political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Quote of the Day
I'm compiling a book of political quotations which will be published in the Spring by Harriman House. I just came across this quote by Benjamin Disraeli...
I had to prepare the mind of the country and… to educate our Party
Does this not sum up in one sentence what David Cameron is trying to do?
I think what Cameron should be doing is educating the country and preparing the mind of his party.
People needs to understand why 100% centralised state planning in education and health, and the destruction of democracy by our membership of the EU, is a bad thing.
The Party's mind needs to be prepared to fight that fight with him.
If what you say is true, then the Tories are doomed to failure because the country has not got a mind and how do you educate a Party that also has not got a mind?
If that lot on 18DS last night are the best brains you have got, particularly in relation to discussion on law and order and the prison crisis, then there is no hope of any meaningful comeback.
I think it's time Cameron stopped trying to educate the party, and started campaigning on some of the universal issues. His speech on crime was good this week, we need more like it.
Blair in the 90s made people think there were improvements to be made then failed to make any. Cameron needs to prove he can fix the miriad problems we face.
People needs to understand why 100% centralised state planning in education and health, and the destruction of democracy by our membership of the EU, is a bad thing.
The people do know, what they really want to know is why David Cameron's party have been voting for it, rather than against it.
Your Disraeli quote..what arrogance. With respect and if you don't mind me saying so Iain, this exemplfies what so many of us, out here in in the real world, detest so much about politicians.
Educate or prepare our minds? No thanks, we have minds of our own which we'd prefer to keep.
What is it that gives so many politicians these elitist ideas that their minds are so superior to those of the rest of us? In particular since all the evidence is to the contrary :)
It would be bad enough it was Cameron himself trying to arrogantly transform the mind of the publc, that fact that this really comes from his spin doctors makes it even more unspeakably arrogant.
Auntie Flo' - standing by to be censored
P.S. Sorry I keep forgetting to add my blog name, have had a gruelling afternoon at Mr Rammell's meeting....*@!!**@*!
"There are people in our jails that shouldn't be there", John Reid, Home Secretary, who is responsible to Parliament and the public for allowing our prisons to become overcrowded with thousands of mental patients who should instead be in mental hospitals.
Ashworth is a secure mental hospital on Merseyside, it has two unused wings to accomodate 350 patients. John Reid's plan is to put 350 prisoners into this mental institution.
Very shortly, there will be people in our mental institutions that shouldn't be there.
"Your Honor,years ago I recognized my kinship with all living beings, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on earth. I said then, and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it, and while there is a criminal element I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free" EUGENE VICTOR DEBS, Statement to the Court, 1918
Debs, US labor leader & Socialist Party candidate for President (1900, 1904, 1908, 1912 & 1920) received over 900,000 votes in his last campaign . . . while incarcerated in Atlanta Federal Prison. That same election, the War Party of the period (the Democratic Party) was swept from power . . . despite fact that Kaiser Bill actually DID have (by contemporary standards) "weapons of mass destruction"!
Personally wouldn't vote for either Benjamin Disraeli or David Cameron, but fail to see what's wrong with voter education.
In Disraeli's day, Abraham Lincoln had to educate Northerners over several years on the need to abolish slavery as a precondition to preserving the Union. Four score years later, Franklin Roosevelt had to educate Americans prior to Pearl Harbor on the need to aid Britain in order to prevent Nazi domination.
In our own time and in future, politicos from across the spectrum are & will continue using their convictions to educate voters: Margaret Thatcher, Al Gore, Duke Cunningham, Bob Abramoff, Bob Ney, Scooter Libby, Lord Archer, Lord Levy . . .
I think what Cameron should be doing is educating the country and preparing the mind of his party.
ReplyDeletePeople needs to understand why 100% centralised state planning in education and health, and the destruction of democracy by our membership of the EU, is a bad thing.
The Party's mind needs to be prepared to fight that fight with him.
The country prepared the mind of Disraeli, and Disraeli educated the party...
ReplyDeleteIf what you say is true, then the Tories are doomed to failure because the country has not got a mind and how do you educate a Party that also has not got a mind?
ReplyDeleteIf that lot on 18DS last night are the best brains you have got, particularly in relation to discussion on law and order and the prison crisis, then there is no hope of any meaningful comeback.
I think it's time Cameron stopped trying to educate the party, and started campaigning on some of the universal issues. His speech on crime was good this week, we need more like it.
ReplyDeleteBlair in the 90s made people think there were improvements to be made then failed to make any. Cameron needs to prove he can fix the miriad problems we face.
Iain, if I can help you, didn't he also say...
ReplyDelete"A Conservative Government is an organized hypocrisy."
I hope it makes the book.
Iain, troll baiting? Really you must find better things to do with your saturdays.
ReplyDeleteThe Oxford Dictionary of Political Quotations is pretty good. (Sorry, Iain, don't mean to queer your pitch).
ReplyDeleteToo late to worry about the hatches-watch for torpedoes!
ReplyDeleteDisraeli was a seasoned politician-and dave,well dave is---------------?
ReplyDeleteDavid Cameron? What is that man for?
ReplyDeleteArthurian Legend said
ReplyDeletePeople needs to understand why 100% centralised state planning in education and health, and the destruction of democracy by our membership of the EU, is a bad thing.
The people do know, what they really want to know is why David Cameron's party have been voting for it, rather than against it.
Shirley appropriated by Tony Blair circa 1995?
ReplyDeleteIain, in your heart of hearts you must know Cameron is a loser. People don't know what he stands for and people won't vote for him.
ReplyDeleteBob, yes. that's in the book too!
ReplyDeleteAnd I loathe Disraeli too. A dwarf of a man compared to Peel and Gladstone.
ReplyDeleteAny lessons he had to teach were ones we could do well without. Ah,.. I see the similarity
Your Disraeli quote..what arrogance. With respect and if you don't mind me saying so Iain, this exemplfies what so many of us, out here in in the real world, detest so much about politicians.
ReplyDeleteEducate or prepare our minds? No thanks, we have minds of our own which we'd prefer to keep.
What is it that gives so many politicians these elitist ideas that their minds are so superior to those of the rest of us? In particular since all the evidence is to the contrary :)
It would be bad enough it was Cameron himself trying to arrogantly transform the mind of the publc, that fact that this really comes from his spin doctors makes it even more unspeakably arrogant.
ReplyDeleteAuntie Flo' - standing by to be censored
P.S. Sorry I keep forgetting to add my blog name, have had a gruelling afternoon at Mr Rammell's meeting....*@!!**@*!
"There are people in our jails that shouldn't be there", John Reid, Home Secretary, who is responsible to Parliament and the public for allowing our prisons to become overcrowded with thousands of mental patients who should instead be in mental hospitals.
ReplyDeleteAshworth is a secure mental hospital on Merseyside, it has two unused wings to accomodate 350 patients. John Reid's plan is to put 350 prisoners into this mental institution.
Very shortly, there will be people in our mental institutions that shouldn't be there.
from Mike Snyder:
ReplyDeleteIain, here's a quote for you:
"Your Honor,years ago I recognized my kinship with all living beings, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on earth. I said then, and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it, and while there is a criminal element I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free" EUGENE VICTOR DEBS, Statement to the Court, 1918
Debs, US labor leader & Socialist Party candidate for President (1900, 1904, 1908, 1912 & 1920) received over 900,000 votes in his last campaign . . . while incarcerated in Atlanta Federal Prison. That same election, the War Party of the period (the Democratic Party) was swept from power . . . despite fact that Kaiser Bill actually DID have (by contemporary standards) "weapons of mass destruction"!
from Mike Snyder:
ReplyDeletePersonally wouldn't vote for either Benjamin Disraeli or David Cameron, but fail to see what's wrong with voter education.
In Disraeli's day, Abraham Lincoln had to educate Northerners over several years on the need to abolish slavery as a precondition to preserving the Union. Four score years later, Franklin Roosevelt had to educate Americans prior to Pearl Harbor on the need to aid Britain in order to prevent Nazi domination.
In our own time and in future, politicos from across the spectrum are & will continue using their convictions to educate voters: Margaret Thatcher, Al Gore, Duke Cunningham, Bob Abramoff, Bob Ney, Scooter Libby, Lord Archer, Lord Levy . . .
Partial pun intended!