The New Conservatism

Actually as the banking crisis, the credit crunch and now the failure of many governments' solvency has been showing capitalism is not working very smoothly at all. Now we have significant government spending cuts and low growth. Spending cuts in the UK and many countries are threatening to ruin the improvements in public and health services of previous years. Things are not likely to run more smoothly with less staff in any organisations. Unemployment and poverty etc are likely to rise. And all this was because governments trusted the banks and big finance to do what they wanted and didn't bother to question the ridiculous and damaging property and credit booms which were allowed to get well out of hand. Now is surely the time when governments should be looking at more sensible ways to manage or supervise our economic life, but the medicine may be more disastrous than the disease itself. We are artistically rich. People are being inspired to create for themselves, but we may all end up being more like robots in the rat race than we would wish.

As a 60's veteran (born in 1941) I feel there was a lot more going on than politics. If anything it was a cultural rebellion based on a generation gap. To some extent it was also a revolt against materialism, in England anyway. In the US it was disgust with the Vietnam War. Needless to say the idealism quickly disappeared under a deluge of drugs, sex and rock and roll. Nowadays I see TV induced apathy as the main problem. It's as if everybody is in a coma.

We have jeopordised our move forward by participation in the Iraque, Afghan and Balkan wars in a surge for democracy against religion and the aftermath of Communism. I like Larkin's remark about Capitalism contra Communism and the state of money versus power. The fact is that we are so wrapped up in our christian capitalism that democracy is only a remnant which the developing countries can learn something from but which has come to a standstill with the conservative national powers cutting down on all public services. Anyway it has all been said in the above mentioned threads. Democracy is at a very slow pace and capitalism seems to have crowned days. Xenophobia seems to be pulling us down contrary the 60's- 70's.There's not much time for play- it's all work and no play nowadays and the younger generation seems to be presented with a tedious task of keeping the wheels in motion without much leverage and absolutely no safety net.

Those of us who were young in the 60's and 70's, while we thought we were reinventing the world, were to some extent picking up on the determination of our parents that things would be better for us after the second world war. Even though there was a Tory government for chunks of the time, there was a general consensus that social progress was desirable. But there has always been a degree of rebellion - look at the growth of environmentalism in the last twenty years, and the protests (OK, ultimately futile) against the Iraq war. I'm not sure that big counter cultural statements are going to get very far these days - the example of previous decades shows us that these things tend to implode and yesterday's firebrands are today's Peter Hains. But campaigning against injustice and shouting out for what you believe in has always got a place - whether or not other people are doing it.

I don't think there is anything new about conservatism. For rich folk it's always somebody else's daughter and somebody else's son. Blame the poor for being poor isn't a new fangled American idea. The attack on the working class and the welfare state is insidious because the effects are hidden because poor people are invisible. In a blame culture it's always their own fault. Stupidity. And putting the Keynesian multiplier effect into reverse in a stagnant economy where nobody really makes anything is short term madness, long term lunacy.

Don't get me started. My dad is an ASLEF union rep, so I was raised a socialist. The current breed of politicians (of all parties) seem intent on leaving everybody worse off while kidding us all it's for our own good.

It drives you nuts!

Well put Pink book. ;)

eliminate profit from the concept and we may just make a start on something. Not sure what yet.

Well Christian capitalism- what I mean is contra muslim. I mean that we have a lot of xenophobia in our Christian based society and that capitalism is thriving in this society. We have become very godless yes but I don't see that as a threat. It is more a question of feeling the urge to query whether God has anything to offer us. Not that I am saying that Islam has either. A lot of the biblical virtues have disappeared maybe because the west loves money more than thy neighbour. Western civilisation is built with the bible in one hand but it doesn't seem to have helped much. I never was brought up with the bible- more an atheist from my Mother's influence. I don't condemn religion just can't see that it brings other than disaster because of the disputes and wars that we have had and have. I like the eastern philosophies- enough to build a good morale with a dialectic religion and not a dogmatic.

Oh well put thanks for the "sermon" (no sarcasme )

We certainly do need some morality in our society and economy otherwise it won't work well. We are generally well educated, aware of many social problems which we do as a society try to fix. Unfortunately the 'religion' of business has been oversold to us. Bright educated peole too often seem to think that the pursuit of business efficiency, savings, statistical research, numerical 'scientific' solutions to everything, will provide solutions to all problems. Such people achieve well, get into high office in politics (the new government) or in business (top bankers, top executives). Unfortunately too much competition and ruthlessness won't produce a perfect satisfied society. We need wisdom and moral wellbeing also. In the last few years too many people engaged in brutal business decimation, mortgage overselling, property bubble creation and the lack of morality and sensible guidance has caused western economies to be shaking. Let us hope we can ride these storms and create a better balanced society.

I think we are well on our way to creating a more balanced society. We have made just so many mistakes we can hardly make more, methinks. Corruption is being unravelled, politicians having to take responsibilty, bank exectutives being scrutinized and a general rise in morality and normalcy also in the military defence sector. We need to have more of an awareness about conservatism trying to turn social justice to individual gaining and the morality of everyone being the master of their own fate. We need to help each other to move forward.