Election Times
Election time is fast approaching, and opinion seems to be that the scum of the earth will be sliming their way back into Westminster. Nobody with both a brain and a conscience can legitimately support the Labour party after their record over the past 13 years. Things such as the Leaders Debate do not accept that anyone has a vote outside of these options (or not a vote worth taking seriously) and reduce the whole of politics to three simplistic colour-coded choices representing a horribly narrow, viciously right-wing range of sameyness. The desperate human urge to draw meaning from something even as meaningless as this has led to people thinking Nick Clegg is worthy of celebration, purely for the merit of not being Gordon Brown or David Cameron. I will accept that he got in a worthwhile word on scrapping Trident, but other than that? Talked crap like the others from start to finish. People are pointing out that he was more laid back and personable throughout, but really that's because his party hasn't been in power for a very long time. He doesn't have the weight of all those crimes to answer for that the Tories and Labour do, obviously he will be more relaxed when under questioning. But there is nothing to indicate they would be any different if they were put in power.
The Lib Dems are chumps and they are dishonest. They pose in whatever role is most convenient at the time: for example, senior Lib Dems supported the Digital Economy bill particularly with regards to powers of blocking websites such as rapidshare. But they then try and capitalise on the public opposition by saying they agree the bill should be debated (far too late to have any influence), and try to defend themselves as the defenders of our internet freedom. They try and talk themselves up as the liberal, nicer alternative on the one hand - whilst angling for the right-of-Labour reactionary vote with their "LABOUR - SOFT ON CRIME" leaflets. They claimed to oppose the Iraq war for about a week, but then once it had started they swiftly abandoned all opposition and it was all "back our boys!" despite the fact that the war was getting progressively worse. Nick Clegg is not a political hero, and the Lib Dems are not a vote for change.
I'm not singling them out of course, the point I'm making is that they are not any better than Labour or the Tories. Labour and the Tories themselves have very little political distance between them on most issues, particularly anything to do with economic policy. They're both planning to wreck the public sector and make our society increasingly unequal. But there's a difference in the packaging, and in the rhetoric - and that's more significant than it sounds. Some people aren't looking too hard at politics, for one reason or another - its the difference between voting for an arsehole who claims they'll help but breaks their promise, and an arsehole who declares from the outset that they will only support the wealthy. When people are voting for the latter, society is definitely in a worse state. The fact that the Tories are likely to win is bitterly depressing and it is a strong argument for Scottish independence. With the Tories in power we're in a situation that not only did people intentionally vote for the party who declares unambiguously that they will fuck the poor, but almost all of those voters are from a different country than ourselves.
No amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred of the Tory party. So far as I am concerned, they are lower than vermin. - Aneurin Bevan
For better times, more lols (and hilarious coverage of the leaders debate) I recommend these guys.