cold pan of water - the heat has been gradually turned up and we've sat there and smiled as we've allowed ourselves to be cooked to death. Idiots.