Tipping the scales
By James Lawless ~ July 3rd, 2009. Filed under: Policy, Politics, Social & Economic.
Very little commentary on my last political post, surprised by that. Thought it might provoke a few responses.. I did get a few mails back but noone posted a comment here. From the couple mails I got, again some more interesting results. A friend and political counterpart who I would consider more right than your average FFer came in alongside Hilary Clinton on the compass. Which does make sense, in terms of relative positioning (i.e. to the right of the control group) but not absolute as we agreed the compass is a little skewed. Another FFer of my aquaintance took the test and landed at almost the exact spot as myself and the rest, providing extra weight to my theory. Again though, I think it says more about our range of values and common themes than a simplistic right/left divide, it is a more complex political tapestry than that.
I was in discussion last night (mainly via twitter) on social justice. Reflected bit more today. Is an oft abused term. Most mean by it a desire to protect those of lower means or protection. Which is what I generally mean by it as well. However taken literally justice would actually be quite a (classical) right wing concept. Biblican justice suggests an eye for an eye, and an economic version of social justice could suggest for example that noone is entitled to additional protection, in fact quite a darwininst model could emerge using pure ‘justice’ ideals. Is the welfare state a ‘just’ society? Why is it ‘just’ that someone gets money for nothing?! Alernately is it ‘just’ for another to inherit wealth not having earned it themselves. Would the ultimate ‘just’ society see everyone levelled at entry (age of adulthood) and allow everyone make of life what they will. No silver spoons but no safety nets either. I guess that would be real social justice.
Anyhow, after six months at the coalface I’m heading for some downtime. Not even sure if I’ll have an internet connection next week.. But my blackberry will still be on, so if you want to, comment away!
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:02 pm
While you are over in Connemara, would you throw that Blackberry against a rock and buy an iPhone?
iPhone’s are where it’s all at, and you need to compliment it with a MacBook Pro.
Once you go Mac, you never go back
July 5th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
I am a strong believer in the influence of cultural folk memory on the ideology and attitudes of today. During the Great Famine the poor relied on quaker soup kitchens. Many changed religion and “took the soup” and their families suffered alienation in rural Ireland for generations as a result. Famine relief works provided jobs by building often pointless walls and so on- Keynesian economics that continues to this day with even Obama looking at similiar measures with questionable bang for his buck in terms of arguable money multiplier benefit. Saving the american car industry for example opens such questions.
My great aunt Eileen OKennedy who lived to 95 told me as a small child of 7 or 8 how she at the same age carried pails of milk, bread, meat scraps from their farm shop to cottages nearby where women literally waited for this charity to feed children. This at the turn at the 20th century.
The poor will always be with us and thus there must be welfare.
The difficulty arises when natural motivations to help oneself are dulled by intergenerational unemployment and/ or by soft welfare policy that discriminate against the working poor.
Political tapestry you are quite right is complex. I always feel right wing allegiance on the subjects of freeing up SMEs, the rights of employers,the harm trade unions have now caused to our competitiveness and productivity . But when it comes to fundamentals of the rights of individuals, of the right to education and health care, the need to curb MNCs, tax the wealthy, moderate supply side Karl Rove economics- all those views place me like you further left than almost any american prominent politician . FFs future I think is going to have to be in that left of centre space, with the political savvy to swing the pendulum a little to the right when the prevailing global economic wind requires. regards, Des.