Bursting the bubble
Every now and again something happens to jolt me out of the bleeding heart liberal lefty non-Daily Mail reading bubble that I live in.
It happened in my French class yesterday. There are people from various different countries in my class and we were discussing how we felt about living in London compared to our home countries. Typical responses included that there are more opportunities in the UK, we like the culture, we have family here etc. etc.
The other Australian in my class, however (and there always is one, we’re ubiquitous around here), responded with a tirade about how much she detested the Labor party and how much she liked arch conservatives John Howard and David Cameron.
I was shocked. I don’t think I have ever (knowingly) shared the same room with someone of my age who feels that way. I didn’t even know those people existed. Well, I do but I don’t speak to them. And I don’t want to; I am happy in my bubble.
Tags: bleeding heart liberals
December 7th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Interesting. I have never met an Australian ‘abroad’ who held (or owned up to holding!) those views, but when I actually went to Australia five years ago, I met loads of them. They all seemed to be the ones who had NOT travelled ( and who were often very proud of not having done so!).
But there are obviously enough ‘moderate’ souls still left in Australia to have voted in the new Government. I give it ten more years MAX before the country finally ‘goes’ independent - and I think it’ll be with much more of a whimper than a bang.
December 7th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Not sure about the Labour Party in Oz, but over here, it’s a corrupt, incompetent, mendacious and venal organisation, but then, most political parties are when they gain power. I don’t regard being Conservative as being a problem really. Some people are outraged that they exist, but they aren’t all illiberal bigots and nut cases. Even if they are, you can spot them at a hundred paces and walk the other way. I’m more worried about the weasel words of the centre right/left, perma-smiling automatons programmed to tell lies.
December 7th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
Interesting points there.
ISBW - I suspect that Labor got in in Australia because they did a ‘New Labour’ and nicked the opposition’s policies and went more to the centre ground. People were getting bored with the status quo too, kind of like people are getting bored with Labour here and the Tory’s will get back in eventually. You’re right, I think though, about the politics of people who leave and people who don’t - which was why I was particularly suprised by the opinions of my fellow Australian French student.
Illman - I wish I didn’t think that being a conservative was a problem, but I do tend to associate both the Australian and UK parties with social conservatism, a fascist approach to industrial relations, casual blue rince rascism and in the case of Australia, a completely and utterly regressive approach to the environment, refugees and Aboriginal people.
And you can’t be seriously suggesting that only centre right/left politicans are prone to perma-smiling lying? Anyone who gets anywhere near the top in politics, whether that be Nick Griffin, Chris Huhne or Tommy Sheridan (perma-tanned!) has to be ruthlessly ambitious with corrupted and compromised politics.
December 9th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
The wake up call is that 70% of humanity are conservatives, either with a small ‘c’ or a capital ‘C’. My own political views are a little nebulous just now, if only because I have no desire to be pinned down to a particular doctrine. Let’s just say I’m a lefty currently re-assessing his view of the world, and part of that is realising that whilst many right wingers are arseholes, some aren’t, though I rarely agree with their positions. I’ve simply stopped being shocked that anyone admits to being ‘Conservative’, for many it’s a comfortable mindset to take up. It’s something I’ve come to understand. That said, when a true raving bigot reveals him/herself in your midst, the shock and disgust remains the same. It’s about knowing your enemies and moderate right types have stopped bothering me…………….
At no point do I state that ONLY moderate left/right politicians are corrupt. I just stated that their corruption disturbs me more than that of the marginals because A -You would expect idiots like the BNP to be incompetent and B - If your Labour councillor is on the fucking take, then how long does it take for people incapable of joined up thinking to come to the conclusion that the BNP might be a good idea…………?
This is why I try to avoid politics, I resolutely refuse to make myself clear ;D
December 10th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Mate, you made me smile.
December 10th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
It’s OK Illman, I see your point entirely. And I wasn’t being entirely serious when I said that I was shocked by someone coming out as a conservative. There are a lot of them out there and it’s not a criminal offence. And as a liberal fascist myself I can hardly complain. But lets not go there… ;)
And Alison, glad that talk of politics is cheering you up!