When did NSC suddenly become so right wing?

[Trufflehound]

As that site points out being Left or Right wing isn't a straight line (which obviously isn't a new concept, we were told that when I studied Politics back in the 1970s).

Economically, no they weren't left wing. On the Libertarian/Authoritarian front - yes they were. Look at all the laws they passed banning, curtailing and regulating almost every single aspect of our lives.

Doesn't banning, curtailing and regulating make them 'Authoritarian' - i.e right wing there too?

To be honest, I'm surprised how left wing I came out on the 'economic' scale. I'm all for making shitloads of money. But apparently because I said that behaving ethically and treating people fairly should come before paying shareholders - something that is inherent common sense in my books - that makes me a dangerous extremist.

I would have scored better on the Libertarian front, but I think saying that children should be bound and gagged and kept out of sight at home, and not released into society until they are at least 25, may have blotted my copybook a little...

 

[daveinprague]

Was it Chris Rock the comedian who said about politics..

For gun control, im right wing

For Prostitution im liberal..

Its very diverse really...

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Economic Left/Right: -1.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.72

Just left of centre and a fair way down the libertarian axis. Reflects my generally pluralist approach to life.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

NSC has swayed to the right in the last couple of years , I put it down to those NSCers who are now 1901 members thinking they are better than the rest of us

 

[Bakero]

As that site points out being Left or Right wing isn't a straight line (which obviously isn't a new concept, we were told that when I studied Politics back in the 1970s).

Economically, no they weren't left wing. On the Libertarian/Authoritarian front - yes they were. Look at all the laws they passed banning, curtailing and regulating almost every single aspect of our lives.

I think you've missed the point a bit- it's not just left and right. I thought you were about to beat me to making my point but then you seem to suggest Authoritarian policies are the preserve of the left. There are 4 categories:

Libertarian Right
Libertarian Left
Authoritarian Right
Authoritarian Left

So, if you say the New Labour government were right wing economically and they were authoritarian then that makes them Authoritarian Right....

Nothing left wing about them.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

Doesn't banning, curtailing and regulating make them 'Authoritarian' - i.e right wing there too?

To be honest, I'm surprised how left wing I came out on the 'economic' scale. I'm all for making shitloads of money.

To help you out I've just bought a copy of your book. I lived in Amsterdam for a couple of years, hopefully some old haunts get a mention.

 

[severnside gull]

NSC has swayed to the right in the last couple of years , I put it down to those NSCers who are now 1901 members thinking they are better than the rest of us

Are 1901'ers still allowed on here given our new title?

 

[Milton Keynes Seagull]

Are 1901'ers still allowed on here given our new title?

Yes, but proles like you and I will be provided with a little "doff your cap" smiley when replying to their posts.

 

[Trufflehound]

To help you out I've just bought a copy of your book. I lived in Amsterdam for a couple of years, hopefully some old haunts get a mention.

Unless you haunted some really obscure places, then some of them will be mentioned...

 

[daveinprague]

I lived in Amsterdam for about 9 months, and then moved to The Hague..
Hated going to work on monday morning passing happy stoned tourists.
I need to be miserable, and see misery on mondays.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

I lived in Amsterdam for about 9 months, and then moved to The Hague..
Hated going to work on monday morning passing happy stoned tourists.
I need to be miserable, and see misery on mondays.

Ahh, but, tourism is short term, misery is for life.

 

[Bakero]

Doesn't banning, curtailing and regulating make them 'Authoritarian' - i.e right wing there too?

To be honest, I'm surprised how left wing I came out on the 'economic' scale. I'm all for making shitloads of money. But apparently because I said that behaving ethically and treating people fairly should come before paying shareholders - something that is inherent common sense in my books - that makes me a dangerous extremist.

I would have scored better on the Libertarian front, but I think saying that children should be bound and gagged and kept out of sight at home, and not released into society until they are at least 25, may have blotted my copybook a little...

It sounds like your view of behaving ethically and treating people fairly conflicts with your desire to make shit loads of money.

Unfortunately, there are not enough moons on sticks to go around.

 

[Danny-Boy]

Ever since the tories took over the lib/dems the right wing element everywhere have been more vociferous and that naturally brings the lefties out to play. It's not just on here.

With just a very few exceptions, most of our "contributers" are pretty middle of the road in reality - it's just the ability to hide behind a keyboard that enables people to push their opinions towards the extremes.

I think the Right Wing Tory element feel threatened by Dave's overtures on the "Big Society" et al - certyainly our local Tory councillors don't like the idea of backing anything the LD's here advocate.

But then there are local government elections next May....

 

[Danny-Boy]

I lived in Amsterdam for about 9 months, and then moved to The Hague..
Hated going to work on monday morning passing happy stoned tourists.
I need to be miserable, and see misery on mondays.

I lived in Amsterdam for about 6 months, then moved out of the Netherlands for good after a few weeks in the countryside to recover. But that was in 1978; I don't know whether they keep fishing bodies of the canals in Amsterdam now, but the drugs scene was really scary in the late 1970's.

I finally gave up on the place when a heroin addict tried to sell me a car with no proper registration papers, and then went apeshit when I asked a passing copper if the licence documents he showed me were kosher.

Mind you he was only asking 150 Guilders (then about £70) for it!

 

[Trufflehound]

It sounds like your view of behaving ethically and treating people fairly conflicts with your desire to make shit loads of money.

Why? I see no conflict.

It simply means I try to make money without shitting on other people. Yes, it's true I'll never be as rich as the chairman of some greedy global corporation, but that doesn't bother me in the slightest. The concept of wealth is relative.

Rich for me means having enough to do what I want, and buy what I want. And I have that, and don't care if some people consider that a modest ambition. Maybe it's just me, but I don't particularly want a yacht or my own private jet...

 

[Danny-Boy]

Was it Chris Rock the comedian who said about politics..

For gun control, im right wing

For Prostitution im liberal..

Its very diverse really...

For educashun, im absent...

 

[On the Left Wing]

Did the compass a few years ago and did it again this morning... scores remain similar:
Left wing social libertarian
-6.12
-6.05

But class myself as nihilistic as I don't believe any of our political parties have the answer and neither does Soviet style communism!

Still hold people such as Gandhi and Tony Benn as heroes to a greater or lesser degree.

 

[Trufflehound]

I lived in Amsterdam for about 6 months, then moved out of the Netherlands for good after a few weeks in the countryside to recover. But that was in 1978; I don't know whether they keep fishing bodies of the canals in Amsterdam now, but the drugs scene was really scary in the late 1970's.

I finally gave up on the place when a heroin addict tried to sell me a car with no proper registration papers, and then went apeshit when I asked a passing copper if the licence documents he showed me were kosher.

Mind you he was only asking 150 Guilders (then about £70) for it!

The RLD has been sanitised a lot, even in the 20 years I've known it. It's so full of tourist tack these days it seems almost a parody of itself. And it's been a while since anyone on the street has openly tried to flog me cocaine.

More sensible has been the council's policy of giving grants to 'respectable' businesses to encourage them to move into the area, thus smartening it up by stealth. Companies like the excellent De Prael brewery in fact (Brouwerij de Prael).

 

[Bakero]

Why? I see no conflict.

It simply means I try to make money without shitting on other people. Yes, it's true I'll never be as rich as the chairman of some greedy global corporation, but that doesn't bother me in the slightest. The concept of wealth is relative.

Rich for me means having enough to do what I want, and buy what I want. And I have that, and don't care if some people consider that a modest ambition. Maybe it's just me, but I don't particularly want a yacht or my own private jet...

Fair enough. I guess your 'shit loads of money' comment was hyperbolic. My point was that an economic system that allows a few people to make shit loads of money will certainly ensure that shit loads of people have nothing.

 

[skipper734]

Bugger, I've been voting for the wrong party for the last 45 years.
Or is the original hypotheses correct and we are all becoming more lefty.