April 22, 2005
More political test sites
There are two new political test websites, evidently modelled on the successful Political Compass Test.
Gabriel Rosenberg’s Political Compass is a diamond rather than a square, but like the original site, it contrasts left/right with libertarian/authoritarian.
Chris Lightfoot’s Political Survey 2005 shows the individual relative to the British electorate as a whole. There are two axes stretching from rehabilitation/internationalist on the left to hanging/flogging Eurosceptic on the right, from freemarket/pro-war at the top to socialist/anti-war at the bottom.
My results were different for each test. The original Political compass had me down as a libertarian/leftist aligned with Gandhi, Mandela, the Dalai Lama and the Greens. Rozenberg thought I was a centrist. Lightfoot’s test evaluated me on one axis as ‘very internationalist and rehabilitationist’ ( with 93 per cent of Britons to my right and only 1 per cent to my left!), but on the other axis only ‘slightly socialist and anti-war’.
www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,20929,00.html
Posted by Simon Holledge at 12:32 AM | TrackBack
November 17, 2004
The 'special relationship' with the USA
There was a discussion on another blog about the ‘special relationship and what we get out of it’. Here are my 2 cents worth on this subject:
“There are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, only permanent interests” Palmerston. Blair ignores this by clinging to the Bush government. In time he will be seen as one of the weakest of our prime ministers.
Geopolitics, history and common sense all indicate that a dominant power chooses its own policies without being influenced by the special wishes of others - however friendly. We should not expect favours from the Americans, it simply doesn’t work like that.
Britain should decide what it wants and then try to make alliances around those objectives. For example, if it wants more action on climate control it should get together with other countries that are looking for the same thing.
Historically Britain has almost always been against a dominant power: against the France of Louis XIV and Napoleon, the Germany of Hitler etc. That is the way that we have maximized our influence as a relatively small country.
Posted by Simon Holledge at 01:34 PM | TrackBack
November 16, 2004
Science versus Bush
Wired News has an important article on US scientists opposing the US government on a whole range of issues: stem cell research, ciimate change, renewable energy, and the the teaching of ‘intelligent design’ (i.e. creationism) rather than evolution in schools.
Some individual states are battling against the religious conservatism of the federal government, notably California with its strong support for stem cell research, but it looks like a tough four more years for the American scientific community.
www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,65693,00.html/wn_ascii
Posted by Simon Holledge at 05:27 PM | TrackBack
November 14, 2004
Denial statement for politicians in trouble
The personal and private lives of politicians should remain just that - personal and private. Like the rest of us they have their ups and downs and have to work out their problems. It can’t be pleasant or helpful to have a couple of tabloids on your back while you are trying to do this. So I was dismayed to see Boris Johnson fired as Shadow Minister for the Arts after (or rather before) being given the sunday newspaper treatment.
Michael Howard has claimed that it was the quality of the denial rather than the (purported) offence that was the issue, so I offer the following all-purpose denial statement to future politicians in similar trouble.
STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE RT HON FRITZ SMITH MP
I understand that stories about me have been published in the Sunday Piffle. I don’t actually read this publication, though I bear it no particular ill will. The Sunday Piffle sometimes fulfills a useful role. I recognize that it must be tough to have to sell yesterday’s print news in today’s dynamic world. Doubtless the newspaper will not survive for long, but I would hate to do anything to hasten its departure.
As I have said before, I never comment on stories about my private life. I neither confirm nor deny claims which appear in the media. Nor do I take legal action against those who make allegations, as that only gives them greater circulation. On this occasion, I have not read the article or articles in question, and have absolutely no comment to make about their veracity.
As Member of Parliament for [Haddock and Sleaze], I am always available at any time to discuss issues that affect my constituents, or my party, or questions of major national importance.
Aside from political matters, I am also delighted to talk in public about [stamp-collecting, pot-holing or cats]. I have no special interest in, or knowledge of, other subjects and regret I have nothing to say about them.
Thank you and good evening.
Posted by Simon Holledge at 11:19 PM | TrackBack
November 05, 2004
Supporting the United Blue States of America
According to an interview in the Times, Blair has said that European leaders are in a “state of denial” over the US election: “America has spoken. The rest of the world should listen.”
Well I have been listening. I’ve been listening to all my American friends, ‘proud citizens of the United Blue States of America’ (as one put it), all of whom have been, without exception, devastated by what was happened. The America we know, the America that we are in contact with, does not support Bush.
www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1344813_1,00.html
Posted by Simon Holledge at 02:34 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 04, 2004
Are we living in Britain or Guam?
Reading about the collective depression that has blanketed the British Isles with the defeat of John Kerry, makes me wonder whether we are much better off than Guam, the US territory which is not allowed to vote in an American election.
Do we really have to put ourselves in this position? We didn’t vote for Bush, so why should we accept his leadership? Why should we defer to a political group that has an ideology closer to UKip and the BNP than the Tories?
Britain doesn’t have much power for good in the world, but we shouldn’t contribute to the pain and suffering of others. We must have an ethical foreign policy. The idea that we can somehow share in, and influence, American power is a delusion. British action in Iraq has resulted in lives being lost, not lives being saved.
The people of Guam have to accept Bush whether they like it or not, but why should we? Britain should be independent, just as Scotland should be independent.
There will be a general election here next year. We should be determined to succeed where the American Democrats failed - by voting out all the war-supporting politicians!
www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1342798,00.html
www.snp.org/index_hires.php?pageName=news/newsdetail.php?newsID=2571
Posted by Simon Holledge at 12:04 PM | TrackBack
November 03, 2004
US Election
10.54 am It increasingly looks as though Bush has won Ohio and therefore the election. The White House chief of state has just claimed victory. Ohio (20 votes), New Mexico (5 votes) and Iowa (7 votes) have still not been called. Bush has 254 electoral votes to Kerry’s 252.
I stayed up until 5 am, got up again at about 8.30, and then again at 10. At first it looked good for the Democrats. The turnout was huge: 115 million voters, 10 million up on 2000. It was widely hoped and assumed that new voters meant Kerry voters, but this morning we know that this was not the case. (It is probable that the Republicans have won votes on the social issues, gay marriage, abortion and stem cell research.)
America is polarized in every way. Even the map is no longer a patchwork of contrasting colours. One large red Republican area is consolidated in the centre with two blue blocks of states, one in the north-east and one on the Pacific.
What would a Bush victory mean for the transatlantic relationship? Britain has nothing to gain from a ‘special relationship’ with the conservative American hinterland. We don’t share their religion. We don’t share their social values or their political beliefs. Our future lies with Europe.
Posted by Simon Holledge at 10:54 AM | TrackBack
November 01, 2004
One day before the US Election
The US election remains on a knife edge, but the latest predictions favour Kerry 298 to 231.
According to the analysis of the polls on Electoral-Vote.com, Kerry could lose Florida, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Colorado and Hawaii and still win the election providing he holds Pennsylvania and Ohio. Alternatively he would still win if he gained Florida and lost either (but not both!) Pennsylvania or Ohio.
Posted by Simon Holledge at 08:52 PM | TrackBack
October 30, 2004
Following the US election
Concerned about the result of the ES election? One of the best ways to follow the polls is through Electoral-vote.com. The analysis changes daily and it’s necessary to read the text, as well as look at the map, to get the full picture.
As of today, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, Colorado and Hawaii all remain on a knife-edge. The vote prediction is Bush 280, Kerry 243, but the detailed analysis is more favourable to Kerry than these figures suggest.
My prediction [Saturday 14.47!] is Kerry. I think the Democrats will get out the vote strongly enough to win, but it is going to be very close.
Posted by Simon Holledge at 02:17 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 25, 2004
Tell an American to vote
If you think the presidential election is too important to leave to the people of the USA you may be in good company, but there isn’t a lot we can do except hope.
Nevertheless there is one thing you might be able to do to help. Democrats Abroad have a site called ‘Tell an American to vote’. If you know an American in Scotland who hasn’t arranged an absentee vote, you can pass on his or her details. It’s a fine website!