The whole argument about whether or not the budget was progressive was a foolish one for the Coalition to engage in. The left defines a “progressive budget” as one that benefits those on lowest incomes most. Since the population decile on the lowest incomes is overwhelmingly composed of those on welfare it means that no tax cutting budget, even if it disproportionately benefits the lowest paid by raising thresholds, can ever be “progressive”.So far so good. But he goes on to advocate using "fair" instead, apparently oblivious to the fact that thanks to the Bitchy Boys and much of the the rest of the British media, fairness is equated with the same policies.
For the centre right to take control of the narrative, it simply has to take a page from the lefty play book and never, ever go on the defensive. Sadly, Cameron and Clegg lack the steel, and the whole coalition reflects their "niceness".
There's another word that makes me cringe. What's "nice" about being wishy-washy?
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The word 'fair' is too susceptible to the argument that 'harm is being done' to those who are 'most vulnerable.' Of course they are most 'vulnerable,'many of them, because they cannot survive (or so it is represented) without state support.
ReplyDeleteBut who made them that way? Why the state of course - which means all of us(doesn't it?). We are complicit. How then can we go on and do this to these 'vulnerable' people, despite the fact that many of them- and I obviously do not refer to those who are legitimately disabled from working - continue to make expensive nuisances of themselves through their crime, dreadful child-rearing practices,arrant noise and destructiveness as neighbours etc.
Perhaps the word we are seeking is 'Just,' which somehow seems a little less 'vulnerable' to the casual casuistries of sentimental victimology.
Language cannot hold the line. It's the thinking that's damaged beyond repair.
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