does university make you into a lefty

[Napster]

pps I had a full grant, as well as a loan, and worked at weekends. My mates were all football fans. Some of them weren't even at uni. It's friends who help your allegiance.

 

[Napster]

.

Now politics seems to be ruled by the soundbite and slick doublespeak. .

It was always thus. It's naive to assume otherwise. Even Thatcher had some cute phrases.

 

[Reg Martin]

my own experience at Uni was the most students weren't interested in politics though there was a small group of very active 'lefties' who indulged in some silly high profile token gestures.
but does anyone know what a lefty actually is? labour used to be called a left wing party and now it isn't.
is the BNP is actually a left-wing party since most of its voters used to vote for labour when it was more left-wing?

 

[Hotman]

my own experience at Uni was the most students weren't interested in politics though there was a small group of very active 'lefties' who indulged in some silly high profile token gestures.
but does anyone know what a lefty actually is? labour used to be called a left wing party and now it isn't.
is the BNP is actually a left-wing party since most of its voters used to vote for labour when it was more left-wing?

as far as I am concerned the BNP are left-wing nationalists, trying to gain the "popular" vote. Left / right wing isn't black and white (lefts like blacks, right like whites) - there's many facets to ones political beliefs (economic, social etc) - certainly my "right wing" stance is based on my opinion that free trade is far more effective and fair than redistribution.

 

[Ulysses]

Did the idea for this topic come out of a christmas cracker?

 

[Hotman]

Did the idea for this topic come out of a christmas cracker?

i have 25% of the vote as it stands, which is more than Labour.

 

[Manchester Shrimper]

as far as I am concerned the BNP are left-wing nationalists, trying to gain the "popular" vote. Left / right wing isn't black and white (lefts like blacks, right like whites) - there's many facets to ones political beliefs (economic, social etc) - certainly my "right wing" stance is based on my opinion that free trade is far more effective and fair than redistribution.

http://www.politicalcompass.org/ is quite interesting as far as online tests go.

It distinguishes left and right economic views from authoritarian and libertarian views on society. Interestingly enough it has a section for UK political parties and places the BNP further left than every party apart from the Greens but obviously a lot more authoritarian than everyone else as well.

 

[Moridin]

I don't think it does.

As was said earlier, it does broaden the mind, and bring you into contact with many different groups of people you would never meet otherwise.

My political beliefs were shaped by my upbringing, maybe refined a little by my friends.

Some people I came across at University were a little judge-mental about a chap from a single parent family brought up on a Couincil estate in Pitsea, but it didn't push me further leftwards, mearly wonder how anyone could think the Tories could ever represent a family such as mine.

 

[Nobby Snide]

left wing, right wing..all the fukking same

 

[Rob Noxious]

Maybe because the Conservative party offered the "working Class" a chance to buy their own homes and have more of a say in how they wanted to run their lives.

This was the key vote-winner for the Tories amongst the working-class (however defined) in the '79 election apparently.

 

[Firestorm]

Can I assume that those who dislike everything Left wing do not use the NHS ?
This was one of those nasty wishy washy lefty ideas.

Or do they like most , use the free bits when ever they can but use the private route "because I can afford it" when they want to jump in front of the queue.

 

[Mad Cyril]

No, but I'm sure holding a university degree makes some think their opinion is worth more than others.

 

[steveo]

Can I assume that those who dislike everything Left wing do not use the NHS ?
This was one of those nasty wishy washy lefty ideas.

Or do they like most , use the free bits when ever they can but use the private route "because I can afford it" when they want to jump in front of the queue.

Very harsh. As someone who has paid tax and NI ever since I left school, are you saying I shouldnt be entitled to use the NHS? As you will be fully aware, people who use the Private option do not get any sort of discount from contributing towards the NHS, even though they are paying for their own healthcare.

There are also plenty of Doctors / Hositals who only take Private patients, so in effect the Private healthcare patients are helping to reduce the waiting times for NHS patients.

You can do a lot better than that Firestorm.

 

[Firestorm]

Very harsh. As someone who has paid tax and NI ever since I left school, are you saying I shouldnt be entitled to use the NHS? As you will be fully aware, people who use the Private option do not get any sort of discount from contributing towards the NHS, even though they are paying for their own healthcare.

There are also plenty of Doctors / Hositals who only take Private patients, so in effect the Private healthcare patients are helping to reduce the waiting times for NHS patients.

You can do a lot better than that Firestorm.

I was just wondering how far people will take their principles to the extent of it impacting on their own lives.

There of course is the argument that everyone over a certain wealth / salary should be made to go private so they don't take a "place" from someone who can't afford the treatment when they feasibly can.

 

[Nobby Snide]

I was just wondering how far people will take their principles to the extent of it impacting on their own lives.

There of course is the argument that everyone over a certain wealth / salary should be made to go private so they don't take a "place" from someone who can't afford the treatment when they feasibly can.

good point, well made...um, schools too?

 

[number11]

I was just wondering how far people will take their principles to the extent of it impacting on their own lives.

There of course is the argument that everyone over a certain wealth / salary should be made to go private so they don't take a "place" from someone who can't afford the treatment when they feasibly can.

Equally, does that mean a true socialist should never accumulate any savings or expensive consumer items as, believing in the redistribution of wealth, they would be happy to pass over some of their excess disposal income to those in need?

Regarding forcing someone to go private, would you still want to tax that person that you are making go private, or will you be removing their contribution from public funds?

 

[steveo]

Regarding forcing someone to go private, would you still want to tax that person that you are making go private, or will you be removing their contribution from public funds?

It would be expected that the private healthcare payers would continue to pay their usual tax an ni contributions based on the theory that as they can afford it, it will be ok. This is in addition to the higher amount of tax they pay, because they earn more, and the higher percentage of their wages they pay, because they earn more.
As for the socialist thing , see obl's post about the Kinnocks or indeed take an example like Tony Benn.

 

[Hotman]

Can I assume that those who dislike everything Left wing do not use the NHS ?
This was one of those nasty wishy washy lefty ideas.

Or do they like most , use the free bits when ever they can but use the private route "because I can afford it" when they want to jump in front of the queue.

Quite happy not to, Bupa would sort me and the family out (touch wood haven't had to use them yet, but they are there for when we need them).

It's a bit of a bitch that my NI contributions go towards your healthcare, in fairness I should have a refund.

At least I won't die of MRSA !!

 

[Moridin]

I was just wondering how far people will take their principles to the extent of it impacting on their own lives.

When I was signing on between December and April, I gave one week out of every four of my JSA to charity, £30 to Shelter and £30 to Action on Addiction.

I also did voluntary work in a Domestic Violence refuge for about 15 hours a week.

It did impact on my life, it's quite difficult to manage on £120 a fortnight, especially the cost of Public transport to get me to interviews.

There of course is the argument that everyone over a certain wealth / salary should be made to go private so they don't take a "place" from someone who can't afford the treatment when they feasibly can.

Maybe an 'opt-out' type agreement may be an idea, it could be argued that the pressure on public services would be reduced.

Equally, does that mean a true socialist should never accumulate any savings or expensive consumer items as, believing in the redistribution of wealth, they would be happy to pass over some of their excess disposal income to those in need?

Personally, I've always given part of my income to charities, and completed voluntary work in my spare time to help out those in need.

That is how far I go, but I am indeed a lefty mug.

I have never worked for a privately owned business either.

I do accumulate savings, as living in a society that is unforgiving to those in need, I have had a private Landlord serving me with a notice and taking me to court for eviction as she didn't want to wait four weeks for Housing Benefit to be paid for example, you simply have to have some cash behind you or the problems become insurmountable.

 

[number11]

I do accumulate savings, as living in a society that is unforgiving to those in need, I have had a private Landlord serving me with a notice and taking me to court for eviction as she didn't want to wait four weeks for Housing Benefit to be paid for example, you simply have to have some cash behind you or the problems become insurmountable.

As 2 months arrears are required then I'm surprised it reached court!!