I left for Canada in 1954 (leaving a family of 4 children in England). We acquired a Canadian in Ontario before leaving for the Golden State.
I found what minor political power was as chair of the Young Liberals - you were "young" until you reached 35.
If a candidate wanted 30-40 Young Liberals helping his campaign he had better have policies of which we approved!
We got the official policy of the London Liberal Party to emphasize three points - Land Value Taxation, Free Trade, and Co-partnership in Industry. This last I thought potty - perhaps Enron shows we were right - but that's politics.
I saw the influence of the shadowy figures - present in every political party. In fact, at the National Liberal Club I would hear around me the discussion of the "national shadows" - the people who ran, not a party, but the country.
Thus I got my political education. It was interesting.
So, I am not a liberal-democrat - but a liberal. I am steeped in "Liberty and Justice for All" and though the party changed for the worse - I haven't changed.
Which shows I am an old codger, or something.
Harry
______________________________
Keith wrote:
Hi Harry,
Good gracious! We seem to have more in common than I thought. When you
wrote in your latest posting:
(HP)
<<<<
I have taught from 7th grade to post doctoral. However, I have never been a
public school teacher. I teach teachers to teach Classical Political
Economy. They are the ones who do the drawing out. When I enter a grade
school classroom it is to demonstrate how to teach Political Economy. . . .
But, I am more interested in ideas than personalities, so that is what I
talk about. My early speech training took place on the soap boxes of Marble
Arch and other outdoor venues in England. It's a tough place to learn, but
got very good.
However, one day a member of my Executive (I was Chair of London's Young
Liberals) said: "If you agree with it, Harry, then so do I."
This horrified me. I wanted people to come to conclusions because they were
right - not because they were my conclusions.
So, I stopped being a leader, who others would follow. And since then, I've
always stepped back from leadership - preferring to educate, if I could.
>>>>
I was on the National Executive of the Liberal Party in about 1972 (I seem
to remember). I'd been on the Midlands Executive Committee and had written
a great deal of putative industrial policy with and for our own
constituency Liberal parties (manufacturing industry going downhill very
fast at that time). When I was voted onto the NE, I thought that I could at
least discuss our ideas at national level and get some sort of consensus.
But I found that the NE wasn't in the slightest bit interested in ideas!
Policy was apparently being made by shadowy figures in the background whom
I could never identify. The fact that I had been elected by thousands of
ordinary members was of no consequence compared with Jeremy Thorpe's pals.
So, like you, I decided that leadership was not for me, and I resigned
after less than a year at the (apparent!) top.
Did our paths cross? Though, probably, you left before I joined.
Keith
******************************
Harry Pollard
Henry George School of LA
Box 655
Tujunga CA 91042
Tel: (818) 352-4141
Fax: (818) 353-2242
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