Tony Janio: Now is not the time to '˜give socialism a chance'
A wonderful sanctuary for wildlife, the area hosts wild Bison, Lynx, Wolves, and other exotic creatures. I am in North-Eastern Poland; these two national parks are just about the only places left where Europe’s original landscape and wildlife can be seen. My highlight was watching three Eagles swoop for food in a lake.
I am often attacked by socialists who inform me that ‘socialism has never been attempted’, and that I should stop saying it is a failed dogma. I beg to differ: Poland’s succession of socialist governments, following World War 2, was so completely and utterly incompetent, that they failed to develop these forest and wetlands, allowing them to remain a wilderness. This spectacular lack of management is an extraordinary success for the forest’s biodiversity.
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Hide AdSocialism was not all ironic good news however: socialist managers had been allowed to reach industrial production quotas without regard to cost or safety; this led to pollution in socialist Poland being far the worst in Europe. Alarm about sickness ballooned, yet socialist Party bosses attempted to subdue the protests, deeming ecological concerns a ploy of the capitalist West to weaken socialism. Never attempted indeed!
Brighton and Hove is clearly not socialist Poland, but is starting to look a bit ‘shabby’ from the very thorough ineptitude of the current Labour Administration. The real danger, however, is that some real socialist experimentation, from a Momentum-backed Labour Party, starts us, after the next local elections, along the path of a real socialist disaster.
If you, like me, care about providing a future that is fair for all, and fearful of a crumbling of civil society, you will be looking forward to the next local elections. Not wishing to gamble with the future, I hope you will agree that the prosperity of Brighton and Hove rests upon the Conservatives bringing forward some sensible policies that drive balanced economic growth: now is surely not the time for us to ‘give socialism a chance’.
Cllr Tony Janio is the leader of the Conservatives on Brighton & Hove City Council.