How we live together on one small island is a deeply moral question and the only truly moral system of political thought we ever had was called socialism. This disappeared a generation ago under the combined weight of the arrival of what was called "New Labour" helped by Mrs Thatcher's destruction of the Trade Unions. Since then all moral discourse in politics stopped and we have been offered options to elect economic managers not politicians. We have been asked who best to manage a system whose only morality is "The Market" and a system which is devastating the entire planet. The fall of the Iron Curtain meant that there was no counter, however inadequate to the rapacious greed of global capitalism. All that followed was so predictable; the scandals of companies like Enron trading non existent goods, rogue traders like Nik Leeson, the banking collapse and bailout, junk bonds and roulette banking and now the emergence of China as an aggressive capitalist country ever - at least on the world stage. It now owns half of the American government in financial bonds!
So what are we to do? Cynicism and apathy play in to their hands. The election of President Obama gave many at least a glimmer of hope. Ask politicians moral questions about real values. We don't want managers of a flawed system; but real change. See in terms of their energy where they are coming from. Which chakra dominates? Is it the first three chakras about greed, ego, image and material goods? Look at their body language rather than listening to their words. Use your intuition and instincts. What level of consciousness are they coming from? Beware of anyone who seems to be trying to bribe you with promises of how much more money you are about to get. Talk to them about about "defence", nuclear weapons, third world aid, the culture of targets which is destroying education, health and welfare services, talk about global justice and above all talk about the well-being of the whole planet and its delicate ecosystem. Don't believe the lie that a hung Parliament would be a bad thing in Britain. It just might force politicians to talk to each other and work together not just score points off each other like overgrown schoolboys.
A long time ago the great economist, John Maynard Keynes wrote in Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren; "There will also be great changes in our morals. I see us free to return to some of the most sure and certain principles of religion and traditional virtue - that avarice is a vice, that usury is a misdemeanor, and the love of money is detestable. We shall honour those who can teach us how to pluck the hour and the day virtuously and well, the delightful people who are capable of taking direct enjoyment in things." . We are still waiting!
