How the world changed in the Past Decade. Part 2 Politics

The politics of the past decade in the UK have been dominated by Blair and his New Labour. Blair espouses a privatised kind of Christianity which does not seem to refresh the parts of his being which decide his voting on matters of sexual morality. I do wonder how his politics would have been different if he was an atheist. He was sensible enough to delay announcing his conversion to Rome until after he left office.

His fall from esteem with the electorate co-incided with his decision to join the invasion of Iraq. Ironically this was his only major policy I supported. My support was because I favour the overthrow of murderous tyrants. With 20-20 hindsight I would not now be in favour of any invasion of an Islamic country to try and do it a favour. Muslims will never thank kafirs for such an intervention. The exception here is the Kurds. They are happy to have been liberated. Ironically Christians still in Iraq are more fearful than they were under tyrant Saddam.

Why did we invade? The reasons given are various. WMDs were not there except for some chemical or biological weapons.Was it for oil? Regime change was not a sufficient reason. Mugabe is still on seat as we say in Africa. It cannot surely have been to stop Alqaeeda.The other reason I have heard is that the US wanted a middle eastern base outside of Saudi for their presence in that holy land is so unpopular with Muslims. Whatever the reasons, forward planning for after the invasion seems to have been lacking.

The invasion of Afghanistan was to destroy Alquaeds's base and find Osama. But the Pashtuns still support the most oppressive Islamic regime ever and the war does seem increasingly unwinnable. Public opinion is moving away from support as we daily hear of our boys being killed. As to an exit strategy, what can there be in a country that had only ever been a place of waring tribes, except for those times when it was invaded and the tribes united to defeat the invader?

Zimbabwe remains a scandal. Mugabe has the support of fellow African leaders because turkeys do not vote for Christmas.

The US had three presidents in the decade. Slick Willy Clinton was the darling of our liberal media as is the new messiah, Obama. Bush was denigrated as stupid because he lacked the facility for oral communication evidenced by the other presidents.

The world has gone into recession because of irresponsible bankers who continue to be paid inordinate amounts. Governments intervened because when trust is faltering paper currency must be supported lest the whole house of cards falls down.

The EU continues to expand and demand more conformity from member states. It sees itself as a rival world power.It has no audited accounts. Its parliament does not make the rules. It is a trough for the snouts of politicians and bureaucrats. We should be out of it. If the electorate frustrate it, they are made to vote again as in Ireland.Babel is now in Brussels.

Venal politicians have been exposed at Westminster too. The House of Lords remains unreformed because an elected upper chamber would be a greater challenge to the executive running the Commons. As it is the Parliament Act has been used with unprecedented frequency to push through legislation the Lords rejected.

Mrs Thatcher changed Labour forever. They had to move from the left towards the centre to be elected. So Blair was Maggie's creation. Similarly, Cameron's NuTorys are Blairs doing. He has moved them to the centre ground. Cameron voted to remove the legislation which prevented the promotion of homosexuality in schools. He does not deserve the name Conservative. There is no clear blue water. If he wins the next election he will be in deep economic mire.

Devolution is a farce with a Welsh talking shop that cannot legislate and a Scottish one that can but refuses to tax. There and in N Ireland we have devolved governments for places with a population a fraction of the Greater London area. Meanwhile Scottish MPs can vote on legislation for England in matters where they have no say in Scotland. Is this representative democracy? University fees and residential care are paid for Scotland. Prescription charges have gone in Wales and soon will go everywhere except England. Why are the English so supine as not to protest? The biggest shock of devolved government is NI power sharing between the DUP and Sinn Fein. This is the world's most unlikely civil partnership brought about by the Good Friday Agreement with Uncle Tony's 'get out of jail free cards'. But the troops are off the streets. The road blocks are no more. This one bit of good news.

The state continues to be the idol of the people and it welcomes their adulation encouraging the dependency culture. We have a surveillance society with more CCTV snooping than any other country. We are due to have ID cards. We are not free to photograph in public places without police questioning. We are paedophiles, money launderers, illegal immigrants and drunken drivers until we prove otherwise but that is another article

I am a member a the Christian peoples Alliance, a Christian political party. We have three councillors in one London borough but it is a difficult task to convince Christians of the need for a distinctive Christian witness. main line parties are secularist and humanistic. A Christian party is to witness to Christ in the sphere of politics. Christians do not see it. Politics cannot be separate from faith. The CPA is far to the left of many of my views but I am in it because I believe in the principle of Christian witness in politics.

I have found this article most depressing to write. Put not your trust in princes is a text all too little taken to heart.