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Author Topic:   UK general election (May 5th)
Tusko
Member (Idle past 101 days)
Posts: 615
From: London, UK
Joined: 10-01-2004


Message 4 of 64 (198495)
04-12-2005 7:21 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Ooook!
04-12-2005 5:39 AM


I don't have a very strong grasp of political issues. I just have warm squishy feelings, which isn't really much of a way to govern your vote, I know. So what follows is a little blind man's buff around my primary concerns.
Perhaps its because I am from a relatively priviliged background, and so don't see life at the sharp end, but I really don't see what the trouble is with immigration. I don't understand at all why most people in this country want immigration tightened up. Its a total mystery to me. The Tory's "opposing immigration isn't racist" posters make me feel VERY uneasy. Every time I see one of their bloody posters I want to spraypaint "Not even close, Mike!" on the bottom.
Maybe its because I earn peanuts, but I'm all for increased taxation, if the results are going to be seen.
It the back of my mind, there's always the feeling that a vote for Labour will be on some level an endorsement of the invasion of Iraq.
That Lancet report, even if out by 50,000 civilian deaths (and I don't see why it necessarily would be), is utterly jaw-dropping. I won't allow myself to be seen to endorse something not totally disimilar to a decimation, even tacitly.
Charley K just had a baby! Aww!
I was reading in the Observer on Sunday that so many labour voters are disenchanted that there could be the outside chance of an upset. If Michael Howard becomes prime minister, I'm going to cry. But that isn't going to stop me voting for the Lib Dems most probably. I'd like to see them strengthening their hand this election but who knows? I don't believe that they are really that much of an alternative to the other two.
I agree with the Orangutang - its most likely to be a drastically cut Labour majority, isn't it?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Ooook!, posted 04-12-2005 5:39 AM Ooook! has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 5 by Phat, posted 04-12-2005 7:33 AM Tusko has replied
 Message 8 by contracycle, posted 04-12-2005 7:47 AM Tusko has replied

  
Tusko
Member (Idle past 101 days)
Posts: 615
From: London, UK
Joined: 10-01-2004


Message 7 of 64 (198505)
04-12-2005 7:41 AM
Reply to: Message 5 by Phat
04-12-2005 7:33 AM


Yes, I think I agree with you there. Redistribution makes me feel all warm and squishy. I can't help it.
I don't know, maybe I would want to hang on to more of my hard earned (?) wealth if I was in the top 5% of earners; however, the likelyhood of me having to make that decision are pretty small, so I'm not going to start losing sleep over it.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by Phat, posted 04-12-2005 7:33 AM Phat has not replied

  
Tusko
Member (Idle past 101 days)
Posts: 615
From: London, UK
Joined: 10-01-2004


Message 9 of 64 (198511)
04-12-2005 8:22 AM
Reply to: Message 8 by contracycle
04-12-2005 7:47 AM


I agree - that's what the whole immigration thing looks like to me too (also, isn't Channel 4 news fun?)... but the scary thing is that SO MANY people think its an issue. I don't think that it is just a few diehard racists. To me it looks as though it is also appealing to traditionally more moderate people... and certainly the Tories are banking on the fact that it will run with more cuddly moderate types.
I'm wondering why that is? I hope it isn't the confused expression of some kind of latent islamophobia... which I suppose it could be. But I guess that racism is pretty deeply ingrained in our culture and goes back a little further than early/mid September 2001.
Talking of crazy, foaming racists, there hasn't been very much talk about the BNP this election. I wonder where they have got to? Perhaps the media have made a decision en masse not to give coverage. If that is the case, that makes me a little uneasy, personally. Or maybe the Tories have squeezed them by nicking their "caring - even to wogs" clothes.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 8 by contracycle, posted 04-12-2005 7:47 AM contracycle has not replied

  
Tusko
Member (Idle past 101 days)
Posts: 615
From: London, UK
Joined: 10-01-2004


Message 21 of 64 (203935)
04-30-2005 10:45 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Ooook!
04-12-2005 5:39 AM


I have the enviable choice in my constituency of picking between Oona King, George Galloway and Syed Dulu (Lib Dem).
I must say that the idea of George Galloway is quite scary, though I don't know all that much about him. Does anyone else think him a fine upstanding citizen? I found that Saddam Hussein stuff quite odd, but thats about all I know.
Thoughts?
P.S. I'm not talking about Respect policies, which seem pretty cool to me. I'm talking about Galloway.
This message has been edited by Tusko, 04-30-2005 11:15 AM

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Ooook!, posted 04-12-2005 5:39 AM Ooook! has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 22 by Andya Primanda, posted 04-30-2005 10:58 AM Tusko has replied
 Message 60 by Andya Primanda, posted 05-08-2005 5:45 AM Tusko has replied

  
Tusko
Member (Idle past 101 days)
Posts: 615
From: London, UK
Joined: 10-01-2004


Message 23 of 64 (203939)
04-30-2005 11:12 AM
Reply to: Message 22 by Andya Primanda
04-30-2005 10:58 AM


No, well yes - I'm just on the edge of that boundary, but I actually live near Tower Bridge.
I heard that a few enthusiastic young Respect supporters beat up an old labour supporter when he said he's never vote for Galloway. It was in the Metro or free Standard yesterday so I didn't really hear anything more.
George Monbiot in the Guardian was whispering "Vote Repsect, Vote Respect" the other day, but I feel quite wary of Galloway. Perhaps my mind has been poisoned by the effective propoganda machine of the military industrial complex, or something.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 22 by Andya Primanda, posted 04-30-2005 10:58 AM Andya Primanda has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 33 by mick, posted 04-30-2005 8:35 PM Tusko has not replied

  
Tusko
Member (Idle past 101 days)
Posts: 615
From: London, UK
Joined: 10-01-2004


Message 35 of 64 (204563)
05-03-2005 4:55 AM
Reply to: Message 27 by Chiroptera
04-30-2005 2:28 PM


Embarrassing as it is to admit, I don't have a very firm grasp of our parliamentary system at all. There isn't any class in it at school, and I've never actually been bothered to educate myself in any detail about how it actually works.
I wish it was a compulsory element of the curriculum. Maybe it is now actually, but it wasn't ten or fifteen years ago.
Proportional representation sounds like a good idea to me, but that's because I only have a very sketchy understanding of whats going on. So maybe I'd better shut up and listen.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 27 by Chiroptera, posted 04-30-2005 2:28 PM Chiroptera has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 37 by contracycle, posted 05-03-2005 6:19 AM Tusko has replied
 Message 38 by Andya Primanda, posted 05-03-2005 8:20 AM Tusko has not replied

  
Tusko
Member (Idle past 101 days)
Posts: 615
From: London, UK
Joined: 10-01-2004


Message 39 of 64 (204589)
05-03-2005 8:28 AM
Reply to: Message 37 by contracycle
05-03-2005 6:19 AM


This is also to Andya..
Ah, I see. I'm a bit annoyed I didn't think of that myself. Severing the link between the local community and their representative isn't really a good thing at all.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 37 by contracycle, posted 05-03-2005 6:19 AM contracycle has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 40 by Wounded King, posted 05-03-2005 9:38 AM Tusko has not replied

  
Tusko
Member (Idle past 101 days)
Posts: 615
From: London, UK
Joined: 10-01-2004


Message 61 of 64 (206098)
05-08-2005 11:44 AM
Reply to: Message 60 by Andya Primanda
05-08-2005 5:45 AM


To be honest, I'm not sure Andya. I'm not very knowledgable on such matters.
He's a pretty vocal parliamentarian, but I guess there's not all that much he's going to accomplish by himself. I'm afraid I don't follow the political ins and outs of this country so I'm not sure how much sympathy there might be for him on the Labour benches. I guess there must be a few old friends of his around, if he has any friends. I get the feeling he's a bit of a maverick, but I just don't know.
There, is that indecisive enough?
I have mixed feelings about his election, even though I ended up voting for him. He seems very eccentric, and very combatative, neither of which qualities I admire particularly. But he does seem to have a social conscience.
Ultimately I think that I'm just very wary of politicians. What kind of person can stick out that kind of career who isn't a little bit twisted in the head?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 60 by Andya Primanda, posted 05-08-2005 5:45 AM Andya Primanda has not replied

  
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