There is absolutely no ideological point of contact between between the NDP on the one hand and the Liberals and the Greens on the other.
I'm now fully resigned to the fact that nothing issues from the blogosphere, myself included, which isn't contorted and knotted up by ideological belief. I’ve surrendered all hope of having non-partisan debate. But might we just put our ideological cards on the table here? If we’re going to play pure partisanship we should at least outline some the basic contours of our own ideologies. I’ve read some disturbing pronouncements concerning the "principled" reasons around the Dion May allegiance.
A bizarre notion is that this somehow unites the “left”. This is really peculiar given that from my perspective neither the Liberals nor Greens are in any way part of “the left”. The Liberals are at their core the political party of individualism, minimal government, of unfettered capitalism. Remember that the liberal in the Liberals has to do with fiscal policy rather than social policy.The Liberals are "progressive" only when they implement CCF or NDP social policy. Being to the left of the Conservatives does not “the left” make. Besides these days it really still is Liberal/Tory same old story, even if some of the names have changed.
The Greens, in North America at least, I see as closer to a right-wing Libertarian party with a Green agenda- also in favour of minimal government, or should I say anti-government, socially pretty conservative (May's "regressive" views on women's choice and same-sex marriage are now notorious), and pro-capitalism. To me, “the left” even its social democratic incarnation is pro government/centralisation, is progressive and communitarian in the sense that it puts people (especially people on the margins) ahead of sidling up to big business, and is in principle anti-capitalist, even if social democrats are for the time being having to working within the exigencies of capitalism.
Although I believe this Green Red alliance to be a purely tactical and strategic attempt to blled the NDP, there actually might be ideological reasons for the Green and Liberals to come together- but it has NOTHING to do with “left” or “progressive” politics. The NDP remains the only political party for both "progressives" and/or "lefties".
I'm now fully resigned to the fact that nothing issues from the blogosphere, myself included, which isn't contorted and knotted up by ideological belief. I’ve surrendered all hope of having non-partisan debate. But might we just put our ideological cards on the table here? If we’re going to play pure partisanship we should at least outline some the basic contours of our own ideologies. I’ve read some disturbing pronouncements concerning the "principled" reasons around the Dion May allegiance.
A bizarre notion is that this somehow unites the “left”. This is really peculiar given that from my perspective neither the Liberals nor Greens are in any way part of “the left”. The Liberals are at their core the political party of individualism, minimal government, of unfettered capitalism. Remember that the liberal in the Liberals has to do with fiscal policy rather than social policy.The Liberals are "progressive" only when they implement CCF or NDP social policy. Being to the left of the Conservatives does not “the left” make. Besides these days it really still is Liberal/Tory same old story, even if some of the names have changed.
The Greens, in North America at least, I see as closer to a right-wing Libertarian party with a Green agenda- also in favour of minimal government, or should I say anti-government, socially pretty conservative (May's "regressive" views on women's choice and same-sex marriage are now notorious), and pro-capitalism. To me, “the left” even its social democratic incarnation is pro government/centralisation, is progressive and communitarian in the sense that it puts people (especially people on the margins) ahead of sidling up to big business, and is in principle anti-capitalist, even if social democrats are for the time being having to working within the exigencies of capitalism.
Although I believe this Green Red alliance to be a purely tactical and strategic attempt to blled the NDP, there actually might be ideological reasons for the Green and Liberals to come together- but it has NOTHING to do with “left” or “progressive” politics. The NDP remains the only political party for both "progressives" and/or "lefties".
1 comment:
You're right, the greens and libs are a couple of right wing entities that wish to promote strategic voting, and minimize the NDP. That, I feel, is the objective of this silly deal.
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