This idea has been brewing for quite some time, and I thought it would be great for us to talk about political philosophy and our personal values in a single thread, rather than have it spill out across so many different threads.
Maybe it might even help resolve some of our differences, when we realise we’re not that different after all.
i hate both rabid left wingers and rabid right wingers.
I find that I generally don’t have a problem with people who hold different political views from me, just lazy thinkers. Regardless, that’s not a political philosophy.
I think libertarianism is a good instinct to counter the worst excesses of state interventionism.
I just think that the “true believers” tend to be really extreme, but also really rare. Far more common to have “libertarians” who really mean “freedoms for me but not for thee”.
I’ve seen several debates where libertarians (almost exclusively 20-something white guys) call up Sam Seder on The Majority Report to debate their libertarian world view (they invariably possess ‘real’ libertarian views), only for them to be worked into a corner where they eventually admit they should be able to own slaves.
Isn’t that essentially the “might makes right” idea?
You’ve just summed up Libertarianism.
Right thread/wrong thread…,? Anyway…
Story by Kevin Maguire
Arise, Sir Gav, you have nothing to lose but your incompetence, shame and disgrace
Exactly why was disgraced Tory Gavin Williamson knighted? The worst Education Secretary in history ticking the no publicity box to block photographs of the ceremony suggests he knows the nation would not cheer.
So was the coveted award for overseeing the Covid exams fiasco? Or forcing heads to reopen schools then shut them a day later? Perhaps failing to organise adequate home schooling then fund catch-up lessons for pupils?
Maybe losing to Marcus Rashford over feeding poor kids during school holidays? Possibly confusing the footballer with rugby union player Maro Itoje who is also Black? Telling a civil servant to “slit your throat” and “jump out of the window” were bloodthirsty claims.
Lecturing Russia to “go away and shut up” was quite the moment. Disguising missile launchers as Coca-Cola lorries surely deserved a gong? Then there was his sacking as Defence Secretary, accused of leaking secrets. And a resignation from Cabinet was followed by a humiliating apology for expletive-laden abusive texts to a colleague because he was not invited to the Queen’s funeral.
I could go on and on. Nominated by Boris Johnson in 2022, Sir Gavin’s citation was for public service. For loyal service to the Partygate serial liar would be more accurate. The backroom bruiser masterminded Johnson’s coup to oust Theresa May as PM. That’s why the dishonourable MP was knighted.
I’m a republican and will never forgive a warped establishment for leaving me feeling sympathy for a Princess Royal required to dob kneeling Williamson with a sword at Windsor Castle.
Arise, Sir Gave, you have nothing to lose but your incompetence, shame and disgrace. His is a knighthood bringing the entire honours system into disrepute.
UK politics >>>
This is the problem with having multiple threads for, essentially, the same subject: there is no clear demarcation and crossover frequently occurs.
I still don’t understand why we have four separate threads on US politics. 
Yeah but I started this thread in particular to discuss general political philosophy, not specific events. I do agree it’s hard to have them separated on an internet forum, let alone real life.
I had in mind questions like, what are conservative values? What does it mean to be a conservative in this day and age? Are government inherently inefficient or is it an issue that’s related to any large organisation?
In order:
Being a selfish cunt.
Being a thick cunt.
You can’t keep all the people happy all the time.
/thread.
I always found this video to be incredibly helpful.
My political view is quite simple. Governments and politicians role is to serve the people of that nation. Absolutely nothing else.
They should make peoples lives better through sensible policy choices and the like. They should also ensure that aporopriate services such as health and education and provide the maximum possible level of care. There has to be value
Philosophies on how you deliver the above may vary, and thats fine but be wary of delivering for the minority rather than the majority.
Here is an article discussing the reasons of the strong shift in the last 30-35 years, going from generic socio-democratic values which more or less everyone shared, towards the popularity of libertarian and far right ideas nowadays:
There is a “popular” historical concept called the 4 turnings that suggest history has a repeating pattern of going through 4 phases
I say it’s popular in quotation marks, because it’s more astrology than real academic insight. It is popular within the history crowd the same way “dont you know big pharma don’t want to cure disease” is popular among the clinical science and medicine crowd. Yet it is appealing precisely because there are nuggets of seeming truth in there. This 4 turnings concept would predict a resurgence of pro-fascist thought once we reached a period where the WWII generation had largely died off and no longer had a meaningful voice. At that point the “just asking questions” crowd have more room to speak and we edge closer to a “you know, they did have some good ideas” gaining serious traction in public debate.
I grew up and live in a country where right wing/centrist political parties have been the government since the inception of the state. Labour have participated in various coalitions, with more centrist than left wing policies.
We as a nation spend time whinging about the lack of connection between politicians and people, then routinely relect them at the next poll.
Sinn Fein looked like offering an alternative, but their day in the sun is over.
They will lose seats in the election, withFine Gael most likely to gain from them.
I like the Social Democrats. Holly Kearns has the ability to be an alternative voice in the Dail.
I hope she brokers an alliance of the left, and stays in opposition. FF and FG need their cages rattling.
You are responsible for your life, your wellbeing and your welfare. That’s not conservative nor socialist, just basic common sense. If you believe somebody else should pay for your 5th child to goto school then we won’t see eye to eye.
No one should have to pay to send their children to school, period.
Everyone should have access to education.