h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This was inspired by an article in a British liberal newspaper. The article was a short opinion piece in the business section. The jist of the opening was like this:

"I'll come off the fence. I'm in favour of Britain joining the Euro. There are lots of reasons for this but the main one is that it will infuriate exactly the sort of people I can't stand...."

Refreshing honesty (if rather stupid). I put it to the house that around 50% of "political opinion" is about opposing what the "other side" are in favour of, rather than any underlying political ideology and that this is bad for politics and bad for debate.

Discuss.

I think you are correct.

Math

"There are lots of reasons for this but the main one is that it will infuriate exactly the sort of people I can't stand...."

I get the impression that in Northern Ireland, about 97% of policies supported by either side, are supported for exactly this reason.

Northern Ireland is a cracking example of the politics of oppostion. Since all the political parties are primarily about religion, they pick up other "ideologies" along the way and twist them into the religious aspects. Thus, the Republicans threw their lot in with socialism (presumably because their militant wing thought it could get arms from the Eastern Bloc), the Unionists with conservatism and some of the politics of the Conservative Party (didn't Enoch Powell join the Ulster Unionist Party after the Conservatives kicked him out for his "rivers of blood" stance?). In fact, it could be argued that the Conservative's links with the Unionists stalled the search for peace in Northern Ireland whilst the Tories remained in power in the 1980s and early-mid 1990s.

Surely this is a natural extension of a 2 party system ?

This is not a call for proportional representation, but a call for elections of individuals rather that populist figures from within an enclosed background.

My MP is Geoffrey Robinson - can anyone explain to me where exactly he relates to the policies of The Labour Party ?

Whilst only 2 sides of a situation are viewed there will always be the 'contra' arguement. I'm going to vote against this - because 'HE' says it.

I incidently am against the Euro because until Europe has a single standard of living, and a central government, the idea of a single monetary policy is laughable. Just look at the opposing situations in Ireland and Germany.