In more complex cases, one might find that the accounts of ‘shared’ identity and values that emerge from such attempts at self-understanding are markedly diverse and highly contested, so that decisions then have to be made about which of these is to be adopted as the basis for evaluating the different kinds of capitalism at issue. As an example, consider what might be seen as the institutional transition from a coordinated to a liberal market economy in the UK during the 1980s. A notable feature of the political rhetoric supporting this transformation was the appeal to supposedly long-standing British values of individual enterprise, self-help and responsibility, to the ‘Victorian values’ from which the nation had been led astray during the post-WW2 period of welfare dependency and collectivism. In response, however, critics argued that ‘Victorian values’ would better be interpreted as those underlying the provision of public goods, the rise of mutual societies and the growth of professionalism, and that the post-WW2 welfare state expressed a deeply rooted sense of social solidarity

For example, it never occurs to the conservative that there is any doubt that he owns the property he has bought and paid for, or that he isn't free to marry and found a family, or bring up his children as he wishes. These are absolute things, which existed before there ever was a state, and the state shouldn't encroach on them. It should also defend them against outside threats, or it has no 'right' or rather reason, to exist.

But the liberal libertarian ( who is in fact a power-worshipper who thinks the state is the embodiment of his own human goodness) wants there to be a 'right' , issued by the state, to private property , to marry, to found a family. He also often speaks of a bizarre thing called a 'right to life' which is mainly an excuse to ban the death penalty for murderers, and certainly doesn't save unborn babies from selfish abortions.

‘trendy, bohemian and posh’ Kelvinbridge area of Glasgow voted ‘Yes’ to AV (and in this respect it was similar to the other places across the UK which voted ‘Yes’ too).

So it strikes me that a full set of AV Referendum results could serve as a useful map for identifying every single Eddie Izzard-style , gentrified former working-class area in Britain which now contains a majority of middle-class, Banksy-loving c**ts who’ve successfully ousted the original inhabitants (mercifully still quite small in number it appears).

If it could, then all the cash wasted to indulge the Lib Dem’s pathetic vanity project has turned out to be money well worth after all, I’d say.

“It is very difficult to build an intelligence picture, but we cannot rule out pre-emptive action,” said the spokesman’-

This translates as:
“We don’t know who they are, where they live, or what their plans are, but we want to sound all big and menacing in the press, so the Tories don’t cut our workforce to shreads.”
Pathetic

Five words: European Court Of Human Rights


Three words: nice little earner

Stopping being left wing is usually a great liberation for those who experience the conversion. You suddenly realize that you no longer have to go on believing all this rubbish ,phew what a relief !. Utopia, the perfection of mankind never going to happen.Revolution ,always ends up with a dictatorship of the thugs and psychopaths. As I say ,a great feeling of liberation really.

"Iraq is the big oil prospect. BP is desperate to get in there and anxious that political deals should not deny them the opportunity."

They have "no doubt that the organisational cooperation between the Metropolitan Police and the TUC was a significant factor in ensuring that the vast majority of people who attended had a good day." Their "impression
was that the police reacted proportionately and gave appropriate consideration to the rights of the peaceful protestors on the TUC march."

Those who broke away are "violent individuals" who "affected" the peaceful marchers. They class as "the greatest policing challenge" on the day, and so their take on events can be readily dismissed. Far more important is that the police need better toys, because "communications technology between the SOR and officers on the ground could be improved." They do acknowledge "no evidence of a need for additional police powers," but that is perhaps the most positive thing you can say about the report.

This report only underlines what I said both before and after the TUC march. Whilst Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti speaks of "the right to peaceful dissent in the oldest unbroken democracy," her organisation is now safely assimilated within the establishment which views genuine dissent as little more than a "policing challenge."