The politician's credo

The politician's credo and guide to greasy-pole climbing. (in furtherance of the noble purposes of the State)

Creed: I believe in one God - His name is 'PROGRESS'; and in his handmaidens: 'FREEDOM' & 'PERPETUAL EXPONENTIAL ECONOMIC and POPULATION GROWTH' - on our finite planet (now there's a miracle-in-progress for you)

Leitmotif: There has never been a civilization so wise, clever, advanced and all-knowing as ours. (My name is Ozymandias)

Liturgical guide - In furtherance of the one true faith:

Anyone who does not subscribe and adhere to the latter-day religion of PROGRESS, based on Perpetual Economic Growth and Globalisation, is a REACTIONARY which, in this most fundamental of matters, is heresy - if not treason - and must be dealt with accordingly.

Evangelise; Demonise; Cajole; Interfere; Regulate; Tax; Ban; Force; Grant Rights; Impose duties - All in the name of PROGRESS & FREEDOM. (our enemies hate us because we are free you know - so we must fight the enemies of freedom).

Feed the population a diet of faux-culture - of soccer, celebrity, reality TV and sex - as the very pinnacle of civilized living. Define the boundaries of political debate. Ridicule or ostracize those who dare speak outside those boundaries, or question the official narrative of history, or of who and what we are. Silence them if they show signs of becoming effective. Make them dependent on the State for their wellbeing and protection from the things they most fear. Do not allow them to protect themselves. If necessary, manufacture those fears. At least stoke them up and exaggerate them. They will become correspondingly grateful, docile, compliant and complicit in 'The System' (that imprisons and enslaves them). But, above all, distrust them and remain vigilant for signs of effective dissent.

Be hyper-active about ruling the minutiae of their lives. Control both narrative and agenda. Reality for the masses must be what we say it is. The truth is the Official Record. All hail the Nanny-State and it's iron-fisted enforcers (those fine upstanding executioners in blue).

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And on these fundamentals, it matters not what political party you vote for. In orchestral terms they are all 'variations on a theme' - the same tired worn-out, discredited theme of PROGRESS (towards what I wonder)

Climate change? Pollution? Resource constraints? Poverty? Population overshoot? Sustainability of the unsustainable? Our solemn right - nay duty - to invade any country we choose in furtherance of our 'Values'? - Forget them. They are anathemas and the preoccupation of fools, knaves, revolutionaries and traitors. WE ARE THE GOODIES - at the very pinnacle of humanity's PROGRESS (that word again) to date and so, the world simply MUST be made to see things our way, OR ELSE !"

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"So, Let's see. We're having a light policy day. What new pearl of political wisdom can we politicians propose for the poor dear Sheeple to chatter aimlessly about?

I Know! - let's ban plastic bags!"

Says it all really.
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(This post arose from a comment I posted on Ian Dale's Blog in response to his proposal that plastic bags be banned. It pushed some buttons and I had a rant - as is my way these days)