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Off Topic The "Discuss Anything Else" Thread

Discussion in 'Horse Racing' started by OddDog, Jun 23, 2013.

  1. DMD

    DMD Eh?
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    There's a very low turn out for elections currently, I'm not convinced that making it more complicated would help improve that.

    Most people find the political process uninteresting, so don't bother to understand it, but do tend to have issues that concern them.
     
    #11421
  2. petersaxton

    petersaxton Well-Known Member

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    BBC Sport seems to want to outlaw the word "woman". When you look at headlines there is never any indication of whether they are talking about women's football or men's football. They want you to think that women's football is as important as men's football.
     
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  3. petersaxton

    petersaxton Well-Known Member

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    There's a low turnout because it's the same parties dominating. If The Sensible Party was standing in an election using the transferable vote they would smash it!
     
    #11423
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  4. DMD

    DMD Eh?
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    I think the fact there is limited choice is certainly an issue, plus people have very limited trust in politicians, and there is the perception that the lack of choice due to the political parties makes voting worthless.

    Add in to that the use of local elections to 'send a message' to national government, or worse, choosing a candidate for local government because of some national policies means the wrong people can be elected (or not) which doesn't help tackle local issues.

    That leaves people feeling a lack of engagement with politics in general, or when there is engagement, it tends to be divisive, because people try to pigeon hole others into one or other political party.
     
    #11424
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  5. petersaxton

    petersaxton Well-Known Member

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    All good points but I think the way to resolve it is by the voting system encouraging individuals who would be thought of as mavericks - outside the constraints of political parties but admired by many.
     
    #11425
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  6. DMD

    DMD Eh?
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    I agree. The whips etc ensuring politicians follow the party line can be a big negative, and it means your vote is for a party, no matter what the local candidate says they'll do.
     
    #11426
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  7. petersaxton

    petersaxton Well-Known Member

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    So lets make the political system better even if slightly more complicated.
    The political system in Europe is a lot more complicated but the voters seem to manage to understand it. The problem with PR is that it increases the power of the parties.
     
    #11427
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  8. DMD

    DMD Eh?
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    I don't know if it's true, but I read somewhere that there is only us and Belarus that use the first past the post system. Even if it is true, the alternatives seem to be suffer their own problems anyway.
     
    #11428
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  9. petersaxton

    petersaxton Well-Known Member

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    What about Russia?
    Does that use "Putin Past The Post"?
     
    #11429
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  10. DMD

    DMD Eh?
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    Putin on the ritz.

     
    #11430
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  11. petersaxton

    petersaxton Well-Known Member

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    If Russia keeps losing tanks at the present rate in Ukraine I wouldnt be surprised if their soldiers turn up on Ritz crackers.
     
    #11431
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  12. smokethedeadbadger

    smokethedeadbadger Well-Known Member

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    A thread discussing politics again. The last one went so well.
     
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  13. DMD

    DMD Eh?
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    Obviously I don't know about your experience on here, but in the ones I've seen, the threads go downhill once people bring party politics in to the discussion, which in a way confirms what we've been saying above.
     
    #11433
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  14. OddDog

    OddDog Mild mannered janitor
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    I live in Germany and our political system is slowly but surely evolving from the classic 2 party system. Support for the Green Party at both national and regional level continues to grow and their 2 “headline ministers” Annalena Baerbock (foreign minister) and Robert Habeck (energy minister) are navigating tricky waters admirably. Breaking the 2 party system has been key to revolutionizing the political landscape here and I hope one day both the UK and US can follow suit. The 2 party systems of Democrats v Republicans and Tories v Labour results in polarisation of opinion and the advancement of …... ahem …… politicians of sub-optimal intellect :emoticon-0102-bigsm
     
    #11434
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  15. DMD

    DMD Eh?
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    In my opinion, the current system in the UK limits choices to simply A or B, and in the process means you have to sacrifice some other issues that may be important to you.

    I don't think there is a perfect system, and even though I'm advocating change, I can see a number of problems in that, not least of which it risks increasing the power of the unelected Civil Service, as they are liable to end up with more control and influence.
     
    #11435
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  16. OddDog

    OddDog Mild mannered janitor
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    It also stifles the desire to find compromises - which IMHO is one of the key attributes of a successful politician. Strange that the political system itself is so rarely questioned, particularly in the USA. Then again, look what they are doing there with abortion <doh>
     
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  17. DMD

    DMD Eh?
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    When a vote is held in Parliament or among US politicians, it quite often falls cleanly by party lines, which cannot be representative, and I fail to believe each politician voted on their own views, and simply followed the party line, which as you point out stifles any compromise or third ways.
     
    #11437
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  18. petersaxton

    petersaxton Well-Known Member

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    We all agree what's wrong
    What's important is how to put it right
     
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  19. Bustino74

    Bustino74 Thouroughbred Breed Enthusiast

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    To have lived through the horrors of the 70's inflation it is more than disappointing to see Inflation ratcheting up again. The people with the levers to pull have acted like those muppets Macmillan, Wilson and Heath in the '60s/70s. It is especially galling when you read this June 2020 article:-

    Inflation: The next threat? — Institute of Economic Affairs (iea.org.uk)

    It wasn't too late then, it could be now:-

    Inflation: the warning signs are there — Institute of Economic Affairs (iea.org.uk)

    and

    Bank of England's "sluggish response" has increased the risk of long-term inflation, says IEA economist — Institute of Economic Affairs
     
    #11439
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  20. Tamerlo

    Tamerlo Well-Known Member

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    You're right, Bustino, but people have really benefitted this century with low inflation.
    I remember buying my first property in 1974 and inflation was then 16%. Mortgages were like gold dust and, after months of trying, I got a tip off that Britannia were giving three mortgages out on Monday morning. I drove into Manchester and parked my bum on their door step at 8 o'clock. Luckily, I was first in the queue, despite a few angry scuffles in the queue behind. Mind you, the cost of that mortgage at £58.10 per month meant very few beers for quite a while. <yikes>
     
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