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Politics
Original poster

Which is more important now: political reform or the economy?

264 replies

FrakkinTheReturningOfficer · 08/05/2010 16:18

Political reform is going to be bad for the economy, in the short term at least.

Sorting out the economy probably means putting political reform on hold.

Which would you choose?

OP posts:
TDiddy · 08/05/2010 19:24

You see the Tories have been pounding away at telling us that Labour isn't a good manager of the economy but the reason that they cant get a majority even now is that people don't trust them with social justice and and an element redistribution....Until they crack that to the majority, they will take their chance with centre left parties that have a more social democratic ethos. Especially in Europe where a majority of people believe in public service provision by the govt.

Coolfonz · 08/05/2010 19:23

SWC, no you shouldn't destroy economies. You might want to tell that to the neo-liberals.

But yes, everyone who thinks markets and unelected private interests have too much power all love Stalin, 100pc

policywonk · 08/05/2010 19:23

Pension funds would function a great deal more securely with stringent financial regulation. Who knows, they might actually start paying out on the terms that the pension-holders signed up for, instead of seeing their assets pissed away by speculators.

smallwhitecat · 08/05/2010 19:22

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claig · 08/05/2010 19:22

policywonk, I think we all agree that none of us want to see the market dictating policy. All we are saying is that the markets are very powerful and have to be taken into consideration. Denis Healey couldn't sit, like King Canute, on his throne and stop the rising tide. Instead, Dennis the Menace, begged the IMF to help him after the mess that Labour had made of the country's finances.

policywonk · 08/05/2010 19:20

I think we want policy-makers to dictate the terms of the market. Absolutely. As coolfonz says, this 'dinstinction' between economics and politics is utterly illusory.

DavidHameron · 08/05/2010 19:19

Now who's oversimplifying?

State, market and citizen are all dependent on each other.

dittany · 08/05/2010 19:18

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policywonk · 08/05/2010 19:18

Thanks soph

I don't believe I ever said that we shouldn't kowtow beacuse they got us into this mess; to reiterate, I think we shouldn't kowtow because to do so is anti-democratic (an argument to which you appear to have no answer). Did speculators contribute greatly to the mess? Of course they did. Are they unholy wankers? Mais oui.

smallwhitecat · 08/05/2010 19:18

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Original poster
FrakkinTheReturningOfficer · 08/05/2010 19:16

So I guess we want policy to dictate the market

A couple of guys tried that: Stalin, Lenin, Mao....

OP posts:
Heathcliffscathy · 08/05/2010 19:14

policy, have i told you recently how internetly beautiful you are when you are impassioned.

i'm sick to death of the whole: system's fucked, but we're in thrall to it and nothing to be done.

smallwhitecat · 08/05/2010 19:14

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dittany · 08/05/2010 19:13

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policywonk · 08/05/2010 19:11

No, swc, I think the argument is that we shouldn't let the market dictate policy because to do so is anti-democractic.

smallwhitecat · 08/05/2010 19:10

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Coolfonz · 08/05/2010 19:03

TDiddy, indeed. There is no such thing as economics, only politics. It is a political ideology - no limits to growth, markets etc - which poisons politics and finance.

They even have economists in North Korea, but they are just more party apparatchiks...supporting a system that is corrupt and collapsing...same everywhere...we have X Factor they have stupid flag waving shit...

dittany · 08/05/2010 19:03

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TDiddy · 08/05/2010 19:03

We will not get economic growth without risk taking. I think that we need social justice along side capitalism to ensure fairness and some amount of redistribution.

claig · 08/05/2010 19:02

common sense and Noam Chomsky are an oxymoron, a bit like a fine mess or an honest politician or a Labour politician who is only there to serve the working class.

DavidHameron, I agree there is no such thing as a 'free' market, that is an example of doublespeak to fool people. Taxpayers' money was handed over in a reverse bank robbery.

Heathcliffscathy · 08/05/2010 19:01

govt bonds are not what brought northern rock down swc.

and no one is arguing that they did.

dittany · 08/05/2010 19:00

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Heathcliffscathy · 08/05/2010 19:00

clegg isn't the point claig...the libdems are blessedly democratic compared to the other parties...he won't be able to act alone.

smallwhitecat · 08/05/2010 19:00

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Coolfonz · 08/05/2010 18:59

Clegg's a fucking wanker as well...per-lease...politicians, nothing an AK47 can't sort out