The British Loony Party(online.wsj.com)
online.wsj.com
The British Loony Party
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703322204575225864160523470.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsForth
14 comments
Monty Python Election Night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31FFTx6AKmU
I would vote for Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel.
I would vote for Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel.
To add confusion, where I grew up in Scotland "boy" == "loon", "small boy" == loonie", "girls" == "quines" ...
- "girls" == "quines" ...
Are they self-reproducing? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quine_%28computing%29
Are they self-reproducing? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quine_%28computing%29
Yes. C.f. Mother-in-law.
Australia has its fair share too. I remember the Party Party Party Party...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party!_Party!_Party!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party!_Party!_Party!
In the US, we have the equally loony Republicans, who started off on a reasonable platform but went insane around 1980.
The problem is, they're one of our two major parties.
The problem is, they're one of our two major parties.
For Europeans it is actually quite hard to distinguish the two major US parties based on their policies, they would both be labelled right-of-center in most European countries.
The most visible differences (abortion, stance on war, gay rights) are relatively small, much smaller than the similarities.
To hear 'left wing' and 'right wing' thrown about and the Democrats labeled 'socialist' is really confusing.
The most visible differences (abortion, stance on war, gay rights) are relatively small, much smaller than the similarities.
To hear 'left wing' and 'right wing' thrown about and the Democrats labeled 'socialist' is really confusing.
Yes. A result of winner-take-all elections is that we have trench-style (as in World War 1 trench warfare) politics: two parties stand very close to each other on the political spectrum with ~45% support each, very little gets done, and the only thing that really happens is that the front where the trenches are moves a few meters to the left or the right. Right now, both trenches are deep into center-right territory as far as the left/right economic spectrum is concerned.
I think there is a difference between the parties, but not so much along left-right lines. These cultural issues (gay rights, abortion, evolution) might seem trivial to Europeans, but that's because there isn't a credible threat of abortion being recriminalized in Sweden, nor of evolution being stricken from the classrooms in France. The Religious Right isn't a majority in the US, but they are powerful. Bush would not have been able to get domestic support for the War on Iraq without the dominionists (those who believe bringing violence to the Middle East will hasten the End Times and Rapture) on board. They're about 10-15% of the voting populace.
The Democratic party is a center-right party that would be labeled conservative by European standards but generally considered reasonable; the Republican party is not much further to the economic right but is far more authoritarian and zealous.
I think there is a difference between the parties, but not so much along left-right lines. These cultural issues (gay rights, abortion, evolution) might seem trivial to Europeans, but that's because there isn't a credible threat of abortion being recriminalized in Sweden, nor of evolution being stricken from the classrooms in France. The Religious Right isn't a majority in the US, but they are powerful. Bush would not have been able to get domestic support for the War on Iraq without the dominionists (those who believe bringing violence to the Middle East will hasten the End Times and Rapture) on board. They're about 10-15% of the voting populace.
The Democratic party is a center-right party that would be labeled conservative by European standards but generally considered reasonable; the Republican party is not much further to the economic right but is far more authoritarian and zealous.
The trend seems to go the other way in Britain - I notice several former Loony's now represent the Conservative party.
Funnily enough, when Thatcher was Prie Minister, she tried to pass a law banning joke candidacies, but failed. Besides challenges from Screaming Lord Sutch and various campaigners for lighter drinking laws, she also faced challenges from the dread-but-obscure Darth Vader lookalike, Lord Buckethead (Gremloids).
Funnily enough, when Thatcher was Prie Minister, she tried to pass a law banning joke candidacies, but failed. Besides challenges from Screaming Lord Sutch and various campaigners for lighter drinking laws, she also faced challenges from the dread-but-obscure Darth Vader lookalike, Lord Buckethead (Gremloids).
Who would get to decide if it's a joke candidacy?
I remember when a nonexistent person won student body president in college.
I remember when I could vote for "RON" in college.
It meant "Re-Open Nominations", or "I don't want to vote for any of you so let's call this a failed vote and we'll redo it in future. And we'll keep doing that until there are people or policies we positively want, instead of choosing the least worst option".
I miss that in 'real' politics. Imagine if everyone's default vote was 'nobody' and we had 'no government' until someone makes a party which is so good people really want to vote for it.
Would parties be any different then?
It meant "Re-Open Nominations", or "I don't want to vote for any of you so let's call this a failed vote and we'll redo it in future. And we'll keep doing that until there are people or policies we positively want, instead of choosing the least worst option".
I miss that in 'real' politics. Imagine if everyone's default vote was 'nobody' and we had 'no government' until someone makes a party which is so good people really want to vote for it.
Would parties be any different then?
It is a fine British tradition to make serious points by taking absurd positions and making fun of "evil" people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Monster_Raving_Loony_P...