And so farwell to any possibility of a second Cameron term

[ffutures]

According to the Evening Standard, which is admittedly right-wing nutter heaven, our beloved leader wants to "fix 120,000 problem families", "End the human rights culture" and impose "citizen service for 16-year-olds"

Words fail me. So let's try a totally unbiased poll...

[Poll #1769880]

Is there anyone who thinks that the Lib-Dems will survive this coalition, whether or not the Conservatives do?

Comments

[whswhs.livejournal.com]

I don't know what life in the UK is actually like; I read about it from thousands of miles away. But it seems to me you guys have been expanding social welfare, reducing criminal penalties, and depriving the general population of the means of self-defense for decades now, progressively, and it doesn't look as if it's worked all that well in terms of reducing social unrest or making ordinary people safe. Do you really think that continuing the same course is the only sane option? Or are you wanting a drastic change in some direction other than the one Cameron favors?

[autopope.livejournal.com]

you guys have been expanding social welfare, reducing criminal penalties, and depriving the general population of the means of self-defense for decades now, progressively

None of the above is true; however, they're all right wing talking points over here that get widespread media traction (through, notably, the Murdoch owned press).

What we need is a return to socialism. And no, Tony Blair was no socialist -- he was Thatcher Lite.

[lonemagpie.livejournal.com]

Actually, what we need is for the left and right to realise they're both part of the same organism, and work together and balance each other - let's see a bird fly with only one wing...

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

John Smith. Best Prime Minister we never had.

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Word. I'm still suspicious about his death, just as I'm suspicious about Robin Cook's death.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

I must admit I share your suspicion, those two cleared the path for the Murdochs and the power elites of this country to have Their Men on the throne, unchallenged.

[ci5rod.livejournal.com]

"I'm still suspicious about his death..."

I'm not. Smith was told by his doctors that he needed to change a number of things about his lifestyle or he had a significant chance of a second heart attack. He didn't change. His death, devastating as it was for British socialism, wasn't a surprise.

[mkillingworth.livejournal.com]

I love a good conspiracy theory.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Thanks - couldn't have put it better myself.

[whswhs.livejournal.com]

Do you have a source that you can recommend for the legislative and statistical history? I don't expect our ideological perspectives are going to agree, but I'll look at factual evidence; as I said, I don't know the situation in the UK at first hand, so I may be misunderstanding what's going on.

[mkillingworth.livejournal.com]

On one of the US Murdoch channels (Fox News) here in the States, I heard and interview with a Brit today saying that all of these "social programs" started with Blair. I found it particularly amusing.

[ggreig]

Our politics is clearly to the left of yours in the States, but seen from other parts of Europe part of our problem may be that we're America-lite and actually too far to the right.

I'm not giving a personal opinion here, just pointing out that there are different perspectives.

[whswhs.livejournal.com]

I had actually noticed that. Periodically I have people . . . including Americans . . . tell me that it's not justifiable to call Obama "leftist" because by European standards he's center right. I suppose the converse would be to say that it's not justifiable to call Cameron "rightist" because by American standards he's center left.

But I really didn't want to argue over right versus left.