Green and pleasant land?

harebells is not known for its political commentary... But it's been a strange month. A few weeks ago, I read an unhappy article about how landed estates have become watertight pools, made available by frankly oddly light taxation, into which the rich can pour their millions whilst keeping them away from the peeple. Madonna - shame on you.

The following week, we went for a holiday to Yorkshire, little doglet in tow. Here too the theme was barriers, boundaries and rules. No dogs in the bar! No dogs in the lounge! No dogs in the restaurant! No dogs in the frankly shabby pub that would be lucky to have a customer anyway! All this despite the fact that we had specifically chosen the hotel and surrounding village for its 'dog friendliness'. Feversham Arms - shame on you.

As we perched in our tiny room eating the restaurant food at the smallest table in the world (doglet very happy, sprawled on the cotton bed sheets, this being the only space left unoccupied and therefore her demesne - she's French, and would like to be a landowner) we watched London burn to the ground. And then Birmingham. And Nottingham. And Manchester. And Bristol. And Gloucester. Good God. Would Helmsley be next?

Of course not; it has already dealt with its social problems simply by the power of village-hall fascism. I don't want to repeat some of the comments we overheard about outsiders, but the general mix of wizened Yorkshire-men outside the pub slurring about the cost of French bulldogs (how do they know?!) in combination with green wellies, Range Rovers (both spotless), striped shirts and large sunglasses (ironed hair de rigeur) will give the picture. No furriners here, thank you.

So what of this? I guess this is modern Britain, legacy of those great thinkers and social destroyers, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, even Gordon Brown. In between the 'commentary' from the BBC (it sticks in my craw to give it the dignity of such a term, given its offensive, right-wing, parochial, and honestly irresponsible hysteria -- did you see the interview with Darcus Howe? Good Grief), an unexpectedly well-timed documentary told us about the theories behind those wicked leaders: marvellous people like Friedrich Hayek (and toady follower, Keith Joseph). Very good - worth watching.

The keynote of Hayek's thinking is commitment to 'liberal' economics, a system that advocates laissez-faire capitalism over socialist collectivism. Hmmm, interesting. This brand of totally 'free' capitalism (is anything free? The poor will always pay) promotes the individual for himself. A kind of economic Ayn Rand-ian 'rational egoism' that justifies an aggressively individualist relationship with the world.  And no taxation (giving away money makes no sense to them, or indeed time, care, energy, or even interest in others). It could be summarised as the 'F*** you' way of life.

And it's dismaying how well this has caught on. Cameron et al speak of a 'broken society' of feckless, morally bankrupt youth. What might be the origin of this? Perhaps 30 years of a society in which everyone - rich or poor - is encouraged (by government) to become atomised, to dream of individual car- and home-ownership, to isolate themselves more and more from society, to become 'self determined' (a sick joke, if ever there was one), to be is to buy. To give up on collective action, like Unions, and grab what you can, while you can, bugger the rest of them. After all -- hell is other people, right? Poor Sartre.

Cameron's response is to string them up. Throw them into prison. How sad, and how depressing. Tony B is back on the block today -- his response is 'hey guys, it's not that bad. Come on! You're making us look bad -- I'm always having to explain to my friends around the world that Britain's a marvellous place of plentiful happiness. All my friends are happy and prosperous in Islington, where the house prices have rocketed. You're letting the side down!'. So we're offered brutality, or cheerleading. What have we come to?

My generation and my class are every bit as to blame as are those who were out looting and rioting. Middle-class enclaves like Ealing are horribly illustrative -- everyone is locked up indoors with their children and possessions, indifferent to the fate of those up the road in Acton. Students who graduated through the 1990s who took their degrees and ran to the City now join those at the start of this blog who shore up wealth and greenery and fresh-air opportunity on tax-light estates.

Who's to know what to do? Well, it doesn't have to be doom, gloom, brutality or cheerleading. Perhaps it's a moment to become humane. To look for contentment in modest privilege, not rampant individualised excess. To feel some kind of social responsibility, and care. I can't recommend enough this amazing address by Jimmy Reid, given to the University of Glasgow. Try not to feel too depressed that this was 1973 and we've not listened to a word, but rather note the tone of community, fellow feeling, social love. A wonderful, brave, beautifully eloquent, moving thing. And he was friends with Billy Connolly - what's not to like?

And, surely, surely, surely - taxation is the only civilised, humane way of sustaining a society?

* All photos taken on our holiday in Yorkshire, August 2011