Truth in politics? Deputy Leaders address #GPconf
Addressing the Green Party of England and Wales autumn conference in Bournemouth today, a main theme for Deputy Leaders Shahrar Ali and Amelia Womack, who have visited refugee camps in Calais, is speaking up for those fleeing conflict as ‘dignified and resourceful’ and deserving of ‘our support beyond humanitarian help’. In this context, as in many others, said Shahrar, ‘Greens look to identify causes and tackle them. Refugees are welcome here’.
The Green Party, Amelia says, stands for kindness and solidarity with our fellow humans, we say what needs to be said in the face of a political establishment that has lost its humanity. ‘We have never and will never resort to politics of scapegoating’.
In his speech, Shahrar focuses on truth in politics as ‘our fantastic inner value’ – the truth of non-violent direct action, but also about the truth of words that are turned into political action.
He speaks in support of Natalie Bennett for holding on to ‘our convictions in the Middle East’ and responds to the Green Party’s detractors who believe that principles without power are not worth anything, by declaring that ‘power without principles is not worth having’.
The Green Party stands for speaking truth to power, he continues, and for defending the public spaces where we can continue to speak our minds. It is shocking that our nurseries and schools are curtailing the right of children to express their thoughts for fear of political reprisals.
Shahrar concludes by saying:
‘We need to discover the power of a united group of people – the unity of purpose that is to be found in our party, our policies are in our heart, in our head and in our bones’.
Amelia Womack (the youngest person in a lead role in any UK political party) talks about the passion behind our ‘radical but rational policies’, and about the fact that Greens are ‘more than a party, we are a movement’. We take politics beyond the ballot box, we take politics to the streets, to the picket lines, to our homes where we resist oppressive policies.
Amelia speaks up for the Green Party’s stance of remaining in the EU and working with our allies to make Europe more democratic. ‘We need an international organization that tames casino capitalism’ and since our position as European Green parties has never been stronger in the EU, we are perfectly placed to ‘re-imagine our economy, strengthen our communities, protect public spaces’.
Returning to the UK, Amelia demands a truly green economy, one that will deliver a decent society, public services in public hands, power held locally.
‘The tide is turning, our values are shaking the foundations of the political establishment, and in its ruins we are building a new kind of politics.’
These people are dishonest at best. They make consistent political policy pushing their unecological intention of permitting further expansion of the population of our crowded islands while giving no acknowledgement to the ecological problem that, even at this stage, OUR ISLANDS ARE VERY FAR FROM BEING SUSTAINED.
They further present a damaging lie so as to say “refugees welcome” when this is VERY far from the view of the general British public. While giving no vocal support to increased local support to refugees in camps where people face problems such as regular instance of rape, a lack of support of education and a minimal provision of food, ALL their discernible focus is on the political and counter environmental arguments in favour of increasing Britain’s already burgeoning levels of human overpopulation.
The sad fact is that countries with high population densities (such as many in Europe and exemplified by the UK) already have need to import vast amounts of food simply so as to feed their own burgeoning populations. Much of this food is already imported, presumably, from countries that people are leaving. Many of these countries, particularly in Africa have exceedingly high birthrates while, in comparison, the relatively slow natural population growth of European countries remains much more closely in line with the rate of improvement in food production. Rates of population growth in many of the countries that people are leaving are way in excess of rates of improvements in food production techniques.
It makes absolutely no environmental sense to take people from countries where per capita resource use is low and allow the import of such people into countries where per capita resource use is high. It makes no sense to import both people and food into the same densely populated areas. People should have support and opportunity in their own countries of origin. Destabilizing and prejudiced regimes that prompt attempts at migration should be opposed. Population concern organisations (such as at http://www.populationmatters.org/) should be urgently referenced and supported.
Things may potentially only going to get worse when, at some time in the future, we run out of stocks of non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels and in which we may need to use the land that is currently used to produce food so as to produce forms of energy.
Potential migrants should be informed of the relevant facts regarding the global economic and environmental situation because, every migrant that makes it into countries like the UK, just adds to the problem of the global situation. Problems need to be solved at source.
Education is required in all ways especially the education and empowerment of women which lacks support or is unjustly opposed in some cultures. The facts are that when women are educated, rates of population growth moderate.
For the related David Attenborough documentary search on: How Many People Can Live On Planet Earth
Quote: ‘Anyone who believes in indefinite growth in anything physical, on a physically finite planet, is either mad or an economist.’ Kenneth Boulding
Whether we like it or not there are limits
Funny since Amelia and Benet have boycotted truth in politics?
Truth being accountable to supporting what you say you’ll support. Kind a obvious really.
Elections will be a lot easier if politicians have a list of just those things they really will propose and support first, of course with democratic allowances for extreme circumstances.