The fear of financial
collapse/ peak fossil fuels/ climate change has not reached that level, because
for most people it is not yet upon us. Only when you reach rock bottom and are
facing stark choices for survival can the reality be truly felt, understood and
responded to.
It is interesting to look at
history. Everyone who lived through the war knew someone killed in battle or
left homeless from bombs. Many witnessed terrible scenes and were put in grave
danger. But if you talk to people who lived through it and see their faces as
they remember, the impression is of unity, camaraderie and sense of purpose.
Now I’m no historian and I am only just starting out researching more about the
decisions which led to victory, but to me one of the key things was leadership.
“So they [the
Government] go on in strange paradox, decided only to be undecided, resolved to
be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all-powerful to be
impotent.” Sir Winston Churchill (Hansard, November 12, 1936)
In this quote Churchill could
quite easily be talking about the government we have right now, but looking at
the dates, he was talking about the British government before war broke out. If
the government then was as ineffectual as the government is now, then how did
they manage to turn things on their heads in a short space of time, to unite a
country and win the war? And if it was possible to turn everything around then,
surely there is a chance that we can do so now?
I put to you that it is all
about leadership. It is about rousing speeches, strength of character,
determination, making tough decisions and never giving in. Some bloggers on the
subject of future collapse have already written off the political players in
their country. In the UK, the strength or weakness of our leaders will play a
big role in our future, and could potentially have a positive influence on
other countries too.
“When the
eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.” Sir Winston Churchill
I am not in the least
interested in politics and I am certainly not a supporter of the conservative
party. What I did find remarkable at the last election however was how people
had so easily forgotten the Thatcher years and what the Conservatives stood
for. Talking to people I knew, they just voted for the party with the perceived
most charismatic leader. There really wasn’t much charisma on offer at the last
election, but David Cameron was clearly at the advantage of his opponents.
The point of course is that
people want a real leader, someone who has opinions, ideas and strength of
character, to lead us out of troubled times. I am not saying he is the next
Churchill, but Boris Johnson (Mayor of London) seems to have a lot going for
him. Incredibly recognisable and well-known already, the spotlight from the
Olympics gave Boris further opportunities to shine. His Olympic speeches were
rousing and memorable, and compared to Boris, David Cameron’s were pretty dull
(Don’t remember Dave making any speeches? You were probably getting a cuppa
whilst he was on!)
What I find even more
appealing is that he survives scandals. There are Western leaders who have been
surrounded in scandals that have been their undoing. There may be hidden
agendas and manipulation at work behind some of these scandals, but it would
take a lot to tackle Boris to the ground.
If there is an election and
Boris is in it, he could potentially win on charisma, regardless of policies or
party. I’m not sure that this would be an entirely bad thing. We need someone
who can rouse the masses and call for a united effort, when the going gets
tough. Someone who is not afraid to talk directly to the people, rather than
through the press. I’m not saying that the kind of policies that could ease our
transition are the kind of policies that Boris would necessarily support, but I
do believe that a point will come when there is no choice but to act on energy
shortages and climate change, and that is when a vocal respected leader at the
helm may be of significant benefit.
During the war there were
lots of unpopular policies to introduce in order to hold the country together,
many of them affected the richest people in our society. For instance the
government enacted the Emergency Powers Act, which among other things, gave
them powers to take land that was not being used productively and redistribute
it. It is not the farmers who aren’t in the business of being productive, but the
rich with their formal gardens, pony paddocks, golf courses and hunting ranges.
The manor house nearest us was used by the army during the war and, like many
others, was in such a state of disrepair by the end of the war, that it was too
expensive to keep. It was demolished and the rubble used in the building of the
M1 motorway. Looking back now, this seems like a tax on the rich, all be it in
the name of the war effort.
It is very interesting
learning about the policies during the war years. Taxing the rich is not
something that is very popular with the conservatives these days, but really we
don’t have the luxury of avoiding it any more. Improving equality could result
in a more stable society, and this was something that was recognised during the
war. Rationing, women’s wages and taxes were some of the ways that equality was
improved. This was a preventative measure, to ensure smooth running of the
country without internal issues, such as strikes, protests and riots.
“Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and
effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency
comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong-these are the features
which constitute the endless repetition of history.“ Sir Winston Churchill (Speech, House of
Commons, May 2, 1935)
I will write more of this in
another blog, but I have still got more research to do first. Next blog will be
a continuation of the 90% reduction theme.
No comments:
Post a Comment