27th April 2010, 08:38 AM
That old British cynicism has a long history... There is a poem by Hartley Coleridge dating back to the 1806 general election:
Shout Britain, raise a joyful shout,
The Tyrant Tories all are out --
Deluded Britains -- cease your din --
For lo -- the scoundrel Whigs are in.
Whigs in this case being modern day Liberals.....oh my god!!
But if you think about it governments can/do make differences. 1945-50 Labour government introduced nationalised industries, NHS, modern welfare state, modern education system etc etc. Tory government 1979-97 privatised industries, destroyed communities, sold off council houses, destroyed communities, introduced PPG16 etc etc. So governments can/do make differences. Labour government 1997-? - well perhaps the less said the better!!
However, I am not sure that abstention from the process has ever delivered great benefit to archaeology either....
Shout Britain, raise a joyful shout,
The Tyrant Tories all are out --
Deluded Britains -- cease your din --
For lo -- the scoundrel Whigs are in.
Whigs in this case being modern day Liberals.....oh my god!!
But if you think about it governments can/do make differences. 1945-50 Labour government introduced nationalised industries, NHS, modern welfare state, modern education system etc etc. Tory government 1979-97 privatised industries, destroyed communities, sold off council houses, destroyed communities, introduced PPG16 etc etc. So governments can/do make differences. Labour government 1997-? - well perhaps the less said the better!!
However, I am not sure that abstention from the process has ever delivered great benefit to archaeology either....
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...