The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 4

Originally Posted by punky

I thought a newspaper wasn't supposed to tell its readers to go for anyone? I thought The Grauniad criticises The Sun for telling people to vote Tory?

I think they criticise The Sun for the style of all out campaigning, such as filling the paper with pro-Tory stories and anti-Clegg/Brown stories. The Guardian had no problem reporting that Cameron won the debate. The Sun printed Cameron had won last week when almost every other poll gave it to Clegg etc.

There is a difference between editorialising (which is what the Guardian, Times, Telegraph do) and turning the paper into a propaganda machine. Look at the stories at The Sun for example: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/election2010/

Although I agree that it would be better if papers didn't back anyone, it's an odd thing.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Damien

There is a difference between editorialising (which is what the Guardian, Times, Telegraph do) and turning the paper into a propaganda machine. Look at the stories at The Sun for example: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/election2010/

Although I agree that it would be better if papers didn't back anyone, it's an odd thing.

What he said. The Sun and The Mirror are both low quality toilet paper and their propaganda campaigns are distasteful in the extreme.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

What he said. The Sun and The Mirror are both low quality toilet paper and their propaganda campaigns are distasteful in the extreme.

The Torygraph wasn't exactly above reproach last week either, though they didn't manage to sink to the depths of the likes of the **** and the Daily Fail.

GB on Paxman tonight.

Asked a question - answered "Let me be clear", then was everything but.........

[Ignitionnet]

Let's have a quick distraction from the partisan side of things and see where we stand, get your Political Compass out

Zero surprises at all for me, pretty much smack in the middle economically, just a healthy dose of 'Leave me the fsck alone'

http://www.politicalcompass.org/prin...0.25&soc=-5.85



EDIT: I found this a useful exercise as it put a neat focus into why I feel the way I do and why I'll vote the way I will, and my reasons are largely selfish.

1) I don't want to pay higher taxes to finance a massive debt.
2) I don't want to pass said debt on to our children.
3) I don't want big government as I consider it intrusive, unnecessary and a waste of my money funding it (see points 1 and 2 and that my overwhelming slant is Libertarian)
4) I'm not convinced (yet) that the Lib Dems will do the necessary, which precludes them despite their good record on civil rights. I think they also violate my point 3) due to their 'heritage' in the far-left at one point and more recently centre-left. They need to convince me that they can be responsible with our money, which they may well get the chance to do in the next Parliament, if they do they have my vote next term wherever.
5) I am utterly positive that Labour won't do the necessary for the economy, and they are authoritarian with it.

I'm pulled economically left by a strong social conscience and a realistic view that big business are *******s with zero conscience, I'm pulled right through Libertarian fiscal conservatism and a dislike for big government, leaving me about in the middle.

I'm voting for my candidate because he's a good MP, not his party. If it were PR my vote would be different.

[punky]

I've done it before, may be worth digging out the post.

However, I find this amusing:

[img]Download Failed (1)[/img]

Official. Labour and Lib Dems are more right-wing than the BNP.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by punky

Official. Labour and Lib Dems are more right-wing than the BNP.

The BNP are authoritarian, not right-wing economically.

Anyway stuff that let's see how we compare amongst ourselves.

Some of the BNP's economic policy, if you can call it that, is actually quite socialist isn't it? Presumably as a way of tapping into disaffected, working class, Labour voters?

[danielf]

Originally Posted by punky

I've done it before, may be worth digging out the post.

However, I find this amusing:



Official. Labour and Lib Dems are more right-wing than the BNP.

Hardly official. Some bloke's knocked up a 'test' and put it online. That doesn't make it accurate.

Anyway, here's li'l old me.

There needs to be a 'Undecided or I Don't Know' option on that test.

---------- Post added at 23:31 ---------- Previous post was at 23:29 ----------

This one for example:

A significant advantage of a one-party state is that it avoids all the arguments that delay progress in a democratic political system.

I agree but that doesn't mean it's a thing I approve of!?

---------- Post added at 23:34 ---------- Previous post was at 23:31 ----------

[punky]

Originally Posted by danielf

Hardly official. Some bloke's knocked up a 'test' and put it online. That doesn't make it accurate.

It was a joke

I thought the questions were nonsense but the result wasn't far off what I expected:



The right/left is about correct, but i'm suprised i'm not more libertarian.

[Ignitionnet]

If you don't approve of it I'd have thought you wouldn't see it as an 'advantage'. I regard it as being a long way from an advantage as it's totalitarian (no debate 'delaying' progress!) so it got a very strenuous disagreement from me.

See your point that it may need reading twice but that's how I read it.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by punky

It was a joke

Pardon me, kind Sir.

[punky]

Originally Posted by danielf

Pardon me, kind Sir.

Pardoned

[frogstamper]

No real surprises for me.