Quote:
Originally Posted by blazey
I'm surprised that people see crossing over the party line as an extreme move considering that one side suggests change and the other suggests conserving what we already have, respectively in their most basic forms.
There are many famous quotes from highly intelligent individuals highlighting this basic nature of the left and right wings for us. Is it so difficult to believe that a person can easily change parties with such ease? Surely once radicals have achieved what they were aiming for then they can only become conservative, unless what they initially thought was a good idea has led to something they didn't quite predict? Same goes for a 'conservative'... how can they say they are conservative if they are trying to change things?
I'm not a political mastermind so I'm only wondering. It just seems slightly odd to me.
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Changing parties: mmm ... Churchill was good at that .... I don't think that "conservative" means maintaining the status quo ... I think it has more to do with how one views things like the economy, social services, commitment to the military etc. And "radical" ... seems to me that some parties that have termed themselves radical are, in fact, conservative ... I think that this confusion was common in the Third French Republic. (Maybe all kinds of confusion were common in the Third French Republic, particularly between the ears of Maurice Gamelin). "Revolutionary" would, I think, be a better term than "radical". But even revolutionary parties become conservative ... the Soviet Union comes immediately to mind.
I do believe though, that people who cross party lines, or cross the floor of the House (we have a House of Commons too
) are often acting on principle, rather than swallowing their principles in order to toe a party line that they no longer agree with. And I do think that addiction to ideology sometimes takes a back seat problems of running a country in a complex world.
Oh, and have yourself a Merry Christmas, eh
and a happy and prosperous New Year ... Joyeux Noel et Bon Annee from the Great White North.