Oh dear

[vetran]

My prediction is that the Labour party will parachute in Tony Blair to a safe seat and have him installed as leader by the next GE. He's the only one that can win it for them.

sadly true. I can't stand him but he is a hell of a politician.

[jainnode]

TFFT

[Baddish]

sadly true. I can't stand him but he is a hell of a politician.

If this willun reassumed a position of power in Great Britain I can predict there would be great constellations amongst the peoples of the Middle east whose homes he has destroyed

[d000hg]

This is the worry, I want a balanced government run by honest people that run the country for the good of everybody..

But this is clearly unrealistic.

• Human nature is that most people want what's in their own interests
• such people are typically better at getting into power
• those who are truly zealous about 'the common good' typically want to implement their own ideals which may not actually be very good
• those who go in with good intentions and who are 'in touch with the common man' naturally become detached from reality amd trapped within the system

Pratchett and Douglas Adams have some good quotes to paraphrase:
"Nobody who wants to be in power should be allowed to be"
"Someone who really believes in their Cause should be viewed as extremely dangerous"

[Gibbon]

[*]those who are truly zealous about 'the common good' typically want to implement their own ideals which may not actually be very good

Hence both Fascism and Communism and China's hybrid

[vetran]

But this is clearly unrealistic.

• Human nature is that most people want what's in their own interests
• such people are typically better at getting into power
• those who are truly zealous about 'the common good' typically want to implement their own ideals which may not actually be very good
• those who go in with good intentions and who are 'in touch with the common man' naturally become detached from reality amd trapped within the system

Pratchett and Douglas Adams have some good quotes to paraphrase:
"Nobody who wants to be in power should be allowed to be"
"Someone who really believes in their Cause should be viewed as extremely dangerous"

I never said it was realistic! I would like Elle McPherson & Amanda Holden to find me wildly attractive and want to do naughty things to me, I expect to be disappointed when it doesn't happen.

The problem is the current crop of politicians can't convince most people they are even credible which means the ones who shouldn't be elected are getting a chance which is scary.

[d000hg]

Hence both Fascism and Communism and China's hybrid

But we've never really had communism have we, just power-grabs "for the people". Been a long time but wasn't Leninism about the closest genuine attempt at doing it for the 'right reasons' (and yes that's not communism) rather than as a power-mad despot?