Conservative leader, David Cameron, gave a speech at Imperial College, London, on Thursday, outlining how the Conservatives would roll back the state. This would involve publishing information relating to any public expenditure over £25,000 (why not publish everything?), abolishing such things as ID Cards, reviewing Ripa and also the extradition treaty between the UK & US.
It's painfully true that our freedoms have been eroded faster than ever over the past 12 years, but the Conservatives are just as culpable having been a subservient opposition that has failed on a number of occasions to stand up for liberty. When they form the next government (which they seem certain to do) they will have little room for manoeuvre. It will have to be spending cuts and/or higher taxes (obviously higher taxes would only be to service debt rather than expand government further, but you can't trust politicians). What they will need to do is explain why abolishing large swathes of government is the right course, and why society will be vastly improved without them.
Shining a light on public expenditure is not reining in the state. We will no doubt see the black pen of government used again. If the Conservatives really want to rein in the state then they will need to cut spending and cut taxes. They could then re-energize the UK economy and improve government revenues through expansive growth to pay off the accrued debt of Labour's creation. The beast must be starved to set us free, and allow us to never again be the playthings of authoritarian politicians.
But politicians are a breed that have evolved into beings that can't say no, and seek to interfere in all business. They aim to micromanage all, or they fear that they will be accused of being uncaring and out-of-touch. The blame for this though covers us all: the politicians are mostly at fault for neutering us via centralization and we for our blind apathetic allowance for it to occur. Is it a surprise that scepticism arises when a politician says he will roll back the state.
