Recent events

Business pressures had me travelling north this week so I experienced the uncomfortable situation where I was learning about the unrest and looting in some of the major cities from my car radio. What struck me was not just the total disgrace these people brought upon our nation but how the root causes were directed at government policies designed to reduce the deficit left by the previous administration. Clearly community leaders including members of Parliament (Labour of course) for the affected areas saw a clear opportunity to divert attention from their own failures to properly lead their communities, equally clearly their culpability in not recognising dangers which have obviously been evident for many years was not challenged by commentators nor was the responsibilities of local authorities which are statute and described in the 1998 crime and disorder bill. I found myself screaming at the radio 'Why don't you ask about section 17? Why are you letting them off the hook? What have they been doing for the last thirteen years? All I heard was the bleeding heart/passing the buck/ blame the rich rhetoric which leaves me thinking that we have still a great deal to do in shaping our own democratic system before we continue to attempt to export it round the world.