http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... irite-coup
In his article in the Guardian Len McCluskey clearly believes he is criticising the direction of Ed Miliband's leadership of the Labour Party. McCluskey reserves special mention of Liam Byrne, Jim Murphy, Stephen Twigg, and Ed Balls. McCluskey will also believe he is speaking on behalf of the union members he claims to represent.

What will the general union membership understand by Len McCluskey referring to the “four horsemen of the austerity apocalypse”? Does McCluskey have any idea what the union membership will understand by this use of language? Why does McCluskey liken four Labour politicians to “four horsemen”; and what does McCluskey mean by “apocalypse”?

McCluskey is looking to say what the people who elected him wants to hear..... The trouble is the people who elected him cannot in the main see further than the end of their own noses.

Interestingly he said the the Labour leadership taking this approach it makes them unelectable!! On the contrary I am much more likely to support a political party at an election who recognises their is a problem and is prepared to adopt austerity plans to tackle it.

Today I am a little closer to treating the Labour leadership a little more seriously... At least we might get some sensible debate on the issues at hand and what to cut and when now.

I agree with you Geezer466. But I'm intrigued as to what McCluskey thinks he is saying to the union membership. Why does he liken four Labour top-brass to four horsemen? And what does he mean by apocalypse?

As I understand it 'apocalypse' means uncovering, disclosure, to reveal, to make bare. So is McCluskey saying that the “four horsemen”; namely Byrne, Murphy, Twigg, and Balls, are revealing the austerity; the austerity that most of us are only too aware of? Or is McCluskey saying that the four horsemen are only now revealing the truth of the austerity to UNION MEMBERS who until now have been blinded to the truth by Labour and the union leaders? If McCluskey is saying that “the four horsemen” are only now able to reveal the truth to union members, then why is McCluskey so concerned that the truth remains hidden from union members?

The four horsemen that I am most aware of ride coloured horses; the first horse being white, the second horse is red, the third is black, and the fourth horse is pale green. The white horse represents a deceiving bringer of a false peace; the red a bringer of war; the black represents famine; and the pale green represents death by hunger, murder, war, disease, and wild animals. The four horsemen represent only the beginnings of Divine judgement – a judgement of righteousness.

Is McCluskey saying that the four horsemen, Byrne, Murphy, Twigg, and Balls are actually the means of Divine judgement? If that is what McCluskey is saying, then why isn't McCluskey warning union members that they must change their ways or face judgement? Which side is McCluskey on – the side of justice, or the side of injustice – the side of righteousness, or the side of unrighteousness?

If McCluskey really does know and understand the true significance of the four horsemen in the context of The Apocalypse, then McCluskey really has no excuse for deliberately misleading union members and the general public.

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Its not always the biggest and the bestest, its them that make the least mistakes.

The Unions, whilst being good for some things, as posted above, can't see further than the end of their own noses.

The country needs to save money, not waste more.

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Lets be careful out there !

I think you credit McCluskey with far too much intelligence Westonman....

He simply used the reference from Revelations to try and drive home how deep and serious he believes the cuts are going to be. Most persons of course have heard of the 4 horsemen, most will know that Revelations foresees the end of time itself. Of course had not the Blair/Brown governments inflated the public sector workforce far and away beyond anything that had come before then these cuts would not have had to have been so deep so quick. Most of McCluskeys members will be in the Public Sector and will of course leave the Trade Union once they move/lose employment.

I also think McCluskey listens to Johnny Cash songs, (one of which was made high profile on the BBC quite recently in a well publicised trailer) this may well be where he may well have got the idea to use the language he used...

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/ ... 8F00147BCF