Posted on 07/19/2004 9:47:04 AM PDT by Rutles4Ever
Tony Blair today launched an extraordinary attack on the decline of the traditional family and the rise of "different lifestyles".
In a speech which risked a backlash from single parents' groups and Labour MPs, the Prime Minister said the culture of the "Swinging Sixties" was partly to blame for crime and social breakdown.
"A society of different lifestyles spawned a group of young people who were brought up without parental discipline, without proper role models and without any sense of responsibility to others," said Mr Blair. "All of this was then multiplied in effect by the economic and social changes that altered the established pattern of community life in cities, towns and villages."
He added: "Today, people have had enough of this part of the 1960s consensus. People do not want a return to old prejudices and ugly discrimination. But they do want rules, order and proper behaviour. They want a community where the decent lawabiding majority are in charge."
(Excerpt) Read more at thisislondon.com ...
This guy is growing on me.
wants to win re-election, but this guy is a believing Christian from what I've read.
Sounds like straight out of Bush's playbook!
He's got a houseful of kids too.
Reminds me of Austin Powers' speech to Dr. Evil on the difference between the 60s and the 90s:
"Freedom and responsibility, it's a very groovy mix, baby!"
:-)
I agree. It's sad that we live in a world where the desire for safety, security and family values are mocked as being out of touch and prejudicial. Good for Tony.
I've heard that, if it weren't for his brain-dead leftist shrew of a wife, Tony would be right at home as a Tory. Ivan, what do you think?
Tony is awesome! It's about time someone else takes a stand against permissive behavior and irresponsiblity!
Amen brother! Hanging out with W. is doing old Tony some good!
....Mr Blair spoke out in a speech to a community centre in Somers Town, Camden, as he launched the Government's law and order strategy. His words will be seen as highly controversial because they appeared to criticise divorced couples and single parents for failing to give their children proper role models.
The speech evoked memories of John Major's infamous "back to basics" speech, which attacked the permissive society but backfired disastrously when a string of Tory MPs were caught up in sex and financial scandals.
Mr Blair blamed "swinging Sixties" attitudes for encouraging criminals to think they could get away with it. He said laudable attempts to understand criminal behaviour had bred "freedom without responsibility" while a new generation of criminals were more violent and better organised.
"The petty criminals were no longer the bungling but wrongheaded villains of old, but drug pushers and drug abusers, desperate and without any residual moral sense."
Mr Blair added: "I got used to the society of fear in the Eighties, canvassing on the Holly Street estate in Hackney - now thankfully greatly improved - when people were too scared to open the door and the letterboxes had burn marks where lighted rags had been shoved through them."
The clampdown on yobbish behaviour aims to identify the 50 worst offenders in each area and bring them to justice. The measure is at the centre of a package of hardline law-and-order policies being announced by Home Secretary David Blunkett, who accompanied Mr Blair on today's visit.
It comes as Scotland Yard revealed the results of the first four weeks of its three-month blitz on drunken troublemakers in London, codenamed Operation Optic. Figures released to the Evening Standard show that roving riot squads made more than 200 arrests in 14 boroughs for offences including violence and robbery.
Under today's proposals, residents and businesses will be asked to nominate the 50 worstbehaved individuals who make life a misery in their neighbourhood. Police will target them with antisocial behaviour orders where possible. The experiment will be tried first in 50 areas, including at least two London boroughs, Westminster and Camden.
The Government hopes the plans will reassure voters before figures later this week show a rise in violent offences despite an overall fall in crime.
Mr Blunkett claimed the new measures would help him meet a tough new target to cut crime by 15 per cent in five years. He admitted Britain was suffering from the spread of "antisocial behaviour, drug-taking, fear [over] walking down the street late at night". He was announcing details of the five-year plan to MPs in the Commons this afternoon.
Ministers fear that growing concern over drink-fuelled violence will play into Tory hands at the election expected next year.
The Home Secretary has pinned some of the blame on women, claiming an upsurge in female binge drinking meant they no longer acted as a restraining influence on men. He pledged to act if extended pub opening hours under the new Licensing Act brought a rise in violence.
'splains why he never liked Clinton.
"Blair Attacks "Swinging 60's""
G-d damn hippies.
Liberty without responsibility is destructive and leads to inevitable tyranny. That's what the founders of this nation knew and this generation has forgotten or dismissed. Self-government can only exist if the people are willing to be responsibile for themselves.
BTTT
Inside every bleeding-heart moderate/socialist/leftist, there's a conservative just screaming to get out. Unfortunately, it takes real world experiences like getting mugged, seeing 3000 Americans die on a beautiful tuesday morning, or having the government confiscate half your paycheck for most people to realize it. Glad to see Blair's war credentials are being matched by his moral credentials. The guy grows on me every day.
i blame benny hill
Now if he'd just back quietly away from his attacks on foxhunting and country life, we'd be all set.
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