Good government and sensible policies. The Lib Dems are in coalition with the Labour party in Scotland and we have had some remarkably sensible and acceptable decisions out of it- free university tuition and free residential care for alll elderly people needing to have institutional care.
All achieved through PR which even ensured that the Tories had reasonable representation in the Scottish Parliament (in the UK election they only managed one seat out of the 54 or so up for grabs.)
Suits me!
20% is hardly broad appeal.
I think this pretty much sums it up.
There are some very astute observations in the comments section, particularly the one from Jim Robertson:
In general, I know little about the UK politics. Probably because my interest in UK poiltics only goes as far as who is going to suceed blair(Unless I mistakenly believe that he isn’t up next time) and which party controls parliment.
I actually have somewhat more interest in Germen Politics, because I have a friend who lives there and can keep me updated. But even that’s limited to who controls the government and I still can’t keep all the German political parties straight.
Sadly, I bet a significant number of American adults, if polled on the subject, would say that the UK is still a hereditary monarchy, i.e., the Queen is in charge. It is hard to believe the depths of the stupidity and insularity over here.
Does David Cameron have a chance? He’s advocated legalizing drugs.
He’s got a chance, but he’s rather inexperienced - Hague Mark 2.
Umm… we are and she is. Technically. 
But that’s for a different thread.
Don’t gimme that stuff. The Queen doesn’t set policy, Parliament doesn’t even consult her. I’m talking “off with their heads” and “time to invade the Duchy of Grand Fenwick!” stuff here. Not things like knighting Paul McCartney.
Evil Captor, I agree with you up to a point. Insularity, yes, as we are not a part of Europe or any Europe-only trade or political association. We share borders with only two other countries, both of whose politics make more of an impact on us than yours.
As to stupidity, well, that’s pretty hard to argue with. If you find us stupid, I guess there isn’t much we can do to change your mind, except agree with however you think politically. I am sure you consider yourself intelligent and well-read, and that the sign of intelligence in others is how well they agree with you.
I wish we Americans did take a greater interest in other countries and how they are governed. With that knowledge we could legitimately stick our national nose into your internal politics and advise you on how to vote, and tell you what benighted cretins you are when you don’t vote as we feel you should.
Maybe you are better off with things as they are. My stupid, insular opinion, of course.
I suppose it depends on your definition of ‘significant’. A ‘significant’ number of Europeans thought the US government was behind 911…and my guess is a ‘significant’ number of American’s think that the earth is flat. Devil is in the details…give a rough percentage of how my adult American’s you think don’t even have that much of a clue and maybe we have the basis for a bet. 
Do you know what ‘technically’ means? To paraphrase from Princess Bride ‘I didna think it means what you think it means…’.
I always love these threads (not blaming the OP here). Its like a free for all bash on the US because the average American doesn’t know the inner workings of <insert another foreign nation>. As if everyone else out there in The World™ has an intimate knowledge of everyone else’s political system, candidates, issues, etc…except ignorant American’s who are so introspective that they haven’t a clue there is a whole world out there. Its to laugh people… If you want a good laugh some time go forth in the world and ask the folks out there you meet some questions about the US system outside the two candidates for president every 4 years…their ‘inciteful’ commentary on the candidates, issues (or even exactly how our system actually works) ought to be good for a few laughs. Hell, ask the average Frenchman about candidates in the UK…or vice versa. And they are in the same friggin union. 
As for the OP I have to admit that though I knew this was happening I haven’t followed it much…mostly because my friends in the UK are pretty ho hum about it, seeing how Labor has a lock (and seeing that they are Labor supporters with one exception…and she is a big LibDem supporter). I actually don’t know ANYONE who is a Tory, and I don’t really see them making huge inroads. If I have it right (and I admit to my own ignorance of UK politics, despite having been there several times and actually living there for 6 months…to me everything devised by the English boils down to making it as incomprehensible and complex as possible. See their various sports for good examples. 
), then the Tory’s have virtually no chance to take control of the government, but can only attempt to broker power with one of the stronger parties in a coalition.
-XT
I am an American, movingfinger, but I don’t have any illusions about how smart my fellow Americans are, especially with the things people like the Swift Boat veternan for truth got away with it.
It would be good if more Americans simply took my word for what was smart politically – frex, Al Gore would be president right now, we wouldn’t be occupying Iraq, our economy would be much healthier (in no small part because of no invasion of Iraq) and we’d be in a much better position in terms of fighting Al Qaeda. So, yeah, listen to me. I am smart. Right now all you have to do is consistently vote Democratic in most elections and you’ll be fine. Once the Dems get into power again, things get trickier, since not all of them are highly intelligent. And by that I mean, most of them.
I’d guess about 25 percent give or take 5 percent, based on the survey of American ignorance reported at this website. Note that 30 percent of the respondents couldn’t locate the Pacific Ocean on a map of the world.
Yes, I do. So the poster I was responding to was saying “Technically but not actually the queen still rules.” And I made explicit what that meant. Your problem with this exchange would be …? I basically just wanted to reiterate how dirt-ignorant many Americans are of matters overseas. You can call it bashing if you like, but damn, there’s stuff worth bashing out there in this regard …
I
Your link doesn’t work. I note you say ‘30 percent of the respondents’ couldn’t locate the Pacific Ocean on a map. Thats a far cry from 30% of adult American’s. The devil is in the details for this kind of crap…you can twist things all out of proportion and I’d need to see their methodology, how the questions were asked, who was asked, etc…and even then I’d be inclined to take something like this with a HUGE grain of salt. Seems like you are willing to take it uncritically …perhaps because you pre-agree with the answers found? Giving you the benifit of the doubt, could you find another link…I’m not sure why but your link doesn’t work at all for me.
UK is still a hereditary Monarchy…yep, they are. Technically. The Queen is still in charge…yep, she is (or the King is when there is next a King). Technically. The only one showing dirt-ignorance on this matter is, well, you…either that or you are just picking extremely fine nits here. Your call.
Statements like this though kind of spotlight your own bias against America and American’s…least that the way it looks from my perspective. Yeah, I know you are one…and?
-XT
Fixed link. Now that I have the link in question fixed, you will see that the survey respondents were aged 18-24 and were asked to find the Pacific Ocean on a map. C’mon, pony up. I got the goods, you got nothing but nits.
You’re just being obnoxious here. I’m not sure what you’re on about except trying to find some excuse to insult me … which reminds me, we’re not in the BBQ Pit.
I am not biased against Americans, I just have been around long enough to know us for what we are, and am honest about it. Sorry if the refusal to indulge in unthinking boosterism bugs you. Wait … no, I’m not. Kinda glad it does.
Please note I am on a board dedicated to fighting ignorance.
First, thanks for fixing the link…appreciated.
Now: You call THIS ‘the goods’?? Seriously? There is no mention of the methodology used, no details, just some anecdotes and a few figures tossed in without reference…and you accept it at face value? Really? Well, thats fine…but I’m not going to accept such a thing without some additional detail…and probably some parallel studies to ensure the data is real. Just call me skeptical. I’m unsurprised that you aren’t overly critical of this…just surprised that you can be so uncritical on some things while being critical on others. At a guess if someone provided you with such ‘data’ on a subject you disagreed with you wouldn’t just swallow it hole. But then maybe I’m giving you too much credit.
I’ll leave it up to the mods to decide if I’m being overly obnoxious to you, or if my insults should be in the BBQ Pit. If you have a problem I urge you to report me properly and not post this kind of thing directly…the mods will spank me if I warrent it Evil.
Personally, either you went and actually looked it up and now realize that the Queen really IS the head of state (technically), and that the UK actually DOES have a hereditary Monarchy, or you are in denial…or you are just trying to cloud the issue. I do conceed that its going to be kind of hard for you to back up your assertion of 25% of American’s still believing in the whole ‘off with their heads’ thing one way or the other, so I won’t REALLY make you provide a cite for that. I saw it for what it was…talking out your ass.
Doesn’t bug me at all…I see you for what you are Evil. If you think that I enjoy indulging ‘in unthinking boosterism’ with reguards to my fellow citizens then thats your right. My right is to think you are biased, and blatantly so. Its good to live in a free country, ehe?
-XT
Was just surfing around and found this article on the Politics of the UK if anyone is interested in seeing the history of the various parties and their current standing. Just an FYI type post.
-XT
In opposition to general handwaving, it’s definitely “the goods.” But because you are so interested, I found the site that originated the survey, an amazingly easy thing to do, given that the article I liked to cited it as a National Geographic survey. Here ya go.
My delicate sensibilities will survive, xtisme, just didn’t want you crossing any lines.
My original post made a distinction between the sort of things an actual head of state does (declare wars, etc.) and a figurative head of state does (bestow recognition on popular singers and such). Which is kinda what I understand the Queen to be … a technical head of state, but figurative in nature. You disputing that?
Doesn’t bug me at all…I see you for what you are Evil. If you think that I enjoy indulging ‘in unthinking boosterism’ with reguards to my fellow citizens then thats your right. My right is to think you are biased, and blatantly so. Its good to live in a free country, ehe?
-XT
[/QUOTE]
Well, I still fail to see that this is a knock out example of ‘the goods’, but you know what? I’ll just conceed (despite the fact that even this cite doesn’t answer all the questions I raised, nor has it been cross checked by further studies…the basic things YOU would insist on for a poll of this type) that appearently American youth have a fairly poor grasp of geography. That make you happy?
Oh, I hadn’t looked further because I really wasn’t all that intersted. That said, I do appreciate the further cite as it does actually illuminate your point better and does actually seem to show I was wrong about the lack of geography knowledge in the US. I still think that the conclusions you are drawing from this are out of step with the actual facts presented, and that you are allowing your own world view to help you in drawing those conclusions…but I appreciate the further link none the less.
I note that young people in Britian, Canada and France (and Mexico, but I can see why they would fall behind on this) appearently didn’t do such a bang up job either though…and this in spite of the fact that two of those nations formerly had world wide empires. Its interesting also (though I’m unsure what it means, if anything) that the top countries were Sweden, Germany, and Italy. I suppose at the root it means that the subject of geography is more important in those nations…though I’m unsure how this translates precisely into how intelligent their populations are.
I also am interested to note what they said about internet use and how it effected scores of those in the US (and presumably in those other countries, perhaps even Mexico).
Well, I try not too, and to be honest I didn’t (and don’t) think I had. If the mods think differently and can lay out their reasons I will be more than willing to appologize to you and them for crossing said lines.
Of course I’m not disputing that.
This is what you said: “if polled on the subject, would say that the UK is still a hereditary monarchy, i.e., the Queen is in charge. It is hard to believe the depths of the stupidity and insularity over here.”
Quartz said: “Umm… we are and she is. Technically. But that’s for a different thread.”
S/he was right, you were wrong. But you couldn’t gracefully just let it go (which is the only reason I brought it up further…that and because I thought it was laughably ironic). Were it me I would have sheepishly admitted that, sure, technically Quartz was correct, but in practice things don’t work that way…and then maybe something funny about how this just goes to show that even seemingly educated American’s still get the nuances of UK politics wrong. Had you done that with humor my respect for you would have gone up quite a bit.
C’est la vie, ehe?
-XT
Did you read my cite? 40% of ordinary voters favored Clarke as Tory leader. The next closest Tory candidate polled around 10%.
The 20% stat was how many ordinary voters would be more likely to vote Tory if Clarke was leader.
8% would be less likely - a net of 12%. Given the fact that Labor and Tory were in a near dead heat in the popular vote in the last election (and ignoring for now the effects of the first-past-the-post system and the inequities in the size of voting districts), that 12% could be damn important.
Sua
Aren’t all House of Commons constituencies of equal population?