Saturday, April 16, 2005

Fantasy r'formism

OK, I promised my list of fantasy reforms I would advocate were I a reformist/leftist.

I hope you'll all play along too, and we can compile some sort of fantasy reformist eague, or, to paraphrase Monty Python If I were not in the ultra-left, something else I'd like to be. If I were not in the ultra left a [blank] me.

OK, so:

1) War referendum. I truly think the left has missed an open goal on this one. Concentrating on Bliar and Troops out slogans, they have missed out on any substantive political demand. The demand that referendums be required before British troops are sent to any war would satisfy as a venerable old social democrat reform. It would be a blow against the secretive power of the state and its owners.
2) Relatedly Annual Parliaments - in reality, direct democracy without some of the hurdles put in the way of referendum and initiative measures in some countries. Effectively, parties would be elected on their legislative and budgetary programmes. Parliament would become a revising chamber.
3) Oh, yes, Abolish the upper chamber it serves no useful purpose.
4) Direct Taxation - tax system should be simplified for accountability, and inirect taxation should be abolished. Council tax should be abolished and instead we should rely on negotiated bloc grants voted on at budget time.
5) Increase competition, for certain sectors, by making them subect to the freedom of information act, thus supermarket inventories would become public knowledge, and we can all judge the true state of the market.
6)Unleash the unions what's suace for the goose is good for the gander - we give them free trade, we build unions.

There, that is my fantasy reformist list, note, no nationalisations. It's a fun game, lets see where we can take it, please?

3 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Bill, I'd add:

Eliminate public debt -The state should never be able to go into debt for any reason. The debt of the state means slavery for the working classes

Make usuary a capital crime -Punishable by death - bankers beware...

I like your free-trade clause for exporting unions.

Cheers

2:58 AM  
Blogger ajohnstone said...

i would like those in Parliament to be selected annually by lot .

4:07 PM  
Blogger Deek Deekster said...

how about privatising the Armed Forces and taxing them? Maybe selling to France? Like we have done with WATER!

Bill, I linked to you from Five

10:05 AM  

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