It feels to me like all the fire has gone out of British politics. Let's compare, its 1979, before you or I were on the scene. Trade Unions and the establishment were battling it out and combat of two destinct ideologies, a red blooded Socialism and a cold calculated Conservatism was in progress. Continual strikes meant that the dead were not buried and dustbins went unemptied; there was rubbish on the streets, and other strikes threatened. Politically, this period in our recent past was hotly polarised, Left and Right were not merged as in New Labour policy, but were clearly visible. Youth-culture was rampant with the Anarchist London-Punk scene at its height. Politics mattered, it was ingrained in people's social and class identity. As a punk song remarked at the time,
"You better decide which side you're on, the **** goes down before too long, if left is right then right is wrong, you better decide which side you're on".
Britain was on the verge of revolution, Socialism could have brought about the class-over throw Left Wing politics had long desired. Of course, we know how history played out and the Leftist revolution was thrawted by a frightened Brtish public and the iron will of Mrs T.
26 years on things are very different, no angry miners, no anarchists, no class war. Peope are more uninterested in politics than ever. The Labour Government has moved into a cushy conservatism while the other parties can't change a light bulb. Things are dull, very dull, but it should be remembered that under the cynicism, spin-doctoring, manipulation of the media and the simulation which has become party-politics our generation faces tough political choices. We have the world AIDS Epedemic, world poverty, the future of Britain's export economy, the preservation of the welfare state and the continual persuit of equality to consider. We should not loose sight of people, nor a mandate from the masses to change things. If MP don't serve us we should tear them down. We need to make our political heard more than every four years. People need to reclaim the old British tradition of democracy, liberty and accountability. If you're unhappy shout about iy and kill a few police officers while you're ahead (sorry, only joking). As Elisée Reclus said
"Call no man Master....Let each man remain his own master. Do not go to the offices of bureaucrats, or the noisy chambers of parliaments, in the vain hope for the words of freedom. Listen rather to the voices which come from below, even if they come through the bars of the prison cell."
Heh, I know how -- Kilroy slipped something into your mothers drink at her new year's eve party.
On a more serious note, political apathy really bothers me. In spite of this, I can't see that a return to strikes and anarchism would have much of a constructive effect nowadays.
It's a shame that both parties seem to have resorted to throwing insults at each other. It seems more of a "don't vote for them because.." rather than "vote for us because" affair, and i personally find it disappointing that the enthusiasm which was evident in the 1997 election seems to have dwindled out into apathy. Lets hope that by 2010 the parties have restructured themselves a bit and we'll have some decent politicians. As for the liberal democrats, i like that they have a more positive approach, but i think that their political agenda is a bit slapdash, and i think that their introduction could be a bit of a downfall.
quote: Originally posted by: thaidave "It's a shame that both parties seem to have resorted to throwing insults at each other. It seems more of a "don't vote for them because.." rather than "vote for us because" affair"
the labour rally in huddersfield earlier was anything but that. blair re-iterated, and he has made this point before, that the electorate cannot go on track records alone. rather it has to think about the possible futures of our public services, our young people, our older people, and not just the priviledged minority.
rhetoric aside, the two parties have radically different designs on say health and education, for example. however these have been glossed over by the cynical bores who feed us a diet of triviality in the run up to this election, subtly assuring us that our voices are heard loudest when we don't even bother to open our mouths.
-- Edited by ChipsAndLube at 20:36, 2005-05-03
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burn down our home, RAPE OUR DEAD MOUTHS. Just as long as I don't have to hear anymore of your disgusting babble
I think it is centrally about what u said Dave, the future. It is a future which I think we've all got a stake in. When looking at the big picture, it doesn't matter on May 5th who you vote for as long as it is a vote in some way for the progressive movement in this country, this includes Labour, (although marginally) and the Lib-Dems in the mainstream, the Greens, radical socialist parties, ect on the other.Of course the latter parties will have little impact at all on May 5th but a vote for minor parties is still contributing to the march of social progress towards which socialists, liberals and others are working. Labour is but one manifestation of the push for reform. This said the Greens preach a more radical programme of reform than New Labour- I think Green is the new socialism for our times. In contrast the Tories offer us a political gospel of the 20th century, when they should be moving into the 21st with something new, a philosophy of liberty, freedom and prosperity. The future is always out there to create we just have to find the right political will to do IT! One thing's for certain, the will won't be found in Michael Howard.
you only listed the parties YOU consider to be progressive ben, you can't say they are THE progressive parties because not everybody believs that - if they did, there would really be no need for an election, because everyone would be voting for the same people...if they WANTED progress...
remember, not all progress is good - that's a myth. hitler made great progress when it came to racial refinement and eugenics...but it wasn't a good thing.
me xxx
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Three things that mark the Good Man: Truth, Honour and Love
The conservative party one scared the crap out of me.... Vote for Michael Howard... he wants to be your best friend... Michael Howard loves you... Michael Howard is a nice man.... AARGH!
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I reserve... I reserve... I have a reservation... I HAVE a reservation.. What do you mean its not in the computer?
dave,. my sis and i cant get home to vote, so we've therefore decided together, we have no right to bitch about politics for the next four or five years
my dad was supposed to be picking us up, but no.
me xxx
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Three things that mark the Good Man: Truth, Honour and Love
- Leeds North West, where I live now, has had a 10% swing to Lib Dem - Hammersmith & Fulham where I grew up has gone Conservative, as has a fair portion of London. - Reading East where I voted has also gone Conservative, by only 475 votes.
It's not all bad, though. UKIP failed to win a single seat and everyone's least favourite UKIP deserter Robert Kilroy-Silk only got 3,000 votes in Erewash. Ha. (He's still in the European Parliament, mind...)
i'm happy that labour held leeds central and crosby (though they were always going to), and over-joyed that somehow, miraculously, this tactical voting malarky has produced a consensual result rather than ending in tragedy.
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burn down our home, RAPE OUR DEAD MOUTHS. Just as long as I don't have to hear anymore of your disgusting babble
What equally pisses me off is students who vote Lib Dem without knowing about Lib Dem's policies. The party stands for more than just abolishing tuition fees, y'know.
This doesn't piss me off as much as one girl in my Hall of Residence who said, "why should I care whether our council's Lib Dem or Labour? It's not going to effect me." Damn, I could have slapped her.
that quote's famous, i think: "don't vote, it only encourages the bastards". much as i disagree with the sense of it, i have some sympathy with the sentiment.
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burn down our home, RAPE OUR DEAD MOUTHS. Just as long as I don't have to hear anymore of your disgusting babble
