Now I know this is off track but I feel it is worth a comment even if I lose a few 'friends'.
Howard Lindzon blogged the following about Banana Republics yesterday:
Quote:
Features of a Banana Republic
A collusion between the overweening state and certain favored monopolistic concerns, whereby the profits can be privatized and the debts socialized.
Devalued paper currency in the international community.
Kleptocracy — those in positions of influence use their time in office to maximize their own gains, always ensuring that any shortfall is made up by those unfortunates whose daily life involves earning money rather than making it.
There must be no principle of accountability within the government so that the political corruption by which the Banana Republic operates is left unchecked. The members of the national legislature will be (a) largely for sale and (b) consulted only for ceremonial and rubber-stamp purposes some time after all the truly important decisions have already been made elsewhere.
:Unquote
Now If you bothered to read it I'm pretty sure it made you think of somewhere close to home. No, not Thailand although it could apply here. Lindzon was writing about America and I was thinking of Britain as I read it. Why? Well for as long as I can remember the British Establishment, the elite, have been clawing back the rights and privileges earned by working class Brits through two World Wars. In this effort, Margaret Thatcher was the darling of
not the British people but of the Establishment. She destroyed a perfectly good education system in order to produce generations of school leavers with few qualifications and low expectations. Also known as cheap labour, aka cannon fodder, aka chavs. Thatcher's rule was all about taking care of big business and the elite at the expense of the majority of British people. I think Thatcher, Reagan and the two Bush's championed the cause of the elite class on both sides of the Atlantic. The tragedy o f 9/11 provided them with the greatest opportunity of all. An opportunity to attack Habeas Corpus and civil liberties. A timely opportunity for the elite class? Amazingly so....
With civil liberties under attack 'Big Brother' is everywhere, He is being used as much to control the populace as he is to prevent acts of terrorism. It's almost end game. Britain will eventually become a totalitarian state, the very thing our parents fought against in WWII.
The Establishment have been very, very patient. They lost a few battles along the way but have now won the war.
I'm no radical and not particularly interested in politics but I reckon
Britain gave democracy to Empire and Empire has in return shown Britain the value of bananas. This is also worth a read:
The Banana Republic o f Westminster Quote:
The party funding system is corrupt and needs cleaning up to stop rich individuals or organisations using their money to buy seats in Parliament.
But worst of all is that the centrepiece of British democracy has become a laughing stock, passing laws that are unnecessary, unenforceable and irrelevant.
:Unquote
See Lindzon's Points (a) and (b) above.
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