Whats your political stance

[HURLOCK]

here is some interesting reading:

www.politicalcompass.org/extremeright

The BNP have more policies that are akin to the commies than to the tories. And are where Labour were (on economic policies, anyway) in the 1972 election. Labour and the LibDems are much more Right wing than in the early 1970s and 80s.

Just a thought for all those Labour supporters on here that think they support a Left wing party, you don't. The only way Labour could get elected was by becoming more Right wing

www.politicalcompass.org/test

[jh1980]

Seems I've become if anything more radical in my later 20s... sure I didn't used to be this far along the lines...!

[Teesside White]

i was left libertarian......but only just on both counts lol

[jh1980]

theteessidewhite said:

i was left libertarian......but only just on both counts lol

I appear to be somewhere around Gandhi!

And they suggest I'd agree with the Green Party, which is worse!

[GeoFox]

hurlock said:

The BNP have more policies that are akin to the commies than to the tories. And are where Labour were (on economic policies, anyway) in the 1972 election. Labour and the LibDems are much more Right wing than in the early 1970s and 80s.

their economic policies, yes which is the left-right of that compass. The BNP are protectionist and you either agree with that sort of politics or you don't.

But what makes the BNP abhorrent is its extreme authoritarian stance, which is the up-down of that graph. The reason they are so far up that is their views on race etc. And if you follow that website, New Labour is a little bit, albeit not much further away from the BNP than the Tories in that regard.

But to be honest, the questions don't seem to relate too well to the grid, in what I expected anyway. I seemed to be closer to the Greens, and far far away from any of the 3 major parties. I don't particularly feel my political stance is in any way radical.

[HURLOCK]

Whilst I don't agree with their policies, I can understand why people warm to them. People have had enough of free loaders, and because of Labours fear of dealing with these real issues the BNP and the likes increase in popularity.

The thre main parties need to take a proper stance and they will dissapear, but will the freeloaders....

[Arnold]

jh1980 said:

Seems I've become if anything more radical in my later 20s... sure I didn't used to be this far along the lines...!

I end up 2 1/2 squares up and half a square to the right from you Jules.

Basically in the exact same square as Gandhi.

[GeoFox]

I see your point but I think there is a lot of sensationalist stuff about freeloading and the like in the tabloid press which influences people. Generally speaking, not in all cases of course, I think most immigrants come here to work, and make a living. There are of course arguments for restricting immigration, particularly surrounding available infrastructure, space, housing, economic need and even cultural cohesion, but the BNP exploit and propel people's fears and prejudices.

The centre ground is crowded in British politics - Labour have moved to the right and the Tories to the left to be electable but the core support for each party hasn't moved as much. The BNP exploit the gap created on the right and the left if that makes sense.

[Fizzy Bread]

Interesting questions there but it ultimately arrived at what I already knew..

[GeoFox]

anarchist?

[CHOPPER READ]

Totalitarian.

[Arnold]

markbrandonread said:

Totalitarian.

Totalitarianism state regulation of nearly every aspect of public and private behavior. Totalitarian regimes or movements maintain themselves in political power by means of secret police, propaganda disseminated through the state-controlled mass media, personality cults, regulation and restriction of free discussion and criticism, single-party states, the use of mass surveillance, and widespread use of terror tactics.


Many consider the first totalitarian regimes to have begun in the 20th century, which include the communist regime of the Soviet Union, as well as right-wing totalitarianism of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Spain under Franco, Portugal under Salazar as well as others. However some argue that totalitarianism has existed centuries prior, such as in ancient China under the political leadership of Prime Minister Li Si who helped the Qin dynasty unify China. Li Si adopted the political philosophy of Legalism as the ruling philosophical thought of China and restricted political activities and destroyed all literature and killed scholars who did not support Legalism. Totalitarianism was also used by the Spartan state in Ancient Greece.[1]

There is significant controversy over the terms totalitarian and totalitarianism, as well as the concepts themselves (see below).

Some political scientists, especially those in the field of comparative politics, have applied the term "totalitarian" to modern regimes which do this.

Influential scholars such as Lawrence Aronsen, Karl Popper, Hannah Arendt, Carl Friedrich, and Juan Linz have each described totalitarianism in a slightly different way. Common to all definitions is the attempt to mobilize entire populations in support of the official state ideology, and the intolerance of activities which are not directed towards the goals of the state, entailing repression or state control of business, labour unions, churches or political parties.

[PASTIE]

I also think that Western Civilisation would be a very good idea

[Neko Bazu]

For that graph to remotely accurately display my stance, it'd need about 10 different spots on it!

[CHOPPER READ]

arniepie said:

markbrandonread said:

Totalitarian.

Totalitarianism state regulation of nearly every aspect of public and private behavior. Totalitarian regimes or movements maintain themselves in political power by means of secret police, propaganda disseminated through the state-controlled mass media, personality cults, regulation and restriction of free discussion and criticism, single-party states, the use of mass surveillance, and widespread use of terror tactics.


Many consider the first totalitarian regimes to have begun in the 20th century, which include the communist regime of the Soviet Union, as well as right-wing totalitarianism of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Spain under Franco, Portugal under Salazar as well as others. However some argue that totalitarianism has existed centuries prior, such as in ancient China under the political leadership of Prime Minister Li Si who helped the Qin dynasty unify China. Li Si adopted the political philosophy of Legalism as the ruling philosophical thought of China and restricted political activities and destroyed all literature and killed scholars who did not support Legalism. Totalitarianism was also used by the Spartan state in Ancient Greece.[1]

There is significant controversy over the terms totalitarian and totalitarianism, as well as the concepts themselves (see below).

Some political scientists, especially those in the field of comparative politics, have applied the term "totalitarian" to modern regimes which do this.

Influential scholars such as Lawrence Aronsen, Karl Popper, Hannah Arendt, Carl Friedrich, and Juan Linz have each described totalitarianism in a slightly different way. Common to all definitions is the attempt to mobilize entire populations in support of the official state ideology, and the intolerance of activities which are not directed towards the goals of the state, entailing repression or state control of business, labour unions, churches or political parties.

It was only a tongue in cheek comment but i am warming to it now. ;D

[jazzy]

My political stance is as follows......


Politicians are money grabbing, self serving, sycophants who are out of touch with the realities of life and will not care about the long term future of the country as long as the here and now will get them a place in history.

My culture is English but apparently the English can only exist at world cup games, otherwise we have to hide our flags.

All the time I cant see an option to tick English on a form, I app dont exist, therefore, they wont miss my vote...


and relax

[CHOPPER READ]

jazzy said:

My political stance is as follows......


Politicians are money grabbing, self serving, sycophants who are out of touch with the realities of life and will not care about the long term future of the country as long as the here and now will get them a place in history.

My culture is English but apparently the English can only exist at world cup games, otherwise we have to hide our flags.

All the time I cant see an option to tick English on a form, I app dont exist, therefore, they wont miss my vote...


and relax

Bout the same as mine!

[Neko Bazu]

jazzy said:

My political stance is as follows......


Politicians are money grabbing, self serving, sycophants who are out of touch with the realities of life and will not care about the long term future of the country as long as the here and now will get them a place in history.

My culture is English but apparently the English can only exist at world cup games, otherwise we have to hide our flags.

All the time I cant see an option to tick English on a form, I app dont exist, therefore, they wont miss my vote...


and relax

If it's that desperate that you say English, you could always tick the 'Other - please specify/None of the above' box

[jazzy]

neko said:

jazzy said:

My political stance is as follows......


Politicians are money grabbing, self serving, sycophants who are out of touch with the realities of life and will not care about the long term future of the country as long as the here and now will get them a place in history.

My culture is English but apparently the English can only exist at world cup games, otherwise we have to hide our flags.

All the time I cant see an option to tick English on a form, I app dont exist, therefore, they wont miss my vote...


and relax

If it's that desperate that you say English, you could always tick the 'Other - please specify/None of the above' box

You would think so wouldn't you....

But alas we are not allowed.

It not really a "Desperate" need to be English...more a recognition that "British" is not a culture. We dont share the same history, national dress, don't cheer the same National teams and dont even have the same Laws and provisions in services such as NHS and universities and nursing homes. We are not the same and it would be nice for this to be recognised.

Being Brittish when it suits MP's one minute, but English when it come to ..say.. Free prescriptions for all.. ( I think the Welsh get this ).is not right.

They need to make their mind up.

[GeoFox]

So do you advocate the break up of the UK Jazzy? You live in the UK, its an administrative boundary...recognised by the UN and therefore if a form asks what country you're from, its that. Similarly you're ethnicity is sort of bound to that in an administrative sense...i.e. white British or whatever.

But you live in a free country, you can exercise your identity, culture or idea of the nation however you like, so long as it is within the law. Hundreds of millions of people in the world can't. Look at conflicts in Kashmir and Sri Lanka for example.

You might identify as being English, but others may say Scottish, British, or identify more with a town/county. Others may say they are European and others wouldn't see themselves tied to place at all what with transnational flows of people. Thats up to the individual, and living in a free country, it can be whatever you want.

Some people may feel British, you can't be saying that just because of a bit of devolved power and some small policy differences, it is impossible for people to feel that? There may be a case for English votes for English laws but that is a different topic.

The huge changes in the world in the last few centuries have been experienced by the UK as a union and a united nation - the Reformation, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, World Wars, and more recently the global neoliberal revolution. Common language and religion (mostly) unite the different nations of the UK too.

The good thing about a free country is you can identify with what you like, I'm saying. I'm such a geographer. ;D