Re: Greens far more democratic, July 18.
“Surely you jest” writes Iain Boyle. Who is this “you”? The man should have the manners to address people through the editor, not by childish backchat. (A practice I wish you, sir, would edit completely out of these columns.) The solecism is followed by three major errors, in short order.
First, his string of complaints cannot be laid at the feet of the Green Party, which is not part of the government. Such good influence as they have had is the result of hard negotiation.
Secondly, Green policy of ending poverty will not end “all incentive” to succeed. This implies that success is defined as making money, and that poverty is a good incentive. Wrong on both counts. To people of principle, success is a much bigger concept; and experience tells us that liberating people makes them more useful, not less.
Finally, the suggestion of transforming to a banana republic is confused. Its definitions refer to state capitalism for the benefit of the ruling classes and export of natural resources: precisely what we are trying to get away from.
