Inquisitive meme

[f4f3]

Fill this out in comments, if you're so inclined.
1. Name:
2. Date of birth:
3. Where do you live:
4. What makes you happy:
5. Currently listening/the last thing you listened to:
6. Do you read my journal:
7. If yes, what makes it especially good or bad:
8. An interesting fact about you:
9. Are you in love/do you have a crush at the moment:
10. Favourite place to spend time:
11. Favourite lyric:
12. The best time of the year:
RECOMMEND
1. A film:
2. A book:
3. A band, a song, an album:
PLUS
1. One thing you like about me:
2. Two things you like about yourself:
3. Look at my friends-list and tell what you like about one of our mutual friends:
4. Put this in your journal so that I can tell you what I like about you.

Comments

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

My rough rule of thumb is that in my own journal I'm rude, off-hand, knee-jerky and a bit ranty, and in others' I try to be the sweet voice of reason. But I like to think that I'm usually substantiated, or at least that I will be when called on it.

My polical views tend to be quite robust, but very much based on experience, not theory. Based on that experience, I do have a presumption that anyone who votes Tory is wrong. This doesn't stop *ahem* some of my best friends from being Tories.

I also have a presumption that I'm not (yet) infallible, and that I'm open to argument on anything.

On the DC thing, I get the feeling that I'm swimming against the tide, or spitting in the ocean. I have absolutely nothing against the man, and if he delivers on his intentions, I'll be very pleased. And very confused, since he won't be representing anything I recognise as the Conservative party. I'm not sure that I didn't read somewhere that he intends to take the Tories to the left of Labour, in which case we're in a very strange place indeed. I find it very hard to believe that the Tory party will become other than what it was, but I can be proven wrong. As far as DC goes, I think it's only fair to point out that he campaigned for a raft of policies less than a year ago, which he has abandoned now that they haven't proved popular. This can be presented as a willingness to listen to the electorate, or as putting power before principle - at the moment my view is in favour of the former.

[blonde222.livejournal.com]

My view on DC's contributions to the manifesto at the last election is that unfortunately dogs have to bark to their master's tunes. Long experience of working with very senior executives has taught me that one is never rewarded for telling one's superiors what they don't want to hear.
One rather cynical interpretation is that DC knew perfectly well that the Tories weren't ready for the sort of changes necessary before the last election, and took the view that it was better to lose again and clear the decks of the old guard.
As to whether the Tories can change, one only has to look at Labour to see what a desperate party can do if it puts its mind to it. It's almost impossible to see any of the policies Labour espoused in the 1980s in its agenda today. Unilateral nuclear disarmament... punitive tax higher tax rates.... clause 4...trade union policy.... need we continue?

And demographics are on the Tories side: most of their most reactionary old dudes are dying off at an encouraging rate of knots.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

Hee - point taken on parties can adapt or die, and that wealth redistribution is the policy that dare not speak its name, but demographics are definitely not on the Tories side, since reactionary old dudes are their core vote.

[blonde222.livejournal.com]

I should have said, demographics are on the side of the Tories who want to change. Its Catch 22: without a change in support they haven't been able to change their agenda, but without a change in their agenda there has been no hope of changing their core support. When all the old hangers and floggers die off the likes of DC should have a lot more more freedom.

Having said that, I do believe that in our old age we all get more conservative and reactionary.
I met up with an old friend from university the other day who used to be somewhat to the left of Trotsky: he pipes a VERY different tune these days.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

The old saying is that anyone who isn't a socialist at 20 has no heart, and anyone who is still a socialist at 40 has no brain. That'll be me, then.