Huge wrote:
On 2011-04-08, Tim Streater wrote:
In article ,
Huge wrote:

On 2011-04-08, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Thu, 7 Apr 2011 23:05:47 -0700 (PDT), harry wrote:

I always knew Bliar was a liar. I'm begining to have a few suspicions
about Cameron.
Only suspicions?
That joke about how you can tell a politician is lying? (His mouth is
moving).

It isn't a joke.
Unfortunately this is an expected trend. Back when, politicians were
self-supporting and more trustworthy. Yes, yes, I know they were toffs
but so what, eh? They had a public service ethic. This was also true on
the Labour side (they weren't toffs but they were still trustworthy and
gentlemen).

Then along comes that nice Mr Wilson, and in the chase after
"trendiness", as aped later by Blair, he decides that he'll make Labour
appear modern and forward thinking (as opposed to those fuddy duddy old
tories) by having politicians become professional and properly paid.

Professionals is now what we've got, and our present-day attitude to
them follows as night follows day.

I beg to differ. Politicians are just the modern day equivalent of robber
barons. They were never "trustworthy gentlemen" - it's just that the
common people were deluded into thinking that.


ARE deluded.
Not Were.

I the olden days, you knew that's what they were. BUT they were also
mindful of not pushing it too far. Don't want trouble at t'mill etc.

Today, they don't have a mill. Politicians have nothing to lose but the
next election. AND if they have stitched up a cosy job on the board of
Subsidy Rapists Incorporated, they don't care if that happens either.

OK it wasn't a Golden Age, but the interests of the common man and the
employing capitalist, or the land owning classes, were not that far
apart, after all. In fact a lot of so called 'socialist' developments of
the latter part of the 19th century are simply enlightened self
interest. Public health, affects all. Education, as the need for skilled
workers arose. Etc.

That plus a general military background - nothing is easier than an
accidental discharge as the unloved ossifer leads you into battle..meant
that the so called ruling classes had a generally good background in man
management, looking after the troops, and general nous when it came to
planning stuff and getting it done..

...None of which is in evidence today in these so called egalitarian times.