Monday, March 28, 2011

Not So Much Ouside The Bubble As Cocooned Within It

I'm happy to contradict myself. Having said that I wouldn't link to asinine articles about Saturday's march, I really have to do just that with a piece which reeks of ignorance, defeatism & stomach-turning timidity. In fact, this counsel of despair missive reminds me of the "dented shield" argument propounded by many in the 80s when Thatcher's cuts were facing millions. Want to know the provenance of this pale, pathetic piece? Look no further than the Daily Ghost, soon not to be a daily, according to those in the know. David Higgerson, author of the "Outside The Bubble" blog, pens a script that could have been issued from Downing Street (http://blogs.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/outsidethebubble/2011/03/will-the-cuts-protests-just-ma.html ) Higgerson writes: "Cameron, at around the time of the TUC conference in Manchester last September, alluded to the fact he wanted to work with the unions. Not much has been said on that since. It perhaps suits the unions to be at a distance from the discussions which are taking place about cuts. "But at the same time, if those doing the cuts aren't listening, to traditional protests, then surely the trade unions also need to move their positions too. The cuts are coming, no two ways about that, so how about trying to minimise the impact of those cuts. A little less King Kanute [sic], a little more Florence Nightingale." To which one can pithily reply, a little more standing up to the Tories, a little less planning for that trip to Dignitas. Or perhaps, a little more Terry Fields, a little less Neil Kinnock. Higgerson's dull, defeatist mantra stands in stark contrast to Nick Cohen's thoughtful piece in yesterday's Observer (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/27/nick-cohen-protesters-government-spending ).

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