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World-changing activism, take 2.
Dec. 7th, 2009 04:46 pmThings are slow at work, so I thought I'd finally take a look at the dull-but-effective route to making the world a better place; commenting on government consultations.
Because it's the early stages - before bills and amendments are drafted, before the media storm means that everyone has a Daily-Mail opinion - where it's really possible to get some loving liberalism (I had said "common sense" but that phrase is so often used against "political correctness gone mad" that I just couldn't use it with a straight face) into law and policy.
But wow, they don't make it easy. Central consultations are spread over at least 30 government websites, every local council has their own consultation page too. Of course the titles are as dry and convoluted as possible: I'd have to read every single one of them to find the clauses that will become the next Digital Economy Bill Fail in six months' time, and I probably don't have the esoteric knowledge required to understand half of them and yeah. There's clearly important stuff in there; things I caught on just an overview include drugs education policy, new immigration rules, and possible sites for nuclear power stations. But my gods is it hidden. And sometimes the "consultation" takes the form of a questionnaire full of leading questions and propaganda, which makes my skin crawl.
I'm going to have to come back to this in the Christmas holidays, when I've more time on my hands. But it's here if you want to have a look for yourself.
Because it's the early stages - before bills and amendments are drafted, before the media storm means that everyone has a Daily-Mail opinion - where it's really possible to get some loving liberalism (I had said "common sense" but that phrase is so often used against "political correctness gone mad" that I just couldn't use it with a straight face) into law and policy.
But wow, they don't make it easy. Central consultations are spread over at least 30 government websites, every local council has their own consultation page too. Of course the titles are as dry and convoluted as possible: I'd have to read every single one of them to find the clauses that will become the next Digital Economy Bill Fail in six months' time, and I probably don't have the esoteric knowledge required to understand half of them and yeah. There's clearly important stuff in there; things I caught on just an overview include drugs education policy, new immigration rules, and possible sites for nuclear power stations. But my gods is it hidden. And sometimes the "consultation" takes the form of a questionnaire full of leading questions and propaganda, which makes my skin crawl.
I'm going to have to come back to this in the Christmas holidays, when I've more time on my hands. But it's here if you want to have a look for yourself.
