To think that being Tory doesn't make you thick?

[RainbowSheep]

Ok, my family are all very liberal (I mean my parents, aunts & uncles, who incidently have all had lots of money & opportunities throughout their lives). Their parents (who were poor working class) were more conservative as are me and my brother, who are both pretty poor. We recently had a family get together where I was told by my uncle (university lecturer) that Tories were unitelligent and I was beginning to sound like an idiot for having conservative views... I don't think I am particularly right wing.

I think there are thick people supporting all parties.

Not thick but quite unusual for someone without much money to be a Tory.

Sorry posted too soon, I don;t think I'm particularyly right wing but I get very irritated by my champagne socialist family

I don't really support any political party - I think they are all full of shit!

But then again, I think im pretty thick!

I never understand why people describe 'champagne socialists' as though it's a negative thing. Why is it bad for the wealthy to care about the less well off in society?

Too many sweeping statements really. You can't generalise to that extent regardless of what party/roots/intelligence/demographic etc.

No, not all Tories are thick, that's ridiculous.

Some of them are evil.

Am hesitating to post here... to be honest I have always felt that the conservative mindset tends to stem from a lack of appreciation for the subtler points of how societies work. Not necessarily a lack of intelligence but certainly a lack of empathy.

That whole Tory thing about picking yourself up by the bootstraps, getting on your bike, stiff upper lip etc etc - well it's easy enough to say that if you're lucky enough to be born into a caring family who have given you self-worth. The trouble with Tories is they have little sympathy for people who have had it tougher.

Oh yes and blind faith in the ability of open markets to meet everybody's needs - stupid stupid stupid

that's my tuppeny ha'penny

at tethers

Sweeping generalisations are rarely right.

I am a leftie and there are some idiots on the left as well as the right.

Bibbo - I agree with you, I think it's really important to have empathy for people less fortunate and to give people bettter opportunities, I really do (thinking of my DC's) but I also think that people need to take a certain amount of responsibility and not blame all the countries ills on the givernment & bankers

Bibbo - spot on!

I think many Tories (more generalising) lack compassion.

YANBU And I am not a Tory and don't even like them. However, I respect other people's views (except extreme ones) and I think it's a bit sad to think that people who have different opinions are idiots.

Bibbo makes a lot of sense.

Not lacking intelligence just empathy.

They are pretty self-serving which to some would be viewed as very clever.

Thick, or cruel, or both.

I don't think they are thick- just the people who voted for them.

There is a huge amount of anti-Tory astroturfing on MN, where even the slightest hint of right wing views is castigated.

This is unrepresentative of UK, and stifling of debate. To state that the right wing lacks compassion shows a lack of understanding in itself: it's a work-ethic based "muscular" approach: small government, and greater self-reliance. It is aiming to get people out of poverty by transforming lives and expectations; it is not about making it easy for the able bodied to live on handouts.

And it is interesting to see that on the detail, in practice, you see support for this all across MN.

The problem with this government, according to MN if you strip out the bashing rhetoric, is that it is administratively incompetent - hence the concerns about eg the role of ATOS and the unintended effects of cuts.

But only the very, very stupid could look at the current situation and not endorse the need for cuts. And no-one other than the coalition has said anything about where/how much/when they would cut. So unless/until someone can put forward an alternative agenda, and it's pricetag, it's pretty darn thick to do anything else.

Agree with Bibbo. My family are champagne socialists though, so what do I know.

That whole Tory thing about picking yourself up by the bootstraps, getting on your bike, stiff upper lip etc etc - well it's easy enough to say that if you're lucky enough to be born into a caring family who have given you self-worth. The trouble with Tories is they have little sympathy for people who have had it tougher.

FIL, who is a staunch Tory, did exactly this - coming from the worst council estate in our city, and made himself into an educated business man, respected by everyone in all areas of society. He believes that they give you the opportunity to make something of yourself.

MIL, also a staunch Tory, is just a bit thick

Everyone I know who is Tory is very intelligent.

Everyone I know who is very intelligent is Tory

scaevola, I disagree about the cuts. I don't have a great understanding of Economics but I have friends who have studied Economics at LSE to masters level so I'm guessing that they do and some believe that there are other ways. I see a lot of quite scary, lacking in compassion, benefits bashing threads on here so don't think it's full of liberals.

I am a card carrying Tory and certainly not thick - far from it. I just think a vast section of this country's population need to get a grip and do something with their lives. So if that's lacking in compassion, guilty as charged.

And for information I had the most appalling childhood with no money whatsoever, it just made me more determined to make something of myself.

It's only now when I look back I realise what valid excuses I really had to ask for help - I just got on with it on my own.

hardbopboiledpossum: grateful if you could explain what the "other ways" are including the crucial question of how much it costs and how we (or more to the point, our children) afford it? Alluding to third parties who have an answer isn't much use, unless you can say what their ideas and the price tag is.

The aim of bringing us back to something approximating to living within one's means does not BTW, demonstrate a want of compassion. Unless you think all
debt advisers who recommend cutting up credit cards and reining in spending are showing a want of compassion to indebted households. (Indeed, finding a way back to living within one's means is usually held to be a good thing. Same is true of a debt laden government. Continuing to overspend is not a solution - it's the sticking plaster until the creditors' bailiffs start calling, and by then the pain is much worse. Both intelligence and compassion would mean taking steps before that).

Not thick, but maybe a little uncaring for those who aren't so sucessful.

scaevola - very well said!!!