Broken.
Brokeness.
Broke Backed.
The dictionary defines the word broken in different ways.
Medical - a broken arm.
Personal - a broken promise.
Disarray - police dispersing in broken ranks.
Psychological - a broken heart.
Or just plain not working - a broken dishwasher.
What I couldn't find is any reference to broken societies, broken criminal justice systems or broken economies.
But David Cameron, George Osborne and now Ken Clarke are prefacing their comments about society with the word broken.
Yesterday was a good test of whether this is true.
We are needing to do some work to make our house safer and easier for us to live in now we are older.
So we looked at what we could do and set about finding ways to pay for it.
First we contacted an organisation which helps with equity release, it is a social benefit organisation, they still exist but have been instructed by the FSA that they must refer people to commercial lenders.
So we looked out of the front door and there was a line of rich people, getting richer, with their hands out waiting to take advantage by helping themselves to our money, or at least the money tied up in the house, our equity, for doing nothing useful that I could see.
So then we contacted the local authority.
The relevant department has had its grant withdrawn so there is no money to help in cases like ours. The same department has had its staff reduced and those that are left have had their hours cut.
So basically a helpful system that had been put in place to help people to continue to live in their own homes and manage for themselves without needing to make demands on public services has been - well, Broken.
By whom and by what?
Swinging cuts that are now taking effect reducing services and placing impossible strains on those who work in them?
The powerful ensuring that their version of fairness exists to benefit their wealthy friends?
It doesn't really help going round saying that things are broken when they are not. It helps even less going round breaking things to prove a point.
A senior Conservative politician was overheard referring to the coalition as being Broke Back.
We really don't need the tired rhetoric of the coalition's theory of brokeness.
We need a Government capable of fixing things.
Brokeness.
Broke Backed.
The dictionary defines the word broken in different ways.
Medical - a broken arm.
Personal - a broken promise.
Disarray - police dispersing in broken ranks.
Psychological - a broken heart.
Or just plain not working - a broken dishwasher.
What I couldn't find is any reference to broken societies, broken criminal justice systems or broken economies.
But David Cameron, George Osborne and now Ken Clarke are prefacing their comments about society with the word broken.
Yesterday was a good test of whether this is true.
We are needing to do some work to make our house safer and easier for us to live in now we are older.
So we looked at what we could do and set about finding ways to pay for it.
First we contacted an organisation which helps with equity release, it is a social benefit organisation, they still exist but have been instructed by the FSA that they must refer people to commercial lenders.
So we looked out of the front door and there was a line of rich people, getting richer, with their hands out waiting to take advantage by helping themselves to our money, or at least the money tied up in the house, our equity, for doing nothing useful that I could see.
So then we contacted the local authority.
The relevant department has had its grant withdrawn so there is no money to help in cases like ours. The same department has had its staff reduced and those that are left have had their hours cut.
So basically a helpful system that had been put in place to help people to continue to live in their own homes and manage for themselves without needing to make demands on public services has been - well, Broken.
By whom and by what?
Swinging cuts that are now taking effect reducing services and placing impossible strains on those who work in them?
The powerful ensuring that their version of fairness exists to benefit their wealthy friends?
It doesn't really help going round saying that things are broken when they are not. It helps even less going round breaking things to prove a point.
A senior Conservative politician was overheard referring to the coalition as being Broke Back.
We need a Government capable of fixing things.
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