Serious question

[Board Game Geek]

We are a more connected age, what with the media and the interweb thingy, so we are more informed on the machinations of the party politic.

More information (more input) allows for more cognitive process (output) and we feel we have more rights to express our output and voice criticism.

Just as importantly, we are more aware of the responsibility of others and how they influence our lives, to the extent that we realise that individuals who vote for party X which negatively affects us, are just as responsible as the politicians from party X.

In other words, those who have voted for Party X (Labour in this case), should be just as much held to account for the actions of Party X, as the politicians of party X.

Everything that Party X does is indirectly endorsed by Voter X, since they voted for them in the first place.

If voter X were to say "Hang on, I didn't realise they would do that", then they should vote for someone else instead.

I personally hold the war in Iraq responsible to the Labour government (and the US) and everytime I meet a Labour supporter, I look for the blood on their hands. They may bleat "but we disagree too", but I ask you this...you had a chance last election to remove them....did you ?

To not hold politicans and the people who vote for them to account is to admit slavery to the personal whims and oppressions of others.

Each X in the box of ANY political party is a nail in the coffin for your own personal freedom and liberty.

You want freedom and liberty ?

Then be prepared to fight for it.

Because it is not something handed to you on a plate from other people.

[scooterscot]

What I think is being asked here is our perception of government versus a group's ability to govern.

This group's in-competencies certainly get a lot of media attention these days, no doubt in part to new technology, but I think not exclusively.

These days I've never been more aware the government's mistakes but then I cannot really say I was ever aware of similar government errors with pervious parties. Nevertheless those that I have been made aware of bother me greatly yet the party in power would dismiss these errors as if they were unimportant, given the chance.

Are peoples expectations of government greater? I think so... with each day that passes

Are all of us here voters who vote? I think not... with each passing year statistics points to fewer people voting, why is that? Apathy?

I think we have a government trying to lead the people on what they believe they want, what they believe is right for them even if that means stripping away our civil liberties through ID schemes and the like.

Wendigo there all great valid questions, I would like an answer too. I think the problems we have today extend from deeper...

I want to know why I feel less British than I did 10 years ago, I want to know why the country has been allowed to become so overcrowded, I want someone on the top seat with authority who is not afraid to use it and sort out this dire situation.

[DiscoStu]

I think it's all about the front man. Governments have always been rubbish, anyone who's ever worked on a public sector project knows that, but Blair put a far better face on it than Gordy does...

[Ardesco]

They are generally quite tulipe but Nu Liemore has taken the tulipness to epic proportions IMHO. It's all spin and bulltulip since they came into power, listen to Golden Brownstuff today going on about how much more money they are putting into the armed forces when in actual fact as a percentage of GDP the amount of money put into the forces has halved and we are now fighting 2 wars!!!

Tories had their faults but at least when they were in power we had a half decent economy that wasn't built on debt

[xoggoth]

Anyone who wants to control or direct any aspect of the lives of others, even if they only want to organise a tombola at the Cub Scout fete, is a dangerous megalomaniac who deserved to be shot. The only proper social order is anarchy.

[OwlHoot]

Our government seem to be laughably incompetent. The question is this:

A. Has it always been like this, regardless of the party in power? Or...

No, the public services these days are largely a job creation scheme for underachievers and no-hopers of one sort or another, and it's well nigh impossible to sack anyone.

P.S. 100 years ago, when a quarter of the Earth was coloured pink etc, the Foreign office employed 700 people. These days, when there's practically nothing significant for them to do, they employ more like 70,000.

[Rantor]

It seems similar to what people were saying about the Tories towards the end of their term. But I think this Labour govt. have been particularly inept and have covered over the blunders with spin. I can't think of anything they've really achieved.

Made GPs rich

Certainly the internet allows people to gravitate together to reinforce each others viewpoints and provides the fuel for the fire.

This gov have got away with a helluva lot as they have reinforced the state to a greater extent than any other administrations in recent decades. If they hadn't introduced IR35 I doubt very much whether the bulk of people on here would give a toss one way or the other.

It does seem though, that they now can't keep all the plates spinning at the same time and public opinion might be turning. I must admit I have never understood why the Iraq war did not damage them more than it did.

In terms of basic administrative competence I don't think they are any better/worse than the Major or Thatcher governments.

[shaunbhoy]

I can't think of anything they've really achieved.

Multicultural diversity??

[sasguru]

Our government seem to be laughably incompetent. The question is this:

A. Has it always been like this, regardless of the party in power? Or...

B. Are we just picking on Labour now because their time in office has coincided with the rise of internet communication, and we hear about and discuss problems far more than before? Or...

C. Are this government actually more incompetent than the historical norm?

It seems similar to what people were saying about the Tories towards the end of their term. But I think this Labour govt. have been particularly inept and have covered over the blunders with spin. I can't think of anything they've really achieved.

[Bagpuss]

Our government seem to be laughably incompetent. The question is this:

A. Has it always been like this, regardless of the party in power? Or...

B. Are we just picking on Labour now because their time in office has coincided with the rise of internet communication, and we hear about and discuss problems far more than before? Or...

C. Are this government actually more incompetent than the historical norm?

A/

We hear more about what goes wrong these days, more quickly and in more detail. The problem we have is a blasé government who believe their own spin, you see the sanctimonious labour politicians on question time every week, talking over the majority of the audience in the most condescending and obnoxious manner. Same thing happened with the Tories, power corrupts and all that, additionally, sustained power, not listening to the electorate and believing your own press makes matters infinitely worse

[AtW]

People tend to notice more of the bad after a long time in office.

NL were just lucky to ride the cheap credit wave for that long.

[wendigo100]

Our government seem to be laughably incompetent. The question is this:

A. Has it always been like this, regardless of the party in power? Or...

B. Are we just picking on Labour now because their time in office has coincided with the rise of internet communication, and we hear about and discuss problems far more than before? Or...

C. Are this government actually more incompetent than the historical norm?