Tag: Darling

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Immature Debate

This is Chancellor Darling quoted, I imagine from their own PR, at the Labour Party conference (speaking on economic stabilisation and improvement), “I welcome the chance of a mature debate on how we achieve this goal – even if it is hard to see the Shadow Chancellor taking much part,” he said. “There has, after all, been little that is grown up about his performance so far.”

This is what those who wish to run the country have to offer us by way of mature debate? In any genuinely mature debate I can’t see much chance of either Chancellor taking part on that showing. The silly idiot opens his mouth only to disqualify himself from further comment. I say this again and again; while I accept if we remain a nation we need someone to run this country but it can’t be the bankers and it can’t be the politicians either. Should we wish for a military coup now? That doesn’t seem feasible with our overstretched resources almost permanently abroad. Perhaps that’s why, in the face of mounting evidence that their mission there is futile, they’re there in the first place. As Britain descends ever faster into chaos perhaps this is a rare tangible example of genuine prudence from the PM, keeping the army so spread out they couldn’t manage a local coup even if they wanted to.

BB

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Give Over, Darling

Chancellor Alastair Darling is this morning reported as stoutly declaring his intention to limit bankers’ bonuses. Does he stoutly declare how he’s going to do that, I wonder? If the bankers want to pay themselves more money, they will. They won’t call it a bonus, it’ll simply be called a renumeration instrument, or some-such. Business as usual, then, for the banks, something else Darling is said to be declaring he’ll end. What nonsense! When the banks wanted to get round financial insurance legislation they took the insurance concept, added a bell and whistle or two and called it swaps. Same deal, just no regulation. Darling isn’t going to regulate these people; they’re cleverer than him!

More indication he’s superfluous, then. Anything really important and politicians can’t affect it or effect it. Who runs the place, then, elected politicians or unelected bankers? When it’s all going well you might kid yourself it’s the elected politicians and that  you actually have any say in how things are run thorugh your vote. When push comes to shove, it gets pretty obvious you simply don’t, doesn’t it? And along with these stout declarations are other declarations, equally stout, about regulating the banking system so that the financial meltdown (supposedly averted but in reality merely postponed) can never happen again. These might have more weight were they not issuing from the smug motley crew of politicians and bankers who allowed this situation to ferment in the first place. Given they were the people who led us into this, it’s doubtful they’ll either wish or be able to lead us out. To whom can we turn now for leadership?

BB