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The traditional Left V Right picture of the political world has become a destructive force.
This topic is inspired by my experiences on TED. I often find myself in total agreement in one instance and total disagreement in another with the same tedsters. Political ideology isn't a linear scale and the pre-judgement of some ones opinion on one topic based on their opinion on another topic just gets in the way of constructive debate. For the record I am pro-choice, pro-freemarket in general but pro public health and education. As far as utilities are concerned I'm pro-freemarket, but a level of government regulation ensures compatability between different providers. I'm anti-censorship and ambivalent aboutJulian Assange. I really don't know if I'm right or left or up or down.
David Gorniak
As a voter to I vote for a party that fits in with my political spectrum or do i vote for a party without thought of being left or right winged.
I think for me labels such a right wing or left wing are very distracting. The merit of a policy or ideal should be judged apart from such labels, in light of whether they are of the greater good or not for the time.
Robert Winner 50+
Peter you appear to be capable of conducting your own thought process. You are all over the political map. If I agree with you or not, I congratulate you on your ability to think for your self. In the US we are becoming a nation of sheeple. There is hope though as in the last couple of years the "Independents" have beconme the largest growing group. That is probally where you would fit in if you would like to be classified.
I do try to vote for the best person ... never a straight party ticket. I do my homework prior to voting.
I one saw a documentary on Parliment and view our US system as quite tame. That is close to open warfare.
The best hope for a cure to the political delima is education ..... However, even there the instructor can influence the students thoughts. This is occuring in the US. My friends duaghter spoke against Obama when the Professor was stating he was the only one for the job. They got in a argument during class. She has challenged her grade and won. The professor is still employed. Nothing has changed.
All the best. Bob.
peter lindsay 30+
Coen Berkhout
The truth is that, because of democracy, politicians want to differentiate themselves from "opponents", even if they think the same way. Because the average voter will vote for the politician who just copies that other guy. This is why you will never get the same answer on a question, if one politician says 2+2=3 the other one will say 2+2=5, simply because that makes him unique, and then we will have a long and pointless discussion about things that don't matter, only to win votes from the stupid consumers because they don't know that 2+2 is actually 4.
And it's not even the fault of the politicians, it's a fault of the system. Every day politicians have to struggle for their power, to be able to exercise their ideas, they *have to* engage in the political games and discussion, which leaves them with less time to make proper decisions.
And not even talking about how we managed to rape democracy since the second World War, how did democracy go from "the people govern" to "each individual has equal democratic power to everyone else, but there is no longer a collective power because nobody even listens to the opinion of others."
Democracy went from *power for the people* to *power for the individual*, and now we are on the brink of various political crises, it is time to change something.
Krisztián Pintér 200+
http://peters4iowa2010.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Where-do-Libertarians-Fit-In.jpg
the same thing on another link, in case the first does not work
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/10/16/Screen%20shot%202011-10-16%20at%2010.18.30%20AM.jpg
peter lindsay 30+
Krisztián Pintér 200+
you see, for a libertarian, most questions are easy. we have this moral compass. is that violates other people's rights? or is it based on mutual consent? that's the only thing i care about.
pat gilbert 50+
peter lindsay 30+
pat gilbert 50+
Heather White 10+
Yes, I agree the left / right idelogies actually stunt politics and action. Politics gets stuck in the argument and very little that needs to be done gets done - especially regarding environmental protection. It's sad, but I suspect that Rio 2012 will end as a talking shop with little agreements for global action.
In the US this political polatiry is so striking I'm surprised anything gets done. In the UK the politicians tend to fight over the middle ground to the degree that Tony Blair (as a left wing Labour Party leader) was closer in ideology to Margaret Thatcher (the former right wing Tory leader) than some in his own party.
Of course, those in power want the status quo to be maintained so endless argument is great for the rich and powerful.
As for Julian Assange, he's done a bail bunk into the Equadorian Embessay...I guess if I faced extradition to the US I'd do the same.
peter lindsay 30+
Re JA think he might slip off to Equador quietly one night and everyone will be relieved except for the plaintiff in Sweden perhaps. The UK US and AUS governments probably just want him to go away