Comments on: Walking Class Hero: A common treasury for all

By: walking class hero

walking class hero — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:40:49 +0000

One of the aims of this blog is to encourage dialogue so it is probably an appropriate point to emphasise that the views expressed are my own and not necessarily those of The Ramblers AND they are often explicitly political. On the broader questions of the environment I would offer the defence that ‘the government started it’ when David Cameron made the ludicrous statement of ‘being the greenest governnment ever’. As such they deserve to be measured constantly against this and also deserve ridicule when they fall short.

From an economic viewpoint it would be fair to say Prof David Blanchflower http://www.dartmouth.edu/~blnchflr/ articulates views that I support. As such I think this government ‘insults’ us all by its insistence that the cuts are necessary ‘and that we are all in this together’.

My paranoia over the review stems from the government’s track record so far – forestry land, solar panels, pasties etc. From my ‘real world view’ as a walker, taxpayer, citizen, amongst other things, the current National Trails model while not being perfect by and large works well and therefore feel this is just a political diversion.

I probably haven’t addressed all your points but I’d like to end with 2 comments:

1 that I believe your linking national trails and cancer care is entirely spurious. You might not be surprised to learn that I reckon the government would be better served collecting the taxes owed by corporations than making cuts to our NHS and other institutions

2 keep the comments coming – walking really is a broad church with plenty of room for a wide spectrum of opinions (have I mixed my metaphors there?)

walking class hero

By: Sam

Sam — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 12:16:59 +0000

Aside from any other consideration – what’s wrong with reviewing things? You instantly assume reviewing means cancelling, but it doesnt – you just hear about the reviews that lead to cancellations. Most reviews are compiled to maintain efficiency, make sure guidlines for best practise are followed and generally make sure things are running alright. You accuse a government who inherited the most difficult job a government has ever had since WWII of being ‘idiotic’ with obviously very little conception yourself of how people in the real world function. If people in the real world are given a straight up choice – we have the money to fund cancer care or national trails, which one do you think would win?

The conclusions you have jumped to upon the mere suggestion that the current system is checked over sound paranoid. Your choice to deliver personal insults to government members and ridiculous accusations that on a purely chronological basis make no sense (ignoring that geographically and upon financial examination they continue not to) make you sound petty and ignorant of the situation you have a duty to manouver in. Your reference to the views of people from half a century ago lacks any relevance to the current climate. And if you’re so worried about the review finding the national trails a waste of money, surely instead of insulting the review you should be expending your energy pre-empting the findings of the review and finding counter arguments to it already? Or looking at the alternative proposals and working out how the Ramblers will react to their implimentation as a plan b? Just some suggestions as to how better you can spend your time than innaccurate propaganda that ultimately is more likely to hurt your cause in the view of people with the power to help than help it in any significant way

By: Keith Badger - LongWalker

Keith Badger - LongWalker — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:18:36 +0000

Spot on!! As a Yank who loves walking the National Trails in the UK, and who has likewise walked a great bit of the National Parks and long-distance trails in the USA, the trail system you have is beyond anything to be found worldwide. The Ramblers should be equally proud and vigilant in keeping these national treasures protected, and open to all. I wish that every country would take note of, and emulate, the work accomplished!