 G'bye Britain. It was nice knowing you.
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BritainÂ’s main opposition Conservative Party has symbolically elected to sever all overt links with Thatchernomics and the WestÂ’s formulaic politics of wealth creation, with its fresh-faced new young leader David Cameron declaring General Well Being (GWB) rather than Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to be the right measure of a countryÂ’s prosperity. | Aaaaaaarrrgh! Although GWB could also be read as George Walker Bush... |
CameronÂ’s insistence on well-being rather than wealth indices on Monday borrows an idea long propounded by BhutanÂ’s Jigme Singye Wangchuk, who junked Gross National Product (GNP) for Gross National Happiness (GNH) soon after he came to the throne a quarter-century ago. Sociologists said the new Conservative mantra that "there is more to life than money" is the first time a major, traditional, centre-right Western political force has openly rejected individualism and the profit motive. For Britain, Thatcherism remains one of the most fiercely disliked, controversial and divisive ideologies ever. The grocerÂ’s daughter who became BritainÂ’s first woman PM is blamed for cutting away at social responsibility, promoting rampant free-market profiteering and a brash boom-and-bust cycle of endless money-making. Thatcher, who is arguably BritainÂ’s most towering modern leader, is vilified for placing success over a social conscience and valuing economic recovery more than emotional release. Now, CameronÂ’s neo-Bhutanese blueprint for a happier Britain is seen to snap the Conservative PartyÂ’s links to Thatcher. Cameron is personally wealthy and has a privileged background said, "Wealth is about so much more than pounds, or euros or dollars can ever measure. Well-being cannot be measured by money or traded in markets. It cannot be required by law or delivered by government. It is about the beauty of our surroundings, the quality of our culture and above all the strength of our relationships." |