Comments on: Rear end analysis from Comment is Free http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/09/14/rear-end-analysis-from-comment-is-free/ "crass, boorish and more a bruiser than blogger" - Alex Wilcock Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:17:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: David Lindsay http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/09/14/rear-end-analysis-from-comment-is-free/#comment-89456 David Lindsay Sat, 15 Sep 2007 11:40:08 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/09/14/rear-end-analysis-from-comment-is-free/#comment-89456 What to make of the Lib Dems as their Conference looms? Theirs is a wholly inadequate vehicle for any of the vitally important traditions from which they derive: of Gladstone, carefully re-appropriated in the light of his own “Four Doctors”, namely Aristotle, Augustine, Dante and Joseph Butler; of Keynes, Beveridge, and the One Nation politician’s One Nation politician, Lloyd George. Yet the cause of opposition to the neoconservative war agenda is an important one, though not one for which the rising faction among the Lib Dems will continue to fight. The cause of opposition to the pointless “renewal” of Trident is an important one (and an important reminder that Labour policy towards nuclear weapons had absolutely nothing to do with the creation of the SDP), although the Lib Dems have failed to get their act together properly on this one. The cause of defending civil liberties is an important one. I have come to see that the causes of an elected second chamber and of changing how MPs are chosen are important ones, although I am profoundly opposed to the specific Lib Dem proposals on these matters. And the cause of representing systematically marginalised and ignored areas such as the West Country, Mid-Wales, the North and South of Scotland, Northumberland, Merseyside, the more rural parts of Lancashire and County Durham, and parts of London like Southwark and Bermondsey, is an important one. The people of those and comparable areas, those who want to make our parliamentary system genuinely representative (which must mean all of us), those who want to defend and restore civil liberties (likewise), those who would and do oppose Trident “renewal”, and those who would and do oppose the neoconservative war agenda (and thus neoconservatism itself) are among the many, many, many constituencies now crying for the re-emergence of one or more proper political movements in place of the present hopeless, useless One Party. The Lib Dems might pretend that they are not part of that One Party, but in fact they are its licensed pretend-dissidents, to keep up the illusion that it faces some sort of opposition. If you want it to face real opposition that it desperately needs and richly deserves, and not least if you fall into any one or more of the above categories, then what are you doing about it? What to make of the Lib Dems as their Conference looms?

Theirs is a wholly inadequate vehicle for any of the vitally important traditions from which they derive: of Gladstone, carefully re-appropriated in the light of his own “Four Doctors”, namely Aristotle, Augustine, Dante and Joseph Butler; of Keynes, Beveridge, and the One Nation politician’s One Nation politician, Lloyd George.

Yet the cause of opposition to the neoconservative war agenda is an important one, though not one for which the rising faction among the Lib Dems will continue to fight.

The cause of opposition to the pointless “renewal” of Trident is an important one (and an important reminder that Labour policy towards nuclear weapons had absolutely nothing to do with the creation of the SDP), although the Lib Dems have failed to get their act together properly on this one.

The cause of defending civil liberties is an important one. I have come to see that the causes of an elected second chamber and of changing how MPs are chosen are important ones, although I am profoundly opposed to the specific Lib Dem proposals on these matters.

And the cause of representing systematically marginalised and ignored areas such as the West Country, Mid-Wales, the North and South of Scotland, Northumberland, Merseyside, the more rural parts of Lancashire and County Durham, and parts of London like Southwark and Bermondsey, is an important one.

The people of those and comparable areas, those who want to make our parliamentary system genuinely representative (which must mean all of us), those who want to defend and restore civil liberties (likewise), those who would and do oppose Trident “renewal”, and those who would and do oppose the neoconservative war agenda (and thus neoconservatism itself) are among the many, many, many constituencies now crying for the re-emergence of one or more proper political movements in place of the present hopeless, useless One Party.

The Lib Dems might pretend that they are not part of that One Party, but in fact they are its licensed pretend-dissidents, to keep up the illusion that it faces some sort of opposition.

If you want it to face real opposition that it desperately needs and richly deserves, and not least if you fall into any one or more of the above categories, then what are you doing about it?

]]> By: Melian http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/09/14/rear-end-analysis-from-comment-is-free/#comment-89332 Melian Fri, 14 Sep 2007 22:33:53 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/09/14/rear-end-analysis-from-comment-is-free/#comment-89332 <i>"This Summer, Cameron has invented a new concept in British politics: the revolving door policy development tool. What you do is stick Zac Goldsmith, Ken Clarke, John Redwood and Iain Duncan Smith in a revolving door, spin it round really fast and then, when they’ve finished bashing into each other and falling over themselves, scoop up the resultant vomit and call it a manifesto."</i> I love it! You make it sound like some kind of slot machine. :-D “This Summer, Cameron has invented a new concept in British politics: the revolving door policy development tool. What you do is stick Zac Goldsmith, Ken Clarke, John Redwood and Iain Duncan Smith in a revolving door, spin it round really fast and then, when they’ve finished bashing into each other and falling over themselves, scoop up the resultant vomit and call it a manifesto.”

I love it! You make it sound like some kind of slot machine. :-D

]]> By: Peter Black http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/09/14/rear-end-analysis-from-comment-is-free/#comment-89321 Peter Black Fri, 14 Sep 2007 21:40:27 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/09/14/rear-end-analysis-from-comment-is-free/#comment-89321 You know me too well. In actual fact the Welsh Liberal Democrats voted to go into the rainbow coalition but Plaid Cymru walked away. You know me too well. In actual fact the Welsh Liberal Democrats voted to go into the rainbow coalition but Plaid Cymru walked away.

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