Thursday 3 November 2016

Hen Harrier debate

A good example of how our democracy does not work. The Hen Harrier issue is about the over exploitation of the grouse moors, the contribution that makes to the ongoing increase risk of flooding (due to climate warming), the illegal killing of grouse-hunting birds of prey i.e. Hen Harrier and the over intensive rearing of stock to maximise the shooters bags.   

None of these issues were systematically debated or investigated in full. Instead it was mainly just a three hour information dump on all kinds of generic issues surrounding the management of grouse moors and highlighting all the positive aspects by a majority of stakeholders with a vested interest . It's a bit like a paedophile ring working in a school trying to justify themselves by advocating the principle of education, the benefits of the education system and the value it gives to society. A ring that then responds to whistle blowers by forming a committee made up of themselves to decide whether they are in the wrong or not. 

Three hour white wash, massive dump of words- job done. Business as usual. Turkey run democracy. Capitalists win again. 

Direct action, people pressure and activism is a necessary component of social and environmental change and the sooner the conservation movement and NGOs accept and openly support that, the quicker we can all start moving foward with this. 

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