UK Election

[davflaws]

Metaphorically hung. Not the drawn and quartered kind.

If ACT and my mates as you call them (actually I don't really like ACT that much and did not vote for them) ever get real power... why do you think that would be?

I'm pleased your "hung' was rhetorical. I guess my reaction related to your question. So here goes! (I don't know if you wanted a rave - but because I have 'manflu' and am 'resting' you're gonna get one!)

My 'model of the world' contains some basic assumptions.

We need to produce and distribute goods and services and we have a technologically based social system that does that very effectively.

Worldwide, over the last hundred years liberal democracies have proved the best way of establishing and maintaining that system.

Centre-left and Centre-right Parties both seem to work, although the Scandinavian experience and the "Spirit Level" research convinces me that Centre-left policies produce more equal distribution of wealth and more happiness in consequence than Centre-right.

Extreme left and Extreme right policies don't seem to produce very good results in terms of either production or distribution.

But the centre (left or right) is boring, doesn't get clicks, capture eyeballs, raise heartrates, flood the amygdala with hormones (Google Robert Sapolsky), or engage any algorithm.

We have seen/are seeing the extreme right making gains all over the world. They have historically done so by mastering newly available communication technology, and using it to appeal to and activate some very basic and primal emotional responses. Hitler rose with radio. Modern politicians on the extreme right use social media incredibly skillfully.

But in spite of a lot of rhetoric, extreme right parties are in fact very prone to destroy the institutions that keep the society boring and stable blah de blah, and they slip into autocracy, and perhaps from there into fascism.

And we all have a socially toxic cauldron of fear, anger, envy, rage, lust blah de blah simmering inside our brains - ready to boil over and encourage us to find reasons to follow any party (left or right) that can turn up the heat.

We shared a common ancestor with the chimps only 6M years ago. We became successful hunter/gatherers and started on the path to tool using, language development blah de blah with selection for cooperation. You will never see two chimps carrying a log.

Development of agriculture and surplus calories allowed settled populations, explosion in numbers, and the 'rise of civilisation', and 'science' and the technology it produced has allowed humans to dominate the planet.

It seems to me ironic that we have reached a point where the very boring cenrist technocratic social democratic system and institutions we depend on to keep our societies running smoothly are again under threat from the use of the technology it has produced successfully activating our brain stems.

The extreme right will only get real power in NZ via the ballot box. They can increase their share of the vote by turning up the heat under the cauldron and tapping into our brainstems. We have got a pretty strong propensity to identify, isolate and blame the 'others'. The ones who are different from us. If you want the words- look at some of Balance's posts.

It has been pretty successful this election cycle. If ACT can cannibalise NZF and the right wing of the Nats, it will do even better.

[Bjauck]

Former conservative party donor says he will vote Labour, as the better party to deliver economic growth. He should have voted Labour in the last election. The Conservative Party dragged the British economy out of the EU and single market, with all the disruption and expense to the economy that entailed. However it may indicate that British politics has generally shifted to the right, with Labour occupying the pragmatic centre and Conservatives occupying the ideological hard right more interested in social policies rather than the economy.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...to-vote-labour

[ynot]

[QUOTE=davflaws;1056447]

We have seen/are seeing the extreme right making gains all over the world. They have historically done so by mastering newly available communication technology, and using it to appeal to and activate some very basic and primal emotional responses. Hitler rose with radio. Modern politicians on the extreme right use social media incredibly skillfully.

But in spite of a lot of rhetoric, extreme right parties are in fact very prone to destroy the institutions that keep the society boring and stable blah de blah, and they slip into autocracy, and perhaps from there into fascism.

Deleted

[Panda-NZ-]

Tony blair was a formidable debater.. torn Dave cameron to shreds in most debates. It was a bit of an own goal to switch to Gordon brown in 2007.

I wonder how long Kier can hang onto his lead when he wins.

[mistaTea]

Sh1t hitting the fan for Farrage today.

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c72270...4e40d7d84#post

[Daytr]

Sh1t hitting the fan for Farrage today.

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c72270...4e40d7d84#post

Well if you sleep with far right dogs, you bound to get bitten by their fleas.

[mistaTea]

Well if you sleep with far right dogs, you bound to get bitten by their fleas.

I don’t think their views are too far from Nigel’s either, truth be told.

[Panda-NZ-]

I think the blame ultimately goes to the Lord Baron of Chipping Norton (cameron) for being such a weak statesman he allowed these forces to emerge.

BTW, Is it lord or baron he seems to want both.

[Bjauck]

I don’t think their views are too far from Nigel’s either, truth be told.

Farage has undoubtedly used racism and ignorance to further his political ambitions. He infamously stood in front of a poster of a queue of middle Eastern refugees. White faces were later found to have been photoshopped out. Refugees were not even relevant to the referendum.

https://news.sky.com/story/farage-de...oster-10318659

Here is a list of Farage’s racist comments:
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/poli...-b1122381.html