Monday, September 25, 2006

HATS AND BALLOONS

NEW STATESMAN AND ANTHONY GIDDENS


While reading this weeks edition of the New Statesman online I noticed an article by Anthony Giddens author of among others 'The Third Way' and 'The Third way and it's critics', and one of the theorists widely suggested to be one of Blair's gurus. In his article he suggests that the UK political sphere has moved too far toward the US, their policies and ideals.

I argued this point in the synopsis I entered for my fourth year dissertation in Uni entitled 'The Americanisation of UK Politics', I even had a theory shall we say, it was called the 'Hat and Balloon' theory. I know sounds frivolous, but, the point was that it is not just the policies but the way that we campaign that has moved towards the American model. Instead of concentrating on the issues and policies the street stalls have turned into helium balloons, pencils, pens and badges! Maybe it is because as a society we are not willing to stop and engage in politics or maybe it is the other way round!

What do you think?

1 comment:

Tom said...

I would broadly agree with you, and I think that it is a shame. It is just another symptom of the recession of democracy from our lives, because politics has lost all its idealism.

These days, if people belive in something, it is usually through faith as opposed to politics.


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