On 26 June, I reflected on the United States government policy of "City Shrinking" and noted that our former Deputy Prime Minister was something of a convert to this way of thinking, in the context of some old Northern industrial areas over here. I also noted that Mr Prescott acknowledged the need for a "Shrink" (ie psychological counsellor) himself with respect to an eating disorder.
Today, I want to reflect again on these two meanings of "shrink" (verb and noun), this time with regard to the state of Britain.
Yesterday, Deborah Orr, writing in The Independent newspaper, recommended that the state needed to be significantly, but also selectively, reduced in size, a view with which I concur.
However, I would also suggest that our "State", like Mr Prescott, also needs a Shrink. The lengthy reading lists for the public British Broadcasting Corporation's "Headroom Campaign", intended to help people deal with "depression" and make them happier are a case in point : for amongst these lists, I would suggest, are a number of volumes likely to have precisely the opposite effect on most people. But perhaps "misery" is essential to state/media control.
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