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December 24, 2006
Something must be done
During the course of the year this venture into Bloggington has brought back some old friends into my life and introduced many new ones.
Among the people I have known a long time, Richard Charkin returned. He approves of some of my appeals for public libraries and is doubtful sometimes about my methods. That's fair enough, I feel the same way. I admire and respect him -- he is from neither the sharp suit nor the bow tie brigades of the book industry, more from the shirt flapping, excellent ideas division; and he is an extremely agile wicket keeper.
This morning he has blogged very powerfully about an activity which he understands intimately-- printing journals- and the point he is making is about the overwhelming arrogance of Government in general and individuals in particular.
At one of those Christmas gatherings to which one bumbles, I heard a discussion along the lines that The Conservative Party these days is an amiable intelligent bunch in search of a decent idea. It occurs to me that one of the ideas we all need to pursue is that one that would restore the role of Government officials and departments into being servants of the people and not pursuers of their own fulfillment. From Richard's various comments, I would guess he is learning to feel the same way.
In fact it's a call to revolution of which English people are not normally attracted: We have to change the nature of Government in this country-- and quickly. I would vote for a party who would tackle that-- and I'd go on the streets to say so, too.
This is not an argument about levels and amounts of appropriate taxation (with which it could easily be confused), nor is it somehow about sleaze among elected politicians and officials, but rather about honesty, decency and responsibility among senior governors and administrators.
Posted by Tim Coates at December 24, 2006 2:40 PM