The irresistible rise of left wing blogging.

[ron_broxted]

Figures show that right wing blogs have had their day. Who reads libertarian blogs these days? With each passing day and week the left of centre through the anglo-phone world gets a higher audience both in terms of unique hits and traffic

Comments

[dogsolitude_v2]

I'm starting to wonder if politics will start to become more issues-based, and we'll start to see through the false Left/Right dichotomy...



It is conceivable that both Labour and Conservatives could cr@p mightily on our freedoms from a very great height. In fact, it was the Conservative party that brought in that Criminal Justice Act which makes it illegal for us to camp wild, and Major also mooted ID cards back in 1995.

I mention this because as the idea of party politics, together with all the baggage and limitations that implies (e.g. you may be broadly Lib Dem but unconvinced by their stance on the EU for example) may well mean that Blogs become more issues-based.

My own Blog, back in 2006 before I got comfortable and started discussing IT and stuff, had two main causes: civil liberties and affordable housing. I was never hugely fussed about being part of a 'wing' :)

[ron_broxted]

Dog, housing is going to be a major issue, esp for me when I have to move. Went to 2 different towns in Norn Iron and told to keep moving. Meanwhile half of Romania & Poland are getting places!
I do not trust either side. A wise man once said there will be an atrocity here and that will be the excuse to bring in ID cards.
Wings do not matter - I am Liberal (Centrist) on some points ultra far left on others!

[bob_idle]

You can't really have issues based politics in a 2-party system : - the whip system and toeing the party line.
Better to have proportional representation and more independent MPs?

[ron_broxted]

Yes and No. Look at Ireland - minority governments can never bring in change. The result? Ossification.

[bob_idle]

But at least its a bit more representative of the peoples wishes.

i thought that and wrote about it prior to the formation of the coalition. The peoples wish was clearly in favour of no overall majority - no winner. A completely impotent government who could do nothing - a response to the failure of government and the expenses scandal. The people wanted a minority government lead by D. Cameron - which would get outvoted in anything controversial. A government who had to win the support of opponents before anything could be changed.
Thus was the peoples wish - but it wasn't to be. Nick Clegg and David Cameron outmanouvered the people.

[ron_broxted]

I disagree, the peoples wish was to stay at home. It usually is voting day. On another site there was an argument about compulsory voting. Whaddya think?

[bob_idle]

I read somewhere turnout was 65%, higher than average and certainly a majority.

I do think compulsory voting should be brought in and see absolutely no valid argument to the contrary.

[ron_broxted]

Yes turnout amazingly reached more than half. Valid argument = the stupidity of the U.K electorate!

[bob_idle]

If it is a democracy then everyone should vote.
If it is not, then bring on dictatorship

[ron_broxted]

You think Britain is a democracy? Polite cough. I recall a film, satire, it had Peter Cook as a PM, he started by having referendums on everything, then when folks were fed up he brought in a dictatorship. History will look back at Blair (& to a lesser extent Brown) and gasp, not just at their audacious theft of liberty, well, the bit that Thatcher left, and the supine nature of Ingerlund!