On this mornings Radio 4 Today programme, Alan Johnson tried to avoid the question but then stated that he thought the NI rate was “20%” the presenter had to tell him it was actually 12.8%.
So what does this tell us? That Johnson is incompetent ? I wouldnt say that, the Tories and Lib Dems will of course. For me its another reason to say that the days of party politics and Parliamentary Democracy are numbered. He didnt know (even though he is SHADOW CHANCELLOR) for the same reason that Clegg and Cable banged on about bankers bonuses in opposition, about reforms to the voting system (PR), and said they would scrap tuition fees. Its because it doesnt matter what THEY say.. People need to wake up to this fact and start thinking about what we can do about it. They do not represent us, whichever party is in power. We should decide key issues with referenda, how can we trust these people to know best ? This system is from the Nineteenth Century, before telephones were invented even, we have been through the media age of TV and radio. In these times we can share information globally in an instant. Do you think we would have heard about MPs expenses, or Ian Tomlinson without the net ? We are now able to organise and demand truth in a way that has been impossible until now.
No one wants bloody revolution, or chaos unless they are an idiot. We do though,need to look at the radicals of the past for inspiration and heed the words of Nelson Mandela “everything seems impossible until its done”. It may take a lifetime but we have to start somewhere to take the power back. We mustn’t put up with this sham any longer its up to us all to think about new ways of doing things, and then demand change.