Does anyone else find the phrase 'compassionate Conservatism'

[tortoiseshell]

utterly patronising? Every time I hear it I inwardly bristle. Feels like they're saying 'we're still better than you, but we're not going to rub your noses in it too much'.

Apologies to any Tories among you. Just irritates me to death!

I find it an oxymoron

No, I quite agree, Tortoiseshell. I don't think it helps any politician's image to describe themselves as a "compassionate X".
And the bottom line is that it is implying that one of our major political parties is by definition normally not compassionate, and its own members admit it. I am biassed so won't go on about it, but it sums up one of the reasons why they'll never get my vote.

Compassionate. Conservative.

Mmmmm just trying to get my head round those 2 words forming a sentence.

Sorry, just can't do it!

Definitely an oxymoron

Compassionate Conservatism = New Labour

ie no real policies, no strongly-felt opinions, no deeply-held principles, just vote-chasing, opinion-poll-following, inconsistent so-called 'policies'.

Message withdrawn

Agree with Marina. It holds the premise that in the normal run of things, conservatism is by definition, not compassionate.

That's a bit like 'healthcare business'. Um, yeah. Business and profit. Health and care. There's a contridiction in terms.

Oxymoronic. What's it supposed to mean anyway? What do they believe that the uncompassionate Conservatives don't?

Not necessarily an oxymoron - Bill Gates? ; I'm sure he supports the free market etc but is an extraordinarily generous benefactor to all sorts of causes

yes hate it - expect to be hugged on the doorstep by a middle aged man in a suit smelling of whisky and cigars.

lol!

It's the rhetoric of the Republican party in the US isn't it (to state the obvious) and just look how compassionate they are!

Well they are desperate for any angle - but Hell will freeze over before they ever get my vote. (Also, 'New Labour' p**s me off but I can't bring myself not to vote)

Mmmm...have just as much of a problem hearing the term "compassionate socialists" when Mr Blair sends British men to their deaths in an illegal war, and when Mrs Blair takes thousands of pounds of charity money for her fee as an after dinner speaker etc.

Aren't all politicians hypocrits etc - do we ever believe them?

No, no Hotmama! Not all of them, no! We need politics. A world without it is too horrific to contemplate. Politics is about compromise so it can look a bit wiley but that's just cos stating out right what you want is no way to negotiate with anyone diplomatically. Not if you want to get your own way anyway ...

On the other hand we do live in a hipocritical world, so should we expect our politicians to be any different from the societies they're representing?

Isn't the conservative party all about oxymorons?

I mean, "Conservative Party". Can it get more oxymoronic than that?

Never forget the immortal words used by Aneurin Bevan to describe the Tories - "lower than vermin". Compassionate vermin?

Yes, but I don't think Mr Bevan would be exactly leaping for joy at what Mr Blair and his cronies have done to socialism

yes, its blatant vote chasing. And the harder people try to sell you a message, the less true it usually is ime!

lol NQC!