You're right, Tim, the phrase "nanny state" is a lazy one, and I should have
thought of another; "mendacious grasping surveillance state" is closer but
useless as a term. My remark about "the dustbin of history" reflects my
great anger with the country of my birth - and with the Labour party,
considering its history. In fact, I think we are all fucked, wherever we
live. It's all very sad, and I am a sad person, in every sense of the word.
best
Martin
Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the
comprehension of the weak; and that it is doing God's service when it is
violating all His laws.
John Adams to Thomas Jefferson.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Allen" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask] use it at allAC.UK>
Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 1:28 PM
Subject: Re: pullman on liberty
> Martin, I'm not sure what you mean by the 'dustbin of history', even if
> it is in your mind. I think this needs a bit of explanation.
> As for the 'nanny state', well, some of us are as weary of those who use
> that phrase as we are of the New Labour crowd who choose to nanny us in
> one particular way while doing the opposite of nannying in another. The
> 'nanny state' is an old insult thrown at Labour's once Welfare State by
> the Tories and the rich and the reactionary. The New Labour governments
> of Blair and Brown have made the angle of that insult meaningless as
> their nanny state is mostly concerned with control, not fairness and
> equality. In other words they have completely flipped the thing over.
>
> I've read Pulman's piece and I know exactly what he's talking about. It's
> a powerful piece, and quite poetic too, but I doubt of any of those
> bureaucratic types involved with government and business will have the
> foggiest what he's talking about.
>
> Cheers
> Tim A.
>
> On 27 Feb 2009, at 19:34, Martin Walker wrote:
>
>> From where I am, reading the news in various online publications every
>> day - I remain English thoughr fo I have long consigned the UK to the
>> dustbin of history in my mind - what he says is just. It's *that*
>> bad.The nanny-state is the British way of describing it with humour -
>> but preserve us from such a devouring nanny! I fear its encroachment as
>> the EU commission becomes more demanding & controlling. In the end
>> universal darkness will cover all, only the frozen wastes of Canada will
>> remain for those who yearn for
>> liberty to escape to - but how long before they too thaw & the
>> surveillance rats move in?
>> mj
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Douglas Barbour"
>> <[log in to unmask]
>> >
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Friday, February 27, 2009 7:29 PM
>> Subject: Re: pullman on liberty
>>
>>
>>> very interesting, sad, frightening. is it really that bad yet? or
>>> just, so to speak, in the laws passed as prologue...?
>>>
>>> Doug
>>> On 27-Feb-09, at 5:28 AM, Martin Walker wrote:
>>>
>>>> This was in the Times today - I would have expected it in the
>>>> Guardian or Independent.
>>>> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5811412.ece
>>>>
>>>> M.J.Walker - no webpage, no blogspot, no idea
>>>>
>>>> Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the
>>>> comprehension of the weak; and that it is doing God's service when it
>>>> is violating all His laws.
>>>> John Adams to Thomas Jefferson.
>>>
>>> Douglas Barbour
>>> [log in to unmask]
>>>
>>> http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/
>>>
>>> Latest books:
>>> Continuations (with Sheila E Murphy)
>>> http://www.uap.ualberta.ca/UAP.asp?LID=41&bookID=664
>>> Wednesdays'
>>> http://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-from-aboveground-press_10.html
>>>
>>> It's always night or we wouldn't need light.
>>>
>>> Thelonious Monk
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