Last night's sad debate at Norwich City Council between the Dinosaur Party
(the 'Conservatives'), the Sub-Dinosaur Party (the 'Liberal Democrats') and
the New-Dinosaurs Party ('New Labour') on the one side and the Green Party
on the other, over the dualling of the A11, brought home to me how very far
the various out-of-date grey Parties, dinosaurs that they are to a person, have
to go before they realise that sustainability and being green is more than a
fad or a coat of paint or a minor add-on. None of these Parties understand
the _big_ changes that need to be made if we are to have a liveable planet
for our grandchildren. None of them realise either how the things that they
are championing are actively making things worse in terms of quality of
life, now: making us hyper-mobile and more stressed, less rooted in a real community,
(the 'Conservatives'), the Sub-Dinosaur Party (the 'Liberal Democrats') and
the New-Dinosaurs Party ('New Labour') on the one side and the Green Party
on the other, over the dualling of the A11, brought home to me how very far
the various out-of-date grey Parties, dinosaurs that they are to a person, have
to go before they realise that sustainability and being green is more than a
fad or a coat of paint or a minor add-on. None of these Parties understand
the _big_ changes that need to be made if we are to have a liveable planet
for our grandchildren. None of them realise either how the things that they
are championing are actively making things worse in terms of quality of
life, now: making us hyper-mobile and more stressed, less rooted in a real community,
living amidst more noise and pollution, less healthy, with fewer vibrant small businesses and more
Tesco-isation and 'clone towns'...
The dualling of the A11 is being pushed by big business interests. By
various varieties of dinosaurs. And most tragically of all (and this is
directly relevant to the Party Conference that, as I write, is preparing to
wind down): 'Conservatism' is simply incoherent. One must choose between
conserving good things as they are and simply letting the 'free market' rip.
One must choose between conservation and road-building. One must choose
between spending one's money on good planning and localisation and public
transport on the one hand and creating a virtual motorway between London and
Norwich on the other.
It is the height of immaturity to pretend otherwise. Kids love dinosaurs,
but eventually they grow out of it...
Tesco-isation and 'clone towns'...
The dualling of the A11 is being pushed by big business interests. By
various varieties of dinosaurs. And most tragically of all (and this is
directly relevant to the Party Conference that, as I write, is preparing to
wind down): 'Conservatism' is simply incoherent. One must choose between
conserving good things as they are and simply letting the 'free market' rip.
One must choose between conservation and road-building. One must choose
between spending one's money on good planning and localisation and public
transport on the one hand and creating a virtual motorway between London and
Norwich on the other.
It is the height of immaturity to pretend otherwise. Kids love dinosaurs,
but eventually they grow out of it...
Comments