"We've seen it all before" - Tory lies ("promises")

Mary B on political promises - "we've seen it all before..."

http://timesonline.typepad.com/dons_life/2010/07/big-society-cassandra-speaks.html

My comment (first a language appetizer, then the meat):

@Oliver N: There was certainly a distinctive Home Counties rendering of French (Ed Heath speaking to De Gaulle).
Anyway, as far as Latin pronunciation is concerned Michael B points to the man who says it all, "Vox Latina, Sidney Allen" (Cantab).
As for rational politics, reason only occurs in public affairs if it forms part of the ruling ideology. During the long Social Democratic interregnum (ie Welfare State "Golden Years") in Sweden, there were umpteen inquiries commissioned in which well-balanced groups of serious people looked at evidence and made sensible decisions about education, pensions, etc. Since this worked well, and was a "Good Thing", it was trumpeted by good people I've translated for into a fixed star of the Swedish political system.
Then things got back to normal (ie bourgeois "democratic" hell) and the inquiry system was brought back to normal too. Single-sod inquiries paying lip service to principles plucked out of the PM's arse, and churning out unreasonable conclusions serving the rulers and their ideology.
Oh, and about money... 
First, *of course* you can solve problems by throwing money at them, the only issue is which problems you choose to solve this way - ie nuclear development programmes, fat cat remuneration and banking crises, or health, education, welfare and classical studies. 
Second, we can always afford what we need to afford. The Britain that introduced the Welfare State was a beggar in rags compared to today's bespoke-tailored and gleaming-fanged vampire, and yet...