What is the 'big society'?

[Guest]

Just read an interview with Cameron, and I'm none the wiser

and while he's making the cuts elsewhere, he's admitting that the 'big society' needs funds

Edited February 13, 2011 by tonyblair

[jump]

It's a bunch of bullshit about how the goverment won't be involved in charties anymore so everyone has to get involved themselves to save the goverment a few quid from running them.

[eFestivals]

Just read an interview with Cameron, and I'm none the wiser

it's a society where the state has little responsibility for anything, and the charities and volunteer groups who provide the services instead (if they're provided at all) have no democratic accountability so that their success or failure - and from that, how good the whole society is - is the result of patronage.

It's of course nothing like a version of Britain from the past where all the 'little people' have to tug their forelocks to their 'betters' to receive that patronage, or where everything about society is set up to best serve the richest as the most deserving.

[feral chile]

God it's depressing.

I can't wait for people to wake up and get this lot out of power. Or at least out of government.

[windy_miller]

it's a society where the state has little responsibility for anything

[bunique]

Load of meaningless tripe.

[TalkShow Bob]

it's a society where the state has little responsibility for anything, and the charities and volunteer groups who provide the services instead (if they're provided at all) have no democratic accountability so that their success or failure - and from that, how good the whole society is - is the result of patronage.

It's of course nothing like a version of Britain from the past where all the 'little people' have to tug their forelocks to their 'betters' to receive that patronage, or where everything about society is set up to best serve the richest as the most deserving.

[grumpyhack]

Remember Cameron comes from a PR (and I don't mean proportional representation) background and he's well skilled at polishing turds. And that's what the Big Society is

[eonerf]

A load of ol' bullocks

[lharris92]

its where people volunteer to do what other people have been paid to do in the past, to save a bit of dosh.

wont work as they need to fund it as otherwise it will fail.

[fraser_k]

It's an excuse for Cameron and his oxbridge pals to make big cuts in the public sector but be disguised under "the big society"

[worm]

It's very common to cynically attack the underlying selfish motivations of the tory party and its new ideas. I understand why and have no interest in defending them. However, people seldom seem to attack the ideology behind it and constructively criticise it. It just seems to go without saying.

I say this because there are a great deal of people who actually agree with the grounding principles of conservative ideology. Principles such as removing an autocratic state from the centre of society and allowing independent bodies to hold it up to scrutiny. Principles like individual responsibility, self autonomy and incentive.

What I'd like to see is an analysis of the 'big society' that brings out factors that undermine these conservative principles.

Edited February 17, 2011 by worm

[diddly-dee]

It's very common to cynically attack the underlying selfish motivations of the tory party and its new ideas. I understand why and have no interest in defending them. However, people seldom seem to attack the ideology behind it and constructively criticise it. It just seems to go without saying.

I say this because there are a great deal of people who actually agree with the grounding principles of conservative ideology. Principles such as removing an autocratic state from the centre of society and allowing independent bodies to hold it up to scrutiny. Principles like individual responsibility, self autonomy and incentive.

What I'd like to see is an analysis of the 'big society' that brings out factors that undermine these conservative principles.

[eFestivals]

I say this because there are a great deal of people who actually agree with the grounding principles of conservative ideology. Principles such not giving a shit about anyone but themselves, and trying to fleece everyone for as much money as they can.

corrected for you.

[worm]

but no-one knows what it is.

[worm]

corrected for you.

[eFestivals]

So why ask?

He asked to try and find out.

You're making comments on something that you don't know what it is (which is unusual for you. ) - unless you're able to tell us what it is?

[worm]

He asked to try and find out.

[eFestivals]

They aren't conservative principles, they're the underlying selfish motivations I mentioned.

PMSL

They're the underlying selfish principles of conservatism.

Whatever they like to pretend their principles are, they always have the effect in practice of the things I've mentioned.

[diddly-dee]

which is perfect for those who 'have', and potentially hopeless for those who 'have not'

People in more aflluent coutries do much more volunteering than in the less well of. So running down the services in the hope that it'll be repalced with a more caring society is just misguided in the extreme.

The governmnet are giving a great impression of a a bunch of politicians who genuinely haven't thought anything through, and now, as it dawns them and they start back-tracking (when and where they choose), they hide behind the lie that that's because they're listening

[eFestivals]

Which is clearly retarded if no one knows.

but not as retarded as making a comment while pretending you know what you're commenting on, as you have.

Oh dear. You've been found out at just about your very first post on this occasion. But no doubt you'll say you have the skills to research it. Shame you don't use those brilliant skills to research other much easier things that seem to trouble you.

[worm]

You're making comments on something that you don't know what it is.

[worm]

but not as retarded as making a comment while pretending you know what you're commenting on, as you have.

[worm]

errrmmm...

to try and find out?

[diddly-dee]

PMSL

They're the underlying selfish principles of conservatism.

Whatever they like to pretend their principles are, they always have the effect in practice of the things I've mentioned.