The Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing

So the deficit reduction plan is now well on the way, the list of savings is endless; so many different controversial cuts are happening that it’s impossible to keep track of them all. One of those cuts that have almost gone under the radar is the sell-off of much of the forestland in the UK.

This is a pure example of the thought processes in the government and how flawed they are; there is absolutely nothing more important than tackling the deficit they say, we must save as much money as possible they say but the thing about the sell-off of the forests is that much of that land isn’t really the government’s to give away.

Britain’s forests are almost entirely owned by the people of the country, else they’re owned by the crown; making this land freely available to the public for the enjoyment of everyone in this country.

The Forest of Dean is one of the forests selected to be released from public ownership.

The thing is that the government see the forests as an asset that can be sold off, their ideology says that the forests might be better managed by the private sector; this misses the point. Just because the government feel that the Forestry Commission doesn’t do a perfect job, it doesn’t mean that they’re allowed to simply take away 50% of our countries forests from their care.

But as I have already stated, Britain’s forests are NOT an asset that can be lightly sold; if the government wants to sell them they should put it to the people, this decision is as serious as a change in the voting system and should be put to a referendum. But this will never happen, as per usual the government have become detached from their duties to this country; the obsession with the deficit is producing a horrifying dystopia revolving around money and economics. If we do not stop actions such as these we will lose those few things that make this country great; from the compassion of being able to receive free health care to the ability to roam much of the most beautiful landscapes freely.

It is clear now that this government only “knows the price of everything and the value of nothing” (Oscar Wilde)