A political view - should everyone have one?

[Bugz]

Some of my 'facebook buddies' were discussing this (or rather slagging off a guy who decided he didn't have a political view because he had no confidence in politicans).

It got me thinking, how many people now-a-days do have a political view?

I'd go as far to say I now have an economical view. The party that provides the best economic solutions to the problems gets my vote. I don't care about the political views of the party (except the BNP of course) and indeed, politicians to me is just a necessary 'pathway' to solving the problems of the country.

Do people feel like me or do they still live by the traditional 'political view.' I.e are you labour or tory? etc.

 

[Aoami]

Lots of people don't have a political view because they just don't care. I personally have one because i don't want the Torys to get into power, but don't particularly support any of the partys. I'll probably vote Labour because they have the biggest chance of beating the wankers in the surely not too distant general election. Having said that, i don't know if I can bring myself to vote Labour, and might vote LD.

I can see where the people who don't care are coming from.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Most people don't have time to spend researching into party's political views, policies etc. If you have time to do that you're doing the wrong thing with your life IMO.

 

[mooSe_]

I guess I do have a kind of political view since I always take the same kind of stance on most political issues. But I don't feel tied to any particular party at all.

 

[Scouse]

A lot of people don't bother with political views because capitalism's capitalism - and there's fuck all the different political parties are going to do about that.

There's no such thing as real choice.

 

[chipper]

think its safe to say i do and yes i think everyone should have one

standing back and saying i dont care is part of the reason this country is in such a fucking disgraceful state if more ppl took an interest maybe the government wouldnt have turned us into a benefit nanny state

we only have one weapon against the government and thats the ballot paper doesnt matter to them if we dont vote just means they stay in power could argue they are all the same and i would tend to agree for the major 2. but its amazin how both parties jumped on the same wagon on a certain key issue when a somewhat radical party gained votes. (tryin to keep it neutral so no party names)

 

[Raven]

If they want one then yes...

 

[Scouse]

i think everyone should have one

Y'know. I thought long and hard about that but I came up with:

It doesn't fucking matter


I mean, it really doesn't! Labour or Conservative, the country is still going to be run in a way that doesn't work.

 

[chipper]

so lets all just sit back and take it up the ass then oh wait thats whats been happenin last 10 year and look where its got us

 

[Wazzerphuk]

It does work though. We're not fucking Zimbabwe. Perspective. It may not be perfect, it may be massively flawed, but it does work. People live relatively easily here.

 

[Scouse]

so lets all just sit back and take it up the ass then oh wait thats whats been happenin last 10 year and look where its got us

It doesn't matter what you do. You're gonna get fucked in the ass anyway. That's the point I'm making.

You're labouring under the mistaken belief that voting is going to bring about change. It doesn't.

The whole point of our political system is to preseve the status quo.


Yes, Labour are more, if you like, "oppressive" than the conservatives but voting one way or the other brings about pretty much fuck all change.

I do actually hold political ideals. I make my feelings known through the ballot box (as do many others). I may as well not though - 'cause the democracy we currently have is a fraud and a sham.

 

[DaGaffer]

I have rather different political leanings to Scouse, but political views and party politics have very little to do with each other these days. You can see that by the PR shitstorms that happen every time Labour "steal" one of the Tories' policy ideas; thirty years ago that would have been almost impossible, particularly on economic matters, but now both parties occupy the same centre-right ground and only differ in degree rather than kind.

The only sensible political stance you can take these days is that that the electorate should not allow any party to stay in office more than 1-2 terms; a third term is both a mandate to institutional arrogance and an awareness their time is running out so they better shove in their pet loony ideas quickly.

I'll be voting Tory not because I think they would have been any better during the credit crunch (and Labour have fucked things up so much no one will be able to fix it either), but because they have promised to roll back some of Labour's authoritarian bullshit and because Labour are way past their sell-by date.

 

[old.Tohtori]

It's not a must, but if you have one, it's your call and that's why everyone gets a vote. That's democracy really.

I don't have a view on politics, one could say i don't care, one could say i trust the people to do the right choices, i personally would say "Meh, moo point."

 

[Raven]

At the end of the day ALL politicians are self serving *****. Giving Labour another term would be the worst thing imaginable for this country though, both in fuck ups and personal freedom.

 

[pez]

Having no confidence in politicians is an extremely political view.

 

[Zenith.UK]

I think everyone knows that I have political views.

Do I think everyone should have a political view?
Yes, I think everyone should take an interest in how the country is being run. It is up to the individual how they go about it.

A more pertinent question is "Do I think everyone should vote?"
I believe compulsory voting along with a "None of the above" option would do both politics and the country good. I find apathy in voting so frustrating because people have literally died to get universal suffrage in this country.

Actively choosing not to vote to make a point is still political engagement, but ultimately pointless because there's no way to record your lack of voting. If you can't be bothered to pick a party on the ballot sheet, then write across it in big letters "None of them" or some other comment. The sheet will be recorded as "spoiled". You've not voted for someone but your disatisfaction is at least recorded.

 

[Scouse]

I do spoil my ballots.

Makes no difference tho Zen. The real power isn't with the government anymore.

 

[old.user4556]

I've got some very strong political views, but I didn't vote in the past two elections. I will be voting in this coming election only to stop Labour getting into power as I want a fresh coat of blue paint to shake things up.

There isn't a party out there that represents my views, I'm quite right wing, my manifesto wouldn't work and I'm sure my opinions would rub the Freddies up the wrong way.

 

[Bugz]

It's an interesting concept Zenith but what happens if 'none of the above' gets the highest percentage of votes?

Do you have no party in power? Do you let the second-highest go into power? If so - then that is not truly democratic.

 

[Zenith.UK]

It's an interesting concept Zenith but what happens if 'none of the above' gets the highest percentage of votes?

Do you have no party in power? Do you let the second-highest go into power? If so - then that is not truly democratic.

I take it you've never seen "Brewster's Millions" then?

If "None of the above" got the largest percentage of an election, then the political parties would be seriously bricking it, realising that none of them have the popular mandate. Some would say that the parties are too arrogant to be affected by such a result, but behind closed doors they would be very concerned.

 

[Bugz]

That doesn't really address my question. Of course the parties would be bricking it but what happens for those four years in which the population said they don't want any of the parties in power?

 

[Raven]

3 for a paaaand

BBC News - Talks to offload swine flu vaccine under way

Useless *****

 

[Jeros]

Everyone should have one tbh

Fight for what you belive in and all that

 

[Embattle]

3 for a paaaand

BBC News - Talks to offload swine flu vaccine under way

Useless *****

You seem to have more of a media view....one prone to being sensationalist.

 

[Raven]

No, not really, everyone knew swine flue was nothing. I can't understand why the government would buy so much vaccine at a massive cost when it was not needed. They are now trying to offload a load of useless medicine for less than they paid...

But you go ahead, do what you are told by Wonky Gordon, there's a good citizen.

 

[Jiggs]

I think that the answer is in the question. By that I mean that in the other country where I spend a lot of time people take an active interest in local/national matters and will tkae action to get things done so this question would never be asked: if you want something changed, start a movement and get it changed. Here people laugh in your face and put every obstacle in your way if you try to change anything - "Sarah's Law" for example.

In the UK we did have a society like that but since the 1950s it has been eroded bit by bit. Adam Curtis has some very good documentaries (just search his name on you tube) on these sorts of topics; you may not agree with some of his points but it's very thought provoking. Especially the debate around positive and negative freedom.

 

[Chilly]

No, not really, everyone knew swine flue was nothing. I can't understand why the government would buy so much vaccine at a massive cost when it was not needed. They are now trying to offload a load of useless medicine for less than they paid...

But you go ahead, do what you are told by Wonky Gordon, there's a good citizen.

It was an insurance policy. One I'm fucking glad they took - things could have been a lot worse. Completely responsible use of money imo. Just because the government made a loss, doesnt mean it wasnt worth it. The difference between purchase and sale prices is what we as a society paid to be protected on the chance that things went tits up. You pay car insurance (maybe) and rarely use it (probably). Are you a mug?

 

[Aoami]

labour have won!

BBC News - Doctor Who star David Tennant 'backs Gordon Brown'

 

[rynnor]

Vote Blue or Vote Red - thats pretty much the extent of your choice in the UK - I bide my time till they fuck up so badly that the masses finally wake up and do something about it.

 

[xane]

Party politics is an abuse of democracy. People vote for their "team" regardless of whether they support the issues, and the parties know that, conversely, the party selection process will guarantee the slimiest toad gets put forward, and they're normally one who only supports the policies in name anyway (think http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Benn)

The whole thing is a scam, exclusive political parties should be banned, they make the representative democracy into a joke, like a cartel in free market business.

My advice is to always vote for an independent (as long as you broadly agree with their policies), the number of indie MPs has been increasing in recent years, and its a sure fire way to give the main political parties a bloody nose, see Martin Bell or Peter Law for example.

A good example of how politics should be is that prospective MPs are members of various interest groups that support their political views, an example would be Jury Team, or, to a lesser extent The Cooperative Party (who are presently only closely allied with Labour), the difference with these groups is they are not exclusive to other political groups.

People should have political views, but its understandable people shun politics because they don't want to play the "team game".

(no idea why my links are "doubling up", sorry)