Harry, I really don't want to go through a check-list of attributes and/or policies as Andrew Gumbel or you have done in yours of 15:46 11/11/02 -0800. Everything has become so complex that no political party can hope to come to a thoroughly informed and rational decision about each matter — all sorts of private interests, prejudices and anachronistic ideas intrude as well. No thoughtful person these days can possibly agree with all the policies of any particular party. This is the main problem that besets us today.
This is why I favour specific policy forums being developed in new institutions outside the direct control of politicians. And this is what is actually happening when you think of the vast and growing number of media, think tanks, pressure groups and quangos (quasi non-governmental organisations). In the future, politicians will only be giving formal approval to these sorts of panels and forums where expert decision-making has already taken place (in much the same way that, in England, the Queen assents to legislation). And then there's the integrity of politicians to consider. Most senior politicians of Europe in the last few years have been shown to be corrupt or are seriously alleged to be so, even when still in office. The last Tory government in England was certainly full of sleaze, and large private fortunes were made. On the basis of present allegations in the media then, when our present senior Labour government politicians retire, it is almost certain that they will, mysteriously, be seen to have become very rich. But there seems to be evidence of sleaze in the case of Bush and Cheney even before they came to power. The allegations made by Paul Krugman and others about their dubious business history suggest very strongly to me that these politicians are lacking any of the ethical values that I would wish in those who want me to vote for them. The political system in the advanced western countries has got to change. The best we can do (that is, the thoughtful part of the electorate) is not to take sides and support one party rather than another — as though they were football teams — but to discuss each policy as intelligently and widely as possible. This is the new sort of democratic debate that is now spreading out of the exclusive control of politicians. Keith ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ Keith Hudson, General Editor, Handlo Music, http://www.handlo.com 6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England Tel: +44 1225 312622; Fax: +44 1225 447727; mailto:khudson@;handlo.com ________________________________________________________________________
