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Tuesday 22 May 2012

The Dumbest Council in Britain?

Friday, 25th November 2011

Edinburgh council - presently best known for spending £700m on half a tram system (and the wrong half at that) - has mercifully moved on to more important business: congratulating the Occupy Edinburgh "movement" on whatever it is they are doing camping in St Andrews' Square beneath the disapproving (I'm sure) gaze of Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville. Never knowingly out-ninnied, however, the cooncil has decided to "recognise" the movement (for whatever this may be worth), passing a motion approving of its aims and sympathising with the campers and wishing them well.

Given that financial services are a significant, even vital, part of Edinburgh's economy and the campers are expressly and especially hostile to financial services this could be considered an odd move by the council. Nevertheless and naturally, all parties with the merciful exception of the Conservatives agreed to recognise and endorse the Occupy movement. This alone provides some reason to support the Tories at the next election.

In response, the Occupying people issued a press release. They seem quite pleased by this bauble of recognition.

We are pleased to announce that Edinburgh City Council has set a worldwide precedent by voting in favour of the motion to support the aims and sentiments of Occupy Edinburgh and the aims of the Occupy Movements as a whole. This motion was presented by the Scottish Green Party, was seconded by the Scottish Labour Party and was slightly amended by the SNP and LibDems. The only party not to back the motion was the Conservatives.

We regard this as a fantastic step forward in the opening of dialogue with the Scottish government. With this historic decision, Edinburgh City Council are setting an example in local administration, as well as sending a message to the governments in both Holyrood and Westminster. They have shown willingness for open dialogue and respect alongside a fundamental commitment to the concerns of the people they are elected to represent. The current systems for economy and resource distribution are grossly outdated, and as the people educate themselves we begin to demand changes. Symptoms such as the “austerity/bailout” response of our government only serves to solidify the attitude of cynicism toward our current economic system, which has already moved far into general acceptance. Local Councils are the first step in the re-population of democracy, and should be following the example of Scotland’s capital by aligning themselves to a grassroots paradigm that places people and community before profit and unsustainable growth.

Few people have been especially impressed by the banks in recent times, nor by the excesses of big business. Nevertheless, how can one possibly have "open dialogue" (as opposed to closed dialogue?) with people who, though representing no-one and nothing more than their own discontent, appear to believe "people" and "profit" are necessarily opposed to one another and who consider "unsustainable growth" (that is, people becoming more prosperous) one of the mortal dangers of the age. (Never mind that there will be no growth, unsustainable or not, for some time yet.)

Nor, frankly, do I know what a "grassroots paradigm" might be when it's at home (or anywhere else) or how you go about the "re-population of democracy" whatever that may mean. Note too that, in the typical style of leftists who view the public with some contempt, what's holding the people back is their lack of education. If only the poor, gullible proletariate weren't so easily gulled by junk food and plasma teevees foisted upon them by their plutocratic oppressors they might come to their senses, stir themselves and get up and do something. But, alas, they are stupid and unaware of their plight, the poor boobies.

Note too the hysterically grandiose prattling about "this historic decision" that will, natch, be recorded in any and every respectable history of the 21st century. And, again, the grim seriousness with which they propose to "open" some kind of "dialogue" with "the Scottish parliament." But what is there to talk about and why should anyone care? Who elected the campers and who thinks your "voice" becomes more credible simply because you're sleeping in a tent in an Edinburgh park?

Camp and protest to your heart's content and that's all fine and dandy, but the idea that this is a movement of the people whose views must be heard is laughable and it is typical of Edinburgh council, as mediocre a group as has ever mismanaged the city, to concern itself with such matters and elevate this inchoate protest movement to something it ain't and never will be. And since these people require no encouragement anyway there's no need to offer them any.

Filed under: Edinburgh (6 more articles) , Scotland (500 more articles)

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Steve

November 25th, 2011 3:39pm Report this comment

Well said Alex. The occupy protesters have already conceded they don't have any policy suggestions, and their opposition to the bailouts is of the same sentiment as most people on the right.

dercavalier

November 25th, 2011 4:20pm Report this comment

While I agree that the Edinburgh councillors are a mediocre bunch they are not as bad (by a factor of 15) as those employed in London at the Ministry of Defence who are planning to spend £10.5 billion on flying white elephants, ie on re-fuelling type airplanes which will be unable to fly into warzones. And one has already been built costing £75m! Did the Spectator comment on that fiasco?

Craig Strachan

November 25th, 2011 4:42pm Report this comment

Yes, the unhappy campers statement is full o' Marxist buzzwords.
Surprise, surprise.

and I'll go to bed at noon

November 25th, 2011 6:12pm Report this comment

"Note too that, in the typical style of leftists who view the public with some contempt, what's holding the people back is their lack of education."

Sorry, Alex, but I've rarely heard as much contempt for the voters as when you or other right-of-centre commentators bemoan the continued strength of Scottish Labour among huge swathes of the population. When you classify the electorate as bovine, of course, you're just being a patriot. When the other side do it, they're elitist scum. Understood.

sarah

November 25th, 2011 11:02pm Report this comment

you are a fool

salieri

November 26th, 2011 10:54am Report this comment

and I'll go etc etc

But Alex Massie’s article had nothing at all to do with the electorate or the strength of Scottish Labour. It expressed no view of ‘the people’. You seem to have misunderstood - you certainly misrepresent - the very passage you quote, which shows no contempt for ‘the voters’ but plenty of contempt for the not-so useful idiots who assert that everyone would share their solipsistic mindset if only they were re-educated (now where have we heard that before?) or were committed to the ‘re-population of democracy’.

If this infantile phrase means anything at all, and it probably doesn't, it is the sinister implication that the democracy we already have must, by definition, be the wrong kind of democracy if anyone else has the temerity not to agree with them.

Just look at one awful sentence - “as the people educate themselves we begin to demand changes” – and ask yourself who it is who is openly displaying contempt, tyrannical self-righteousness and semi-literate condescension.

Alex Osmond

November 26th, 2011 3:30pm Report this comment

I've never heard Alex Massie so I looked at his "About". I'm none the wiser as to why he should be considered qualified, in any way, on events important to all our lives. And that appears to be the case, if this piece of supposed journalism is typical of his output. Having read it I'm not inclined to seek out any more to determine if this the case or not. But I'm sure he could be usefully employed writing about something meaningles, like cricket.

Whereas.... those people in their tents. Who may not be elected. But ARE part of a spontaneous and heartfelt worldwide movement (a fact Mr Massie curiously ignores)which may not be perfect, but is a powerful indicator that we now have a society that has gone badly wrong in the last 30 years and can no longer be considered progressive. And progress is the point of mankind - not just technological, but social as well. All power to them for raising the issue and fcring even (apparently) diehard regressives like Massie to acklowledge their existence.

But Mr M is right about Edinburgh council, even if he doesn't fully understand why.....

fergus pickering

November 28th, 2011 6:42pm Report this comment

'Progress is the point of mankind.' I've never heard such balderdash. Mankind id the point of mankind. Have you ever heard of Immanuel Kant? Thought not. A long-headed kraut you would do well to study.

mbsmith

December 3rd, 2011 9:05pm Report this comment

so if Alex Massie is not qualified to comment, why are 5 art students and aging hippies in St Andrews Square qualified to tell me how to live and gain the endorsement of a publicly elected body ?

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