Ambition and aspiration

From BBC news: Ministers 'back' Brown for leader.

"My vision is to build a home-owning, asset-owning democracy, a Britain of ambition and aspiration, where all and not just the few have the chance to own their own homes, buy shares and build up assets," said Gordon Brown...

Oh lawdy-lawd... "Ambition and aspiration"? Fine sentiments, Mr Brown. Sure, we all want to own our homes, and be worth something. But just watch that "i want, i want" culture aspirate the last drops of socialism out of the British. Methinks you are trying to appeal to the last dredges of Old Labour supporters, while using the aspirational language (read: spin) that New Labourites understand so well.

Are we moving towards the American model of self-sufficiency? While a nanny state is not desirable, neither is a health service run by profit. Sure, reform of the NHS, welfare and education systems are needed. But not in the direction New Labour intends... Through my naïve eyes, these bodies are top-heavy; full of well-educated, well-meaning managers, who are essentially bureaucrats, pushing memos and papers from office to office. Is it too simplistic to ask that many of these people be replaced with those who do the real work (you know, nurses, docs, teachers, care workers)? And while the managers are happily imbibing chardonnay/cabernet sauvignon (which grape are we casually insulting now?) in their Wimpey/Barratt houses, and climbing the property ladder, support staff find it almost impossible to convince banks to even give them a mortgage...

Oh dear... How did we get here again?