What is the point of the Tories now? And why are they still in power?
Because a plurality of the electorate don’t agree with you Mr. P³
Bit of a pisser and all that but then that’s democracy.
That might be the question of this age. And the answer is still not apparent.
Well, we know the answer you’re going to arrive at which is bugger the democracy bit, isn’t it?
Well, I for one, agree with him. Just because the other lot ate worse is hardly a reason to keep voting for them.
Otto
When it’s the case that you’ve only got the choice of A or B, if B is worse than A, you’re best off voting for A, in case too many fools vote for B.
And right now in the UK you seem (as in the USA) to have only the choice of A or B. There are minnows putting themselves forward, but they tend to be more single-issue fraternities than serious proposals for government.
I’d be delighted to be shown to be wrong.
Fixed it for you:
What is the point of the P3 now? And why is he still writing? That might be the question of this age. And the answer is all too apparent: a pompous numbskull, clueless about his supposed subject, writing clunky prose to disguise its lack of content, etc, etc, etc.
He’s half right given that the Tories are now virtually identical to Labour. What have the so-called ‘ Conservative’ party ever actually managed to conserve?
There is no point to the Tories. They are New Labour in all but name. People voted for them at the last election in order to get Brexit and avoid Corbyn. I suspect the turnout will drop sharply in future elections because people will realise that they’ll get the same whatever they vote.
However, it is clear to me that the only chance – and it is a thin one – of getting conservative government at some point in the future is to kill the Conservative Party. Not only would I vote for any fringe party in an attempt to shaft Boris’s lot, I would vote Labour too.
But, what if Labour gets in? I doubt I’ll notice the fucking difference.
Tories out.
@MC
Tactically sound
The US election saw a record turnout. Then the chinstrokers began to ululate about a divided nation.
Here we had a divide, since decided. So it’s now New Labour v Second hand Labour. Little to choose between them, so turnout will probably be low.
Face it: the Worstall Party (us) accounts for about as many voters as the Murphy Party (them). Most people are cakeists like Addolf.
Credit to Murph, he is responsible for the resurrection of that fine word “numbskull”.
Personally I like “mutton-headed” but there’s room for both.
MC,
“However, it is clear to me that the only chance – and it is a thin one – of getting conservative government at some point in the future is to kill the Conservative Party. Not only would I vote for any fringe party in an attempt to shaft Boris’s lot, I would vote Labour too.”
My take on why Starmer can’t do much is that there’s not much for him to oppose. Other than going full commie, what would be to the left of Boris? The Tories give the NHS a thorough rimming at every opportunity, they love trains and want more bike lanes, have done sod all about immigration, sod all about the BBC, tax freedom day is later than it was under Blair. The only significant thing of the past decade was forced on them by UKIP.
I joined the local party and realised that the activists are all like Cameron. Evil, cutting Tories? You’re taking the piss. None of them were ideologically in favour of a smaller state. OK, one guy. The local tories want to build a hugely expensive art gallery in town to replace the one that about 2 people visit at any time.
Just because the other lot are worse is hardly a reason to keep voting for them.
Really?
There’s a difference between bad and worse, and that difference can be significant. Lots of septics are waking up to the fact that there are consequences to brushing off the idea that the “other lot” can’t be so much worse that disaster insues.
BiTiN said:
“When it’s the case that you’ve only got the choice of A or B, if B is worse than A, you’re best off voting for A, in case too many fools vote for B.”
That’s the short term view. Long term it might be better voting against A, even though it’s the less bad option, in the hope that it therefore improves (or is replaced).
That works better if there’s something better you can vote for, even if it won’t win, because it shows A what you want them to become more like.
The problem is, you won’t get anything better than the Tories whist the stinking rotten corpse of the Tory Party continues to lurch on. Which I regret to say means you, yourself, need to do something about it. Not do the thoroughly British thing of waiting for someone else to do it for you.
Something to think about. The Tories are able to give you stiff middle finger after every time you return them to power because they insist that the rules they created don’t permit you to do anything about it. The left don’t & never have played by those rules so get what they want. You don’t have to either.
“Turnout will be low”.
Not the way to bet. Turnout basically fell off a cliff, I think 1997 being the nadir.
It’s been rising since then.
We need to start extracting ourselves from a system which was workable. But has been hollowed out by a weird mix of greedy self-servers and Marxist scum. DeHaviland on Samizdata would disagree as to whether today’s left are “Marxists” in truth but that word or “socialism” will do. You cant argue minor points on a large canvas. You need simple labels for your enemies and leave micro-analysis for where it helps.
We need to start coming up with ways to ignore and defeat the state. Brazen defiance is good but making a statement also means the state will have to respond or lose everything once it is seen as impotent to protect its interests. Vast numbers of micro-failures are the way. The system is undermined by the large number of failures it creates daily. But those are spontaneous failures arising from its poor condition. We need to create far more. We need interventions. One thing that occurs to me is routinely taking supposed prisoners out of the state’s “custody” would be a very undermining ploy. Why go to trouble to arrest or capture if your victims are rapidly sprung or released?
It would also mean ever -greater resources would have to be spent in defending jails and cop shops to stop rescue raids. Thus putting Plod on the defensive.
Likewise undermine every area of state power. The scum of the left already are trying. Time those supporting freedom did it better. Undermine and replace with private alternatives if possible. Esp in the case of the MSM were Internet has done well. So that in the end it doesn’t matter which bunch of turds get in. They will have no power.
Ya know what we need in this here democracy? The ability to vote against one of the candidates if you can’t find one you want to vote for.
It’s alright ranting in blog comments Ecksy. But what are you personally willing to do about it? It’s alright calling for purges. But someone has to physically do the purging. And deal with the would be purged who have other ideas about purges.
@Dennis
“”Just because the other lot are worse is hardly a reason to keep voting for them.”
Really?
There’s a difference between bad and worse”
Wise words. Your current babysitter may be unreliable and a bit flaky in performance but if the only alternative is the Hannibal Lector Childminding Agency, you should stick to what you have.
“…taking supposed prisoners out of the state’s “custody” would be a very undermining ploy. Why go to trouble to arrest or capture if your victims are rapidly sprung or released?”
That’s a new level of insanity for you, Ecksy. What possible good could be achieved by freeing convicted predators and scumbags?
BiTiN, Andrew C and Dennis + 100
Well said. The equivalence hypothesis – that Labour and the Tories are indistinguishable – is false, even if there’s too much overlap. Allow knee-taking, open borders Starmer into power, and the differences would rapidly become apparent. For one thing, Labour would undo Brexit, replacing it with Brino.
“The US election saw a record turnout.” Does that include the photocopiers or not?
“You’ve got to vote for us. We only fiddle 100 a year. If you don’t vote for us, the other side will get in, and they fiddle 300 a year.”
There comes a point where you have to take a good hard look – and stop voting for kiddy-fiddlers.
I think Ecksy has completely unreasonable views about what needs to be done – killing hundreds to millions of people really isn’t a Good Thing, if only because their relatives tend to come after you.
But in the big picture, he’s right.
This stuff has to stop.
So it would be good to have a competent, broad spectrum, plausible alternative.
So who’s working on that?
Detest and mock Macron as you will, he stepped away from his position, travelled the country and put together an effective election winning machine. It’s France, so of course he was doomed. But is there no one in the UK (or the USA) who could do the equivalent and has the desire to do so?
Answer: A lot of people no longer trust the Conservative Party to do the right thing but they do trust the Labour Party to do the wrong thing.
Remember that the opinion poll that asked Americans *why* they voted for Trump or Killary found 60+% of Trump voters listed as one of their top three reasons “He isn’t Hillary Clinton”
Well, I must admit ScMo has lately been making noises about actually stopping the lockdown bullshit and letting us all out of prison.
Perhaps it’s because the states slam down all the lockdowns and blame the federal government for the result. Perhaps it’s because the businesses that like to finance the Liberal party are bitching about the lockdowns. Perhaps it’s because the Treasury is pointing out the huge debts we’re running up. Perhaps it’s even because his voting base are pissed off with the bloody masks and other crap.
It might even be because an election is coming up in due course.
So however bad he is, I’ll still be voting for him. But perhaps that’s really because my parents always voted Liberal as well.
BiTin–When I speak of Purging I do not mean socialist style mass murder but mass sackings and striping of resources from leftist evil. Occasionally I advocate some individual or group getting a good hiding or an isolated hanging but that is usually under extreme provocation. I do not believe mass murder is a good way of organising human affairs.
BiS–A one man purge is unlikely to get very far. I would rather die fighting than submitting but I am not an organiser and have no resources to create a political movement.
As for the Purge mechanics –it will consist of sackings and forced ejection from premises of assorted leftists. Not exactly heavy-hitting Soviet round-up or Nazi death squads. Resistance will be small.
Theo–Try not to be any stupider than you can help. I have no interest in releasing armed robbers, paedos or any other real crims from custody. I am talking about good people arrested at demos by Plod-scum or for not paying LD fines or staying open during LDs-which will soon be back in UK. Getting our people out of Plod hands would shock and demoralise the state and its scummy gang of costumed thugs.
Likewise we need a compact among demonstrators to fight back fiercely against Plod. We have seen costumed thugs bashing away world wide. Which is why Blojob Johnson introduced his extra punishment for attacking “emergency” workers bullshit. That is extra punishment for resisting assault/arrest. Just a few months before he knew the con-vid capers were about to kick off. We need lawyers to fight our cases and frankly if that fails then taking our people back out of state kidnapping is a good plan. A public Covenant of demonstrators pledging to be peaceful if Plod is –but promising full on self defence if they aren’t– is a also good idea.
As for your “Labour would be worse” crap. By a small degree perhaps . But not by much. Johnson is running a slower motion sellout but a clear and brazen sellout none the less. The level of your mental power was shown by your ~”bulwark against Marxism” crap. Also by the fact that you are doubtless still paying dues to a crew emptying their bowels on your supposed “values”.
Allow knee-taking, open borders Starmer into power, and the differences would rapidly become apparent.
Yeah, right.
The Tories have been weak AF on BLM and the attacks on British culture via lefties in quangos etc. They want that shit as much as Starmer does. The only difference is the rhetoric. Which, amazingly, still fools some people.
The only reason we don’t have effectively open borders now is COVID. They already do not bother stopping the illegals. Do you think there’ll be sensible limits on immigration once it is all over? Big business is bleating about labour ‘shortages’ (actually labour costs).
The Tories had a decade to restrict ex-EU immigration and they did nothing at all.
MC
Whatever the Tories have done or failed to do, Labour would be worse. Brexit would become Brino. More legislation like the Equalities Act and the HRA would be enacted.
Ecksy
“I have no interest in releasing armed robbers, paedos or any other real crims from custody. I am talking about good people arrested at demos by Plod-scum”
That’s not what you said. Try making your rants comprehensible. (On second thoughts, don’t bother.) And covid-deniers resisting arrest is hardly likely to be a vote winner…Meanwhile, when there’s a credible right-wing alternative to the Tories, I’ll vote for them. Until then though, I’ll vote to keep Labour out.
Tripe as ever Theo. Anti LD freedom protestors got a kicking from your Tory costumed thug squad for peaceful protest. So certainly time to put lots of Plod in hospital. If that is unpopular with dim cowardly vax mugs-who cares. Only 1/3 population are credulous mugs and true believers anyway. 1/3 more know its all bullshit but try to keep their heads down because they are moral cowards who haven’t strength to stand up. 1/3 want freedom and that is enough to sink Johnson’s scummy schemes.
And don’t come it Theo. A fool like you is still paying Tory dues every month. You deserve social credit tyranny. Your money would cushion you for a while longer than most. But–public school or not–you are still oik not globo-elite. And your turn to be flopped lower than whaleshit will arrive.
It couldn’t happen to a nicer or more deserving bloke–and his family.
Ecksy
Putting Plods in hospital would achieve nothing – except rile public against your cause. Duh!!
As for your “social credit tyranny”, I hope it never happens and I would strongly resist it if it were ever a serious prospect.
Now, I suggest you get yourself sectioned – with a heavy dose of largcatyl or recent equivalent.
Your perception of Plod popularity is as overblown as all your other judgements. Vax pass going on but you will battle social credit tyranny when it becomes a serious prospect? Like now you fool? Going to take all 8 jabs Blojob Johnson has planned for you Theo? Like a good little Tory mug?
As for sectioned–we’ll see who the tinpot tyranny of the state manages to destroy Theo–and as I’ve said many times you have far more to lose than I.
Better get Bogus J on the phone and discuss his winter LD plans Theo. Surely paying his bar bills via your dues entitles you to do that. Oh wait it entitles you to jack shit except more Johnson lies doesn’t it Theo. If he still feels any urge to throw you mugs a bone now and then .
The tories have been in power for 11 years now. Please show me the acts of parliament that repeal the abominations you mentioned.