British Gaians... show your faces!

[Angilwingz]

Smigg-the-Miserable

Angilwingz

You cosplay? eek
Man, that's just weird....

Gods above, why do I never meet people like this offline?

I guess you're just not awsome enough to meet me in real life. Haha. That, and like Francis says, I'm in Canada.  

[Heterodyne]

Angilwingz

Smigg-the-Miserable

Angilwingz

You cosplay? eek
Man, that's just weird....

Gods above, why do I never meet people like this offline?

I guess you're just not awsome enough to meet me in real life. Haha. That, and like Francis says, I'm in Canada.

I hail from bustling cosmopolitan... Suffolk. At least it's not Norfolk. ^^ (although I would switch Norwich for Ipswich any day...) One of my friends emigrated to Canada last year...I hope it wasn't something I said. mrgreen

Fantabulous hair action going on in your cosplay. ^_^ I love wig styling, but I really must get a polystyrene head, rather than planting my brother in the garden with a book and instructions to keep still. It's hard to get hold of decent quality cosplay wigs in the UK...

Also, pleather! That must have been quite technical - I roped in a friend with a seamstress mother and an industrial sewing machine last time I did anything with pleather.

dreaming_mouse

I tried Primark but they didn't have anything so I got some random 80s skirt from a charity shop that I'm gonna hack tonight lol.

Yay for the piratification of clothes! pirate << The pirate icon looks like it's shouting something repeatedly. Yarr? Oh, mysteries... -_-;

Something good had to come out of the 80s, with all the Thatcher that happened (she's more of a condition or an event than an individual to me stare ) to the country.

*Snaps out of sudden politik stance*

I love and admire charity shops. Particularly the obscure Air Ambulance charity shop in the alternative bit of town. I know where to go if I ever wake up with a raging desire to own a china shepherdess. 3nodding  

[Invictus_88]

Love her.

<3  

[Heterodyne]

*Clicky*

Classic Thatcher.

....I admire her strength. There's a world of similarity between her and Blair in terms of conviction politics.

But there's such a vast divide between her politics and my raging socialist background, I can only admire as I would a painting, or a book, or a building - in the context of their time.

Also, I feel stark neoliberalism is inherently cruel. Still, I'd rather hear her speak than Galloway, who was IRRITATING when I saw him at last year's A level Politics Conference. domokun The then Labour Defence Minister, Geoff Hoon, lied his sordid face off about ammunitions shortages in Iraq, as well. Rawr.  

[Angilwingz]

I ordered a white wig from Cosworx; dyed it with a sharpie, pinned it to the wig head and went insane with scissors and a comb.

The material was not fun to work with, and even less fun to wear. The stretch was disagreeable and every belt had to have a snap hand sewn into it so that it didn't slide or come undone (which some of them did a few times anyhow.)  

[Invictus_88]

Heterodyne

*Clicky*

Classic Thatcher.

....I admire her strength. There's a world of similarity between her and Blair in terms of conviction politics.

But there's such a vast divide between her politics and my raging socialist background, I can only admire as I would a painting, or a book, or a building - in the context of their time.

Also, I feel stark neoliberalism is inherently cruel. Still, I'd rather hear her speak than Galloway, who was IRRITATING when I saw him at last year's A level Politics Conference. domokun The then Labour Defence Minister, Geoff Hoon, lied his sordid face off about ammunitions shortages in Iraq, as well. Rawr.

I've an instinctive contempt for a lot of Socialists.

You're impressively balanced though, you have a sense of rationality about things. I'm not quite used to it. Bravo, though. I'm very pleased to see it.

Why Socialism?  

[Mr. Bono Vox]

Invictus_88

Heterodyne

*Clicky*

Classic Thatcher.

....I admire her strength. There's a world of similarity between her and Blair in terms of conviction politics.

But there's such a vast divide between her politics and my raging socialist background, I can only admire as I would a painting, or a book, or a building - in the context of their time.

Also, I feel stark neoliberalism is inherently cruel. Still, I'd rather hear her speak than Galloway, who was IRRITATING when I saw him at last year's A level Politics Conference. domokun The then Labour Defence Minister, Geoff Hoon, lied his sordid face off about ammunitions shortages in Iraq, as well. Rawr.

I've an instinctive contempt for a lot of Socialists.

You're impressively balanced though, you have a sense of rationality about things. I'm not quite used to it. Bravo, though. I'm very pleased to see it.

Why Socialism?

I have a theory. My theory is that socialism is seen by the layman as a more 'caring' political philosophy. That I think in the last 20 old years was sort of... encouraged.. because Thatcher was the leader of the Tories and such. I hope you get what I mean, sorry I'm not very coherent, I'm tired.  

[xXx White Lily xXx]

Heterodyne

....I admire her strength. There's a world of similarity between her and Blair in terms of conviction politics.

But there's such a vast divide between her politics and my raging socialist background, I can only admire as I would a painting, or a book, or a building - in the context of their time.

Also, I feel stark neoliberalism is inherently cruel. Still, I'd rather hear her speak than Galloway, who was IRRITATING when I saw him at last year's A level Politics Conference. domokun The then Labour Defence Minister, Geoff Hoon, lied his sordid face off about ammunitions shortages in Iraq, as well. Rawr.

Hmmm we appear to be fairly similar when it comes to this subject. =]  

[Invictus_88]

Two Socialists in our midst?

A GBG first, I believe.  

[Heterodyne]

Angilwingz

I ordered a white wig from Cosworx; dyed it with a sharpie, pinned it to the wig head and went insane with scissors and a comb.

The material was not fun to work with, and even less fun to wear. The stretch was disagreeable and every belt had to have a snap hand sewn into it so that it didn't slide or come undone (which some of them did a few times anyhow.)

Sharpies are the spork of the colouring world. ^_^ One day I'll order a decent wig from cosworx, but the shipping fees to here make me gasp... ^^;
Zero awkwardness was why I enjoyed wearing the mage dress so much - I put together a dress that Death wears in Gaiman's 'The Sandman' for London Expo, though, which ended up as two shirts and a corset over a petticoat. It looked fine for about fifteen minutes, and then three changes on the Underground happened...I arrived feeling like a bag of rags. sweatdrop

Invictus_88

I've an instinctive contempt for a lot of Socialists.

You're impressively balanced though, you have a sense of rationality about things. I'm not quite used to it. Bravo, though. I'm very pleased to see it.

Why Socialism?

Invictus_88

Two Socialists in our midst?

Watch out, the dangerous reds are coming for you all. We'll re-nationalise your public service business models as you sleep...

Maybe not... sweatdrop Why socialism indeed? Dammit, this could get complicated...

First off, I'll separate New Labour from Socialism... (no shouts from the gallery that Blair's already done that, thanks ^^) There is a strong case to be made that Labour was never *Socialist* in the same way that European socialist movements were, and instead, was initially founded on the combined basis of Trade Unionism, and Christian humanitarianism around 1901, (1903?) if memory serves.

To whatever extent Labour was socialist originally, the existence of socialism within the party was progressively altered in ways as to ameliorate its co-existance with the success and security of capitalism (i.e. becoming Parliamentary rather than Revolutionary in character, and aiming to mitigate the worst effects of capitalism rather than condemn it as innately unjust).

Post Third Way, I feel Labour stands most for communitarianism and positive freedom (the more left-wing side of Liberalism which embraces an enabling state, rather than negative freedom, which grants the absolute liberty of the individual to the freedom within their means - that is, not a great deal if they live in the gutters of the social strata.)

I'm afraid that I'm arguing in a way that's meandering around a bit, but the truth is, that I'm still forming where I am politically (and will continue to do so, I hope - too many people fail to be progressively critical about what they believe in) . I spent most of the Open Day at Trinity arguing with a Law Professor about the rightful extent of state intervention (turns out he's the College Dean... rolleyes I must have bee set to auto-dispute... ). My point is, from looking at Labour first, that I consider myself largely in line with the Labour political position when it comes to supporting a party. So, I am red, but it's the red of the rose, and not of a flag waving above a massed crowd of the working classes.

(I still find it funny that the Tory torch was usurped by a scribble-tree. Admittedly though, the torch did resemble an ice-cream cone more with each passing year... mrgreen )

This, however, is not enough to call myself 'socialist'. Going back to the roots of the big three political ideologies, Liberalism, Conservatism, and Socialism, I feel the foundation of each is upon their conflicting judgements of human nature. This following bit is going to be simplistic, and controversial, I'm afraid - (informed by a course based on Andrew Heywood's 'Political Ideologies')


Human Nature?

Socialism - Essentially creative, sociable, co-operative, corrupted by difficult social circumstances.
Liberalism - Self-interested, enterprising, innately endowed with the right to freedom, society is comprised of atomistic individuals
Consevatism - on average, human nature is essentially weak, requiring the direction and security of authority and organically evolved tradition. Tradition represents the very best of human wisdom, tested by time.

Thatcherism - Neoliberal and neoconservative threads conflict, as neoliberalism encourages enterprise and personal responsibility, while neoconservatism demands authoritarian law and order policies to clamp down on human moral weakness. Or, is it that the two threads are complimentary? Could the harsh law and order measures be required to dampen the social unrest caused by the inequality generated by a wholesale neoliberal approval of rampant capitalism?


So, where do I stand? I cannot say that humanity is overwhelmingly innately co-operative. In fact, experience has directed me to the conclusion that some individuals are, or are very close to, being innately irrationally malevolant (consider the character type of Shakespeare's Iago). I place more of an emphasis on the plasticity of human nature, so my perspective is that humanity has the greatest potential to be co-operative, creative and socially orientated, but is innately self-interested. When it comes down to raw political philosophy, I'm probably a Liberal Socialist, or a Social Liberal. (Yellow + Red = Orange? ^^; )

I'm driven further towards the left, however, by the fact that I regard widespread, extensive state intervention in the form of public services, which would ideally match those provided by the private sector (within the bounds of reason...I can't see public money funding past life regression therapy on a broad basis anytime soon), as essential. When it comes to health, housing and education, redistribution of wealth through taxation is of utmost importance. Where I diverge from notions of Liberal positive freedom into the realm of Liberal Social Democracy, is that while amelioration of the harsh conditions some face is required, or necessary, in order to comply with the positive liberal view of freedom, I feel that some extent of egalitarianism through redistribution is desirable.

There is, however, an emotional and irrational element to my leaning towards the left, and Socialism/Liberal Social Democracy/Whatever it is I believe in.

*Takes the impartial blindfold of rationalism off. Puts the scales of balance down.*

*Goes cross-eyed* sweatdrop

Mr. Bono Vox

My theory is that socialism is seen by the layman as a more 'caring' political philosophy.

I agree. There's some visual stimulus in the typically considered 'warm, passionate' red against the more sober and heraldic Tory blue as well. There will always be the history of workers versus landowners, despite the working class as a conscious power having largely been dissolved by the decline of the labour market, and the rise of the vast lower middle class...

The idea of 'socialism' which still retains a vague attatchment (in the mind of the country, at least) to the Labour party, continues to draw support from those on the poverty line, and I must say, that my family has a long history of being...financially challenged. Divorce, while sometimes rightfully inevitable, has a habit of stretching money to breaking point, and I remember a marked improvement in the standard of living my mum could maintain for my brother and I when Major went (I was about 8 ), and Labour economics and tax credits came in. They are quiet redistribution, and one of the last geniune elements of socialism in the Labour party. Also, my personal interests are wrapped up with the existence of a kind form of social mobility. As well as adoring education simply for the sake of it, it's been a pretty good ladder so far. ^_^

Not, of course, that the current system of helping those in a financial hole is particularly finely tuned. The flat ceiling of Working Families Tax Credit being what it is, there is little incentive for people to try and increase their income through promotion, as the outcome of working for 16 hours a week at a low-ish (about £7, say) wage and that of working for the same rate for a standard 30+ hour week leaves you with roughly the same monthly income.

Enough of the specifics, however... there's always the possibility that the phylo-genetic memory in the Scottish bit of my blood is constantly yelling at me to move toward the left.... my great grandparents through my grandad's side were Communists. xd Mark Twain got the heart of the problem with Communism in saying that it falls down because people like to own stuff. cool

I could talk about my distaste for the enshrinement of tradition, the reactionary side of High Toryism, how I believe that some extent Inheritance tax is necessary for social justice, and how I dispute that wealth generated will naturally 'trickle down', but I've probably typed the hind leg of all the donkeys in the northern hemisphere, and it's getting light outside.

Also, I'm going away for a couple of nights, or maybe a bit longer, so I'll be without internet access for a while. (...I hope my virtual Teutonic village isn't a pile of smoking ruins when I get back. neutral I play Travian. ^^)

I hope I've been vaguely coherent. ^^ Somehow I always end up writing an essay whenever Thatcher gets mentioned.

So... dare I ask...

Why Conservatism? mrgreen  

[Nebelstern]

Ahhhhh! Get....get away! *swats*

No

More

Government

And / or

Politics!

gonk

Edit: Knee-jerk reactions are fun.

3nodding  

[Invictus_88]

So, Simon. You heard I intend to win a seat on the Executive Committee of Ceredigion Conservatives?

wink  

[xXx White Lily xXx]

Invictus_88

Two Socialists in our midst?

Really? I find that quite surprising..
Heterodyne, I'm impressed, I've never been good at explaining this sort of thing but you've done a fine job 3nodding  

[[Finrod]]

Is it possible for a mod to shift Heterodyne's post into the Politics subforum so that this conversation could be continued without derailing this thread?

It definitely merits thoughtful and detailed replies, but I'm mindful that lengthy political discussion could be out of place in this particular thread.  

[Shadow of an Illusion]

[Finrod]

Is it possible for a mod to shift Heterodyne's post into the Politics subforum so that this conversation could be continued without derailing this thread?

It definitely merits thoughtful and detailed replies, but I'm mindful that lengthy political discussion could be out of place in this particular thread.

I've quoted it into a new thread. It's not hard to find but it's here if you're feeling particuarly lazy.