The Off Topic Topic

[Admiral Yi]

What would a chick give a dude?

They respect the cock.

[Sheilbh]

Tories have largely abandoned the Right, that's for sure.

This is nonsense. Saying it lots doesn't make it true. They're in coalition with the Lib Dems so what they're doing is being held back. But even so they're cutting taxes, cutting spending, trying to cut immigration. Increasingly they're sliding out of Europe.

The only way they're not on the right is if gay-bashing and doubt about climate change are the sine qua non of right wing politics (though on that most MPs voted against gay marriage and don't believe in climate change).

Actually their whole message now is far more tough, populist right-wing to try and counter UKIP.

[Valmy]

They're in coalition with the Lib Dems so what they're doing is being held back.

Are the Liberals doomed?  It sure seems like they are getting blamed for being party to this.

[Sheilbh]

Are the Liberals doomed?  It sure seems like they are getting blamed for being party to this.

They're not doomed. Here's the polls since the coalition:


The Lib Dems lost the former Labour voters they'd picked up since 1997 and other lefties who didn't like the Tories (the Lib Dems were often the party of public sector workers like teachers). Since then though they've remained steady. But the great strength of the Lib Dems is that the way they've won (and what the Greens and UKIP are trying to replicate) is first they win a few council seats and then they've got an activist base in a seat. Then they try and win the council so people have a local Lib Dem face they know. Then they'll try and win the Parliamentary seat (which historically they often did in byelections) running a very aggressive campaign with lots of local activists. For that reason they tend to be far more popular where they have seats and councils than elsewhere. One Lib Dem approvingly said his party were like 'cockroaches'.

Also they're really good at turning slight wins into solid seats. In North Norfolk, a Tory seat since the 60s, for example Norman Lamb was about 1000 votes short in 1997. In 2001 he won by 500. Since then his majority's been over 12 000 and the Lib Dems win over 50% of the vote.

They'll lose seats but there are reasons they can be optimistic. They even managed to keep hold of Eastbourne in a byelection against a very good UKIP candidate when the previous Lib Dem MP had resigned after being sent to prison.

Personally my respect for the Lib Dems has increased because they can do government and are relatively responsible. The Tories on the other hand are falling apart and fighting civil wars over Europe. Like they did last time they were in office.

[Admiral Yi]

Shelf has links to articles like most people have cat gifs.

[Josephus]

Nothing says true love more than this record. I suggest all you potential lovers to go out and buy this today

http://www.amazon.com/Putrescent-Clitoral-Fermentation-VULVECTOMY/dp/B0014H19PI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_3


NSFW.

[jimmy olsen]

The very link title make me want to hurl! 

[Capetan Mihali]

Are the Liberals doomed?  It sure seems like they are getting blamed for being party to this.

They're not doomed. Here's the polls since the coalition:

I don't see SWP anywhere on there.  Are you sure you've got the right graph?

[Sheilbh]

I don't see SWP anywhere on there.  Are you sure you've got the right graph?

But actually the SWP have recently imploded over rape allegations:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/08/socialist-workers-party-rape-investigation
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/12/swp-rape-implosion-why-i-care

[Capetan Mihali]

But actually the SWP have recently imploded over rape allegations:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/08/socialist-workers-party-rape-investigation
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/12/swp-rape-implosion-why-i-care

Yeah, I recall reading that on Richard Seymour's "Leninology" blog.  Sad, but unfortunately it seems there's long been a certain cultish aspect to a lot of small far-left groups. 

China Mieville split too, didn't he?  Rare that you get a very good sci-fi author and Marxian international law theorist in the same person these days. 

[Valmy]

I don't see SWP anywhere on there.  Are you sure you've got the right graph?

Wow even the member I used to love to make fun of, Mark Steel, left.

[Neil]

I can think of no appreciable difference between Canada and the US in terms of press freedom.

IIRC it can be punishable in Canada to publish "hate facts", so you guys have that one against you.

Also, Argentina should be red given the current government's actions against press coverage it doesn't like.

"Hate facts"? 

The impact of hate crime legislation in Canada is, in point of fact, pretty minimal.

I've never heard of a hate fact.  Does anyone know what it means?

[Sheilbh]

Yeah, I recall reading that on Richard Seymour's "Leninology" blog.  Sad, but unfortunately it seems there's long been a certain cultish aspect to a lot of small far-left groups. 

China Mieville split too, didn't he?  Rare that you get a very good sci-fi author and Marxian international law theorist in the same person these days. 

Yeah, he's gone. I think many of them have joined Ken Loach's Popular Front style far left party.

[Neil]

Those polling numbers are disturbing.  Sure, polls can't be trusted anymore, but it's sad to see Labour doing so well when their leader is so utterly abysmal.

[Valmy]

Those polling numbers are disturbing.  Sure, polls can't be trusted anymore, but it's sad to see Labour doing so well when their leader is so utterly abysmal.

Well we have to vote for the Democrats despite them being completely loathsome so I get it.