Lefties

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Diddums

Diddums

Caporegime
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I can't believe I'm actually starting a political thread, but let me state right off the bat that as a filthy forriner, I am not as clued up on the political atmosphere in this country as most, so this is just to gain some insight.

Let's talk about lefties.

I know a few of them and they all seem to have very simple minds (not trying to offend anyone here, this is just an observation, which is why I'm trying to understand this mindset).

Take for example the living wage increase. A lefty I know (who is very passionate about politics and whose sister is somehow involved with Labour or something) says that this is way overdue and that people should earn more. When I ask him about it or attempt to have a reasoned discussion with him, his way of telling me I'm wrong is simply to talk louder and louder until I get annoyed and walk away. I asked him this morning what he thought of all the people who've had their hours cut because their companies can't afford to give them more, and what about all the over 25s who will be struggling to find work because of the new laws, at which point he started yelling and telling me that this is the result of former governments screwing up and now we're paying the price. According to him, the Overnment is responsible for everything, and can fix everything as long as we put Corbyn in power.

As for Corbyn, his attitude is that he worships the guy. No jokes, it's a running joke here that he'd give Corbyn a happy ending if the opportunity arose. Anything Corbyn says is gospel, it's a bit weird. Corbyn says we need to let in all the Syrians and open up the crossing from Calais and welcome everyone to our country. When pointing things out like the family murdered by migrants in Italy, "that's just a one off and won't happen again". When confronted about how these people have very different cultures and morals who have no respect for Western civilization or the fact that they regard women as possessions, "we can train them", as if sending them on a day course to brush up on western culture is going to resolve the issue.

Now with this new budget, he's saying that the poorer are going to suffer and the rich are going to get richer (this seems to be a trend with lefties every time the budget is announced). As it happens, in today's Metro I saw a nice little segment showing various families of various incomes and kids and whatnot and each and every one of them was better off according to the article. Obviously it's Metro so it's about as reliable as a French car's electrics but again, when presented with this information, his attitude was that it was wrong and that in a few years time we'd all be paying the price. It seems that unless he has exactly the people in power that he wants, the gov is incapable of doing anything right.

I just don't get it. I don't consider myself left or right, I consider myself someone who weighs out options and thinks about the consequences both long and short term of the decisions we make.

It just beggars belief to me that someone like this can be so passionate about politics when in reality he doesn't have a clue how the world works. This isn't a youngster either, he's the same age as me. He's not the only one either, I know a few lefties and they all say similar things.

Of course I'm probably reading way too much in to this and we do need people like him to help keep things on an even keel but I'm just shocked at some of the things he says.

Dunno. Just felt like putting that in writing, maybe to help me understand it myself. Didn't work.
 
Don't ask me I came in here thinking it was going to be about Left handed people.

Wanders off.
 
there is a solid argument for a Labour Government, and I have come across some very interesting people who can debate this very well,

sadly the majority of 'lefties' are as thick as two short planks, who seem to default to a rebel mode, without any understanding of the politics, purely because they oppose the current tory government.

best to ignore, I can tell within 20 seconds whether they know what they are talking about, or whether they are just Morning Star wielding imbeciles.
 
I see where you are coming from with the attitude to an extent.

A few people I know are vocally left and always seem to be spouting the same rhetoric about "the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer" whilst refusing to acknowledge that there are positives and they themselves are actually benefiting!

One even likened the 'sugar tax' a precursor becoming a nanny state. I mean, really? :rolleyes:

edit:

Soundood said:
sadly the majority of 'lefties' are as thick as two short planks, who seem to default to a rebel mode, without any understanding of the politics, purely because they oppose the current tory government.
Click to expand...

Very true, unfortunately.
 
It gets muddled as you have the old left like socialists up north, and this new young left that seeks any opportunity to be offended and contradicts itself constantly, like actively promoting racial segregation at universities etc.
 
Most folk who cant put up a good reasoned argument resort to shouting their core beleifs over and over again until the other person capitulates.

Religion, politics, football, it all boils down to you pick your side and defend it to the last and always refuse to admit that the other ways of doing things, the other ways of thinking, and the other people can ever be right unless they agree with you.
 
First of all let me prefix this by saying I'm not a labour supporter.

But the fact remains that at least one major economy has gone from massive hyperinflation and massive unemployment to being a world super power within 10 years just by doing massive state funded public works and infrastructure. The idea that the only way you can have a stable economy is by having a budget surplus does not actually work out when you look at the historical evidence.

I'll leave it up to you to guess which country I am talking about.

We could have full employment within a year if the government invested in some major public works. Full employment means more taxes which means more money to spend on public infrastructure and other public services. It is a circle. The more you spend. The more you earn.

I've pretty much had it with the Tory party though. The announcement that they were going to cut taxes for the wealthiest 5% of the population while also cutting disability benefits is sickening. I don't think there is any argument that can justify that. Talk about attacking the weakest members of society while protecting the strongest.
 
It is similar to people on GD who don't want to change any aspect of their position on anything. They would prefer to argue until they are blue in the face rather than accept/concede a point. Or dyed-in-the-wool religious types (which we also have on here) who have already fixed their religious position in concrete mixed with superglue.

People who have ideas can easily adapt them in the face of new evidence. People with beliefs find it much more difficult.

Edit: it becomes a question of adapting the evidence to your belief rather than vice versa
 
Cromulent said:
First of all let me prefix this by saying I'm not a labour supporter.

But the fact remains that at least one major economy has gone from massive hyperinflation and massive unemployment to being a world super power within 10 years just by doing massive state funded public works and infrastructure.

I'll leave it up to you to guess which country I am talking about.
.
Click to expand...

Nazi Germany?
 
Cromulent said:
But the fact remains that at least one major economy has gone from massive hyperinflation and massive unemployment to being a world super power within 10 years just by doing massive state funded public works and infrastructure.

I'll leave it up to you to guess which country I am talking about.
Click to expand...

Vanuatu ?
 
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