4 Comments

1. Lynne says:
   June 21, 2011 at 10:03 pm

   Which is precisely why some people are considering surveying lamp posts and buying piano tuner supplies….
2. Kevin B says:
   June 21, 2011 at 10:54 pm

   That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

   Or what Lynne said.
3. Paul Marks says:
   June 22, 2011 at 3:44 am

   Then the United States has been the victim of a “deliberate systematic plan to reduce the people to tyranny” since at least the 1960s (perhaps a continuation of the Progressive plan of FDR, Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt).

   Reagan (and possibly Jerry Ford) was clearly not in favour of the Progressive dream (the dream of Richard Ely and so on - going right back to the late 19th century), but he could not reverse much of it.

   As for Britain - every Prime Minister of my lifetime (with the exception of Mrs Thatcher) has gone along with the Progressive dream.

   Reagan and Mrs T.

   I am reminded of the late M.A. Bradford’s comment about Reagan.

   He was reacting to complaints about Reagan’s failures and mistakes and so on (and a similar attack could be made on Mrs Thatcher).

   Bradford did not deny the truth of any of the attack, but he did say.

   “You will miss him when he is gone”. For Reagan (for all his imperfections) was on our side - and (inspite of all her blunders and so on) so was Mrs Thatcher.

   The people before them were not on our side (not mostly) and the people since them have not been on our side either (they have been establishment types - even if they came from humble backgrounds like John Major).

   They (Reagan - and Mrs T., in all but body) are gone.

   And yes - I do miss them.

   I hope to see them again one day (as they should be - not with what age did to them). Perhaps taking a walk with a M.A. Bradford.

   An unscientific hope of course.
4. Roue le Jour says:
   June 22, 2011 at 4:19 pm

   The way I view this is that the bureaucracy metastasises into the bureauarchy, the ruling bureaucracy, by taking control of the elected government. Like a tumour it then seizes control of all resources for itself, lacking the self awareness to appreciate the inevitable consequences of its actions.

   All modern political problems come down to one problem, the elected government’s inability to control the bureaucracy, (the job it is specifically elected to do) because, in fact, it is controlled by the bureaucracy. Why can we not have education vouchers? Tell the border service to stop letting in so many foreigners? make out health service more like France’s? Permit people to smoke in public houses at the owner’s discretion? Because the bureauarchy will not allow it.