May 12, 2005
HE SOUNDS MORE LIKE A REPUBLICAN EVERY DAY...:
You are to blame for yobbish children, Blair tells parents: Families are urged to turn their children away from thuggery, binge-drinking and vandalism (Philip Webster, 5/13/05, Times of London)
TONY BLAIR criticised parents yesterday for failing to bring up their children properly as he made the restoration of respect and an end to yobbish behaviour priorities for his remaining time as Prime Minister.He said that the election campaign had shown him time and again that one of the main worries of the people was the lack of respect shown by some, particularly the young, towards others; and the genuine fear of some middle-aged and elderly people about going to towns and shopping centres because of the unruly behaviour of a minority.
“Respect towards other people is a modern yearning as much as a traditional one,” Mr Blair said, adding that while he could bring in new laws he could not raise people’s children for them.
Too bad the only basis for that respect is found in tradition, not modernity. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 12, 2005 10:15 PM
Blair seems to be trying to become the Labour Party's answer to Bill Cosby (minus the parternity suit and sex harassment allegations, I would presume).
Posted by: John at May 13, 2005 12:30 AMI love this. For two generations we stand by and watch as parental authority is undermined progressively through family law, popular therepeutic and victim culture, educational diktat, social welfare gestapos, childrens' rights advocacy, anti-corporal punishment activists etc. Then, when it all comes a cropper, we give the parents a stern talking to about their responsibilities.
Posted by: Peter B at May 13, 2005 7:13 AMPeter's got it right. The state has actively worked at undermining all that worked to civilize and form human beings as capable of self-government. The unintended consequences have come home to roost. We now have 'third wayers' planning a new approach in order to maintain the power they used as social/statists to create the mess. When I hear one of these guys speak about returning power to localities and parents while substantially reducing their taxes and ending the experiment in top-down education policy and at the same time redirecting their allegiance away from teachers unions and toward parents I'll begin to listen.
Posted by: Tom C., Stamford, Ct. at May 13, 2005 9:00 AMDid Blair admit his culpability in the 'yobbish' behavior of at least one of his kids while doing this or does rank still have its privilege?
Britain nearly illegalized parental spanking of children, and the EU probably will in short order. So much for Third Way.
Posted by: bart at May 13, 2005 9:09 AM