Ich tu so, als wär das Ganze eine dieser wuunderbaren Leerstellen/ Antizipationsübungen, die meine Schüler so lieben (sie mögen sie tatsächlich), im Sinne von "four years on".
Über diesen Ausschnitt denke ich nach:
So here we are facing the possibility unique in our 100 year history, of governing Britain for a third successive term.
Never done it before.
Never debated it before.
Never imagined it before.
Progressive parties, like the Labour Party, rarely fail because of their values.
Fairness, justice, solidarity, opportunity for all.
These are the impulses of any decent human spirit.
No. We almost always fail when we don't foresee the future in which those values must be applied.
The values require steadfast conviction.
But the future requires restless courage to know and act upon the coming reality, however hard the challenge it holds.
And when the two, conviction and courage, combine their strength and take on the challenges, they beat them and in time what was a challenge, becomes part of the new consensus.
Reflect on the things once the passionate subject of controversy, people no longer talk about.
Remember the march for jobs.
No-one talks of mass unemployment now.
When two weeks ago it fell to its lowest level for 30 years, it passed without notice.
Who did it? The British people, by voting for change.
There are people who a decade ago could tell you of interest rates double what they are today, of homes repossessed, of families who didn't know from one week to the next where the mortgage payments were going to come from.
But who talks of boom and bust economics today?
Who did it? The British people by voting for change.
And when was the last time you heard of a winter crisis in the health service or the scandal of outside toilets in primary schools, now that this country, Britain, is the only one anywhere in the developed world increasing public spending on health and education every year, year on year, as a proportion of our national income?
And who did it? The British people by voting for change.
When did you last hear of pensioners freezing to death in the cold because they couldn't afford the heating?
Or how great a debate is there today about the break-up of the United Kingdom, now that Scotland has its Parliament and Wales its Assembly? But 12 years ago an election was fought on it.
A week ago, after the talks at Leeds Castle on Northern Ireland, an 18-year-old asked me: "How come we never hear much about Northern Ireland?"
But we used to wake up every morning to it, didn't we?
And remember when to be in favour of gay rights was to be a loony leftie, race relations was political correctness, and Red Ken frightened people even as brave as your own leadership?
Now the parties compete for the gay vote, unite against the BNP and Ken has led and won the debate on congestion charging and community policing.
So many things that used to divide our country bitterly, now unite it in healthy consensus.
Who did it? The British people, by voting for change.
Or when the next election comes, will they say Labour can't run the economy; there'll be a run on the markets; that Labour can't defend Britain or won't support the police?
No.
Labour is working.
Britain is working.
Die Aufgabe sähe in etwa so aus:
Hi Eddie (spin doctor in the play),
here's some ideas on what I could say to begin the Party Conference speech 2004:- remind people that for the first time in a hundred years of Party History, a Labour Government has a chance to be elected for the third time in a row.
- stress the point that our values (fairness, justice, solidarity, equality for all etc.) have remained the same, but that the future demands new ways of applying those values
- say something like that, because we've been in government for two terms, things have gotten so much better that people don't notice it any more, because the issues are not controvercial any more. For example
- Mass Unemployment: Fell to lowest level in thirty years two weeks ago, noone noticed
- no more boom and bust economics, ordinary people can pay their mortgage and do much better in general
- no more health or education scandals (like that horrible thing about the primary school with outdoor toilets), we're the only country anywhere in the developed world increasing public spending on health and education every year as a proportion of our national income
- no more stories about pensioners freezing to death in winter because they can't afford the heating
- no more troubles in Northern Ireland
- to be for gay rights has become ok, to fight for minorities has become ok, to be a political radical has become ok
- link all of this somehow to the British people who wanted all these changes and so voted Labour
- Britain is doing fine under our government
1. Read the suggestions carefully and think about ways in which they could be included in the beginning of a conference speech.
2. Try to find "memorable phrases" and other rhetorical devices to spice up the speech.
3. Help one of your group to prepare to hold the speech you decided on.
Ist jetzt ein bsischen aus dem Ärmel geschüttelt, muss ich noch kürzen. Es geht ja gar nicht drum, dass sie ihre Rede so formulieren wie Blair, sondern dass sie sich überlegen, wie man so etwas machen könnte, und dann mit größerer Aufmerksamkeit verfolgen, wie Blair es denn nun gemacht hat. Klarer?
w.
Gibt's eigentlich die Kategorie "pragmatische Lyrik"?
