Just out of interest;

if Labour had got in, they would have had to introduce austerity measures. They would have been different, they would not have been as slash and burn as the fears in the run up to Osborne's statement last week, but I for one reckon they would have been as arbitrary as the reality of what has been announced. Worse, we would be waiting for an upturn in the world economy rather than tackling national debt. And ANY government revels in international upturns rather than using the opportunity to address long term issues. New Labour being the best example...

Would we still have armchair socialists ranting about a war that would affect opening time at the chemists they get their prescriptions?

Like I said above. Direct action! Vote when the election comes.

In the meantime, accept that the youth of today are not the same as when we were young. They were brought up with a Tory government calling itself New Labour. To them, there is no left / right, there is no social conscience party. In fact, the poll tax protests are as relevant as the repeal of the corn laws.

So where are you going to get your foot soldiers from? And how are you going to convince me that the pain I went through in '84 on strike was any better than now, especially as the reference to the jag and gin set sums me up perfectly. (To be fair, I am swapping the jag for a Land Rover Discovery shortly, but its the thought that counts.)

You see, we are not a nation of haves versus have nots. We are everything inbetween too. My brother has been a third world aid worker in one guise or another since the '70s, and is in Pakistan right now, after the rest of the world has forgotten about the floods. he has always said, and this is a sobering thought. "Well done, by living here, you have won the lottery." Kind of puts it in perspective. Of course, aspiration is a noble cause, but ultimately, it is tweaking around the edges that is needed.

Vote for who you want and accept you get the government.

If any flavour of Ministers was to do things fundamentally different, I would be interested to know how.

But to get all revved up about direct action is silly nonsense. Growing old disgracefully is about getting your nipples pierced, not sitting in a prison bemoaning your loss of respect and dignity.