Unlike Tim and Andrew, I'm going to (shock!) say nice things about the current Conservative-Lib-dem coalition government. Yes, from a Libertarian point of view there is a lot to moan about, from non cuts to the banker bashing. However there are a few good things here and there which deserve encouraging rather than a constant barrage of 'they're not going far enough'. So here are 5 highlights:
5) Income tax threshold being raised to £10k
Kind of fallen of the radar for now (which is odd considering was a key L-D concession), but come April for most of us there should be a gain, and those on the lowest levels of income will pay no income tax at all (yes I know will still be NI), which is a good thing IMO.
4) ID cards scrapped.
For now at least the idea of a policeman demanding to see your papers is history. In addition there's the Freedom bill, while not perfect is a good start at rolling back the excess of the New Labour years, and (as this summary by Freedom Association shows)
3) Health reforms
Scrapping the SHA's can only be a good thing in my book, though despite what the Guardian thinks this is by no means the end of the NHS. Again it would be better to give patients control of funding rather than GP's but is a step in the right direction. This leads into my next point:
2) Free Schools
Our single best hope for the future in countering the statists? If the ability of parents to start a new school takes off it could leas to questions about why the state needs to run schools at all, then maybe we can move on to hospitals. Plus if the teaching unions are this upset they must be doing something right.
1) Gordon Brown is no longer PM.
Don't those words bring a smile to your face?
Why is it?
1 day ago
7 comments:
I am not being horrible to the coalition, but lets face facts, the Conservatives could only take power with the assistance of the Social Democrats. Then only because of their leaders mutual loathing of Gordon Brown and all his works.
He is gone, apart from the likes of Steve Baker,Carswell,Redwood and Hannan, the rest of the conservative party have followed the charge leftwards.
The Social Democrats grassroots wanted a coalition with Labour , they still do. They are imploding on the ground.
Labour on the ground are the stronger party, having ditched Brown. The next PM is likely to be Milliband after five years of 'cuts'. Con Dem is just too timid to bring in real reforms.
Once Milliband is in expect more controls, and the social democrats eargerly lapping it up.
The issue I have is that the "reforms" will still allow or entrench central arbitrary control and so when Labour get in they will have more levers to pull, this time without lifting their pimply backsides from their comfy chairs.
I'm interested in why you think 'Banker Bashing' is wrong or to be worried/bothered about?
I was under the impression that Libertarianism is entirely opposed to state-aid, - surely particularly for utterly failed businesses?
As someone who's still weighing up my political philosophy - and with an often left-wing gut - the idea of reverse socialism for the shadow banking system makes me feel a little sick (I know it's a cliche but it really does).
Isn't pouring state money into a system which funnels it off-shore and ultimately to Goldman Sachs THE WORST USE POSSIBLE of our tax - particularly if like me you see tax as state theft. I'd almost rather it went on expeditionary warfare - at least we'd have cheaper petrol.
@Andrew- I never said that you were. It was my impression that the tome on the blog had been too negative recently, and I merely wishd to post something more postive and lighthearted. I agree that the outlook is grim, that is why i picked things that (with the exception of NHS reforms) will be hard to reverse (See the Sweedish experiance with free schools)
@Roger-can you elaborate please? Which reforms are being undertaken than centralise power more?
@Yerjoking- We do opposed state aid to industries, however witness the recent fuss over Barclays bonuses, they did not need a bailout so is none of the politicians business what they pay thier staff. The coaltiion is merely playing for populism with their retoric.
They might not have needed the money - but they took it anyway. I know taking US (AIG bailout) money is not directly our UK tax - but the interconnectedness of the system ensures that it would be very difficult to trace exactly where any of our tax money went.
Again my gut says its entirely wrong for our government to poor money into a system that is almost completely unaccountable. Wealth is not created by the financiers it is invented by them. As such notions of growth in the banking industry are meaningless.
Don't get me wrong I'm not clamouring for mandatory caps on bonuses, as you say a business should be free to pay its staff whatever it likes. However if we own, then we should have a say - shouldn't we?
Do you not think there is a total moral bankruptcy to the all the high street banks, before we even consider the investment casinos?
My pension and mortgage are linked to this ponzi scheme without giving me any ability to withdraw, stopping the govt from shovelling more money at the shysters should be top of the agenda, an issue on which right, left and centrists can get on board with?
All this before we've even discussed to travesty that is quantative easing - yet another way to concentrate wealth to the tiny minority.
I know the libertarian church is broad, but it feels to me that on the uk blogs I've been reading at least - priorities are not straight because of a perception that bashing the bankers is left-wing thing to do.
I think the Fed was established by bankers? BoI probably has a similar pedigree?
My feeling is that in the bankers versus regulators (or state) stand off it's more or less the same people wearing different hats and pretending to oppose each other.
Operating as the state they have the bonus of being able to fleece the population by demand, as well.
It is interesting that Madoff was once SEC vice chairman or something similar, I think?
Same people operating out of different houses.
Tweedledee and Tweedledum?
Regarding the Conservatives.
I think they would have won the election hands down had their conservatism not been so compromised.
The people were crying out for Maggie and they began to realise they were getting porridge oats.
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