jeudi 24 avril 2008

Three steps forward one step back

It's a boring old see-through trick, but the political élites just have to do it. they have a plan to reduce expectations, cut benefits and put the squeeze on. They know how it will go down. The people are hard to fool all the time - it must be such a nose ache to dole out the propaganda on a daily basis - but ends must be met, champagne bills and luxury goods bills paid - so ideas are 'floated'.

Like the gas price hike in January over here in France. It was huffed and puffed all over the media that the price of gas was going to go up 10% but then gradually it got changed to 7 then only 5. Phew we are all supposed to think - it could have been worse - c'est mieux que rien. Similarly, the ten pence tax storm will die down now a few bones have been chucked about. The backbenchers have salved their consciences and can forget about the poor for the next year or so. The government probably pretty much got what it hoped it would get. Besides, there's always next time. The millions who still lose out? They are far away but their actions accumulate.