Britain: the world's first 'Supernanny' state
These day's, the modern British government's relations with its electorate is more like the way parents deal with wayward teenagers. A New Labour analyst pretty much confirmed this last year when they told The Guardian newspaper that the government; 'are like parents dealing with teenagers, who are unwilling to be controlled but not ready to take responsibility for their lives'.If that doesn't sum up the way the government views the public, the Prime Minister will make it official today. According to the children's minister Beverley Hughes, the well-being of our kids are at risk unless the government deploys an army of supernannies for the benefit of parents. It makes you wonder how British society has managed to survive for so long without the help of New Labour's parenting experts. In the past, governments used to see the role of bringing up children as strictly a private matter - not any more. The tendency to interfere in private matters seems to be the driving motivational force for the government these days.
Apparently, Tony Blair did try to rubbish those who argued that the creation of a National Academy for Parenting Practitioner, was another form of state interfering and nannying - of course, the PM was right, Britain isn't a 'nanny state', it's more what The Times (London) would call a 'Supernanny state'. Britain is fast becoming a state that apparently knows what's best for you and me, and woe betide any fool who has the temerity not to sing government approved nursery rhymes to their babies.
Labels: Micro-management, New Labour
posted by Courtney Hamilton @ 2:30 PM
7 Comments:
Might be fun to see John Prescott on the naughty step though next time he messes up.
I think we'll see a cat playing a fiddle and a cow jumping over the moon before Prescott gets a telling off from the supernanny brigade.
Parenting is not difficult or complicated at all, and supernanny always one point - spend time with your kids and listen to them, play with them and have fun.
Unfortunately, people's lives include little time for this interaction which is so valuable for kids. They want our time.
I always say parenting is the toughest job in the world, we have the responsibility of bringing up our kids to be happy, healthy and well adjusted for coping with life.
I've tagged you today, btw, hope you don't mind.
George Monbiot didn't return my email, so we couldn't meet up, unfortunately, maybe another time.
I hate the nannying stuff--it pops up here, too. If the government really wants to help us, why don't they try getting the lousy drivers off the roads?
It's going to take a lot more than drafting in "supernannies" to change this country. You are exactly right when you highlight that the government is behaving like parents dealing with teenagers.
We need schemes that help us 'mature', not infantalise us - and that is why this scheme will fail.
Oh god, now the nannies are going to become a quango too. I tell you, one day in the next five years we'll wake up and find that there isn't anyone in the country who doesn't work for the government.
(I like this blog. I am coming back.)
(And will blogroll too. Once I can bring myself to look at my own blog again.)
haha the nanny hypocrisy - first of all the liberal state says that parents shouldn't do this shouldn't do that to compromise their childrens liberties but then when things go pear-shaped the same parents are told to control their children but how?
Why using the abundance of nanny advice plaguing reality tv of course. Thank goodness for television experts right?
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