SUGGESTATION

I’m trying very hard to refrain from writing a few lines about everything Justin twitters - very difficult though, he’s a cornucopia of interesting links.

This time I couldn’t resist. Daniel Davies has a CiF article up proclaiming the death of the Euston Manifesto.

The Euston Manifesto had a big impact on me when I first encountered it. I’d stumbled from blog to blog reading diverse opinions on the Iraq war, interventionism, and foreign policy in general - the EM was supposed to be a consolidation of ‘decent’ opinion - neither neocons nor islamists. Ho ho. I left a few comments around the blogosphere trying to get a handle on what this manifesto meant, but only slowly came to the dawning realisation that this group had a wildly different political outlook to my own.

The biggest impact (revelations of Jherad,2:1) to me was in highlighting the very real divides in lefty politics. I’ve learned to be a little more cautious these days - I’m almost afraid of commenting on something good a journalist writes in case they turn out to be a raving loon.

These days, the word ‘decent‘ carries a nasty connotation for non-Eustonites in the know. Lines were drawn in the sand, but it isn’t just them and us - plenty of other lefties get my back up. I’m glad the Euston Manifesto is dead or dying - though there are big divides in the right wing of politics, they always seem (at least to me) to pull together when it comes to elections. The EM was a very visible sign of the rift on the left.

Apologies for the ramble - a little bit under the weather today!

In one of my first posts on this shiny new blog, I wrote that I was fed up with the obsession with ‘leftism’ and ‘rightism’ in politics. Now, admittedly, it sounds like a throwaway line, but I’d like to continue with that thought for a few sentences.

I’ve just read a little comment-is-free Guardian piece (a few days old, I’m slow) which notes ‘Libertarianism’s leftward shift’. Apparently because some Libertarians have left the Republican party in the US. Obviously if liberals were to join the Repubs en-masse, then that would denote a shift of Liberalism to the right. Right?

I have a big problem with broad political labels. One can spend hours trying to work out what the difference between a ‘Liberal’ and a ‘Libertarian’ is. Have fun with that… Are you talking about Liberalism in the US? Europe? Classical Liberalism? Neoliberalism? Chalk and cheese.

One thing I hope that can be agreed upon is that we all have a belief, to one degree or another, in the right to social freedoms for the individual. This belief transcends left/right divides - though those divides often dictate how freedoms are provided for (positive vs negative freedoms, society over the individual etc). Party politics however tend to focus more on socialism vs conservatism. What surprises me is that liberalism seems to be an add-on. Something nice to have on certain occasions, but not a core value. For me, Liberalism is the single most important quality I look for in a political party - other aspects combined may turn me off a liberal party, but one I deem to be illiberal, or outright authoritarian will never get my vote.

/end rant

(via Justin on Twitter)

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hOkWFWPTl44cNOY1xZ1-ibfdQCEA

And so the Olympic torch has arrived here in sunny England. As anyone who hasn’t been hiding on the moon will know, this year’s olympics have been particularly controversial given that it is being hosted by China, who, let’s face it, don’t have the best human rights record, particularly with regards Tibet.

Gordon Brown is going to plough ahead in welcoming the Olympic torch, stating “The Dalai Lama himself has said that he does not want to see a boycott of the Olympics”. Oh good. Excuse me for not giving a shit. I’m sorry, but the tired old line I’ve been hearing recently that sports and politics shouldn’t mix is a load of crap.

Politics is everyones responsibility.

Yeah, so ok. One more thing before I disappear for the weekend. Something for the odd stray to stumble upon in this dark corner of the internet.

Will someone please enlighten me on what the heck the fascination is with leftism and rightism? I mean seriously. I’m supposedly a left-wing liberal (watches the stumbler run screaming back into the woods), but I find myself having SO much more in common politically with the righty libertarians (waves to Mr E) than with the lefty authoritarians. Yeah sure, I know, wellfare state, taxes, etc etc. But the one thing guaranteed to piss me off is when I hear I’m going to be banned from doing X, Y or Z. Whether I’d actually do it or not.

/Rant off. I’m really going now. Maybe.