Right Wing? Moi?

Everytime I think to myself, "you can't say that, it's too right wing and reactionary" and then post something anyway, my stats soar and I get more people following the blog.

This may sound a bit craven and a bit crass, but I am not sure if it is me that has gone further and further to the right of the political spectrum, or merely that the climate of opinion in this country has become so nihilistic and politically correct that any sane person would seem right wing against that background.

And policemen seem younger. And so does Santa Claus.

PS. Both the Times and the Telegraph are leading with Ashcroft. As if there are not more important and relevant stories to address. Is it me, or have you noticed that the press is becoming more and more transparent about its allegiance, the nearer we get to an election?

10 comments:

Richard said...

It's not you. It's the goalposts.

I have always regarded myself as reasonably sensible and fair-minded. In my youth, I was a Labour supporter, albeit of the moderate kind. But the world is very different these days. If you believe in looking after yourself and your own, if you believe in responsibility and taking the consequences of your own actions, if you believe in helping the unfortunate, but expecting the able-bodied to look after themselves, then today you are a swivel-eyed right-winger, fit only for demonisation and ridicule.

Thing is, fifty years ago, these were core Labour values.

Ey up, I feel a post coming on :)

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Thank you R and R. By the way, ex soft machine Robert Wyatt had an album out called "Ruth is Stranger than Richard"

So, I am not going mad.

Like you, I believe in helping people at the bottom of the pile and always have, especially when it comes to education, but what we seem to get these days is vengeance and spleen meted to anybody who tries to fend for themselves and make their own decisions.

I voted Labour in 1997! All I can do is apologise for this terrible mistake. I should have known. At least I will not make that mistake ever again.

1984 said...

I used to think that the media would eventually get to the truth of a story after some research and seeing the evidence all around them. But I now accept that the media have already taken their positions about subjects and will never change. This is probably why people feel so helpless. The global warming scam and the EU and the advancement of big brother are all areas where positions have been taken and they will never budge. A bit of probing into the cause of this situation will reveal the usual vested interests. Money and power.
They will allow us small morsels of dissent to make us think they are unbiased. One sided inquiries and the like but the bigger picture will never change. The truth is available online on blogs such as yours WW but eventually all independent bloggers and media will be quietened. Mandy's internet bill is the start and will slowly strangle free speech and rebels will get a breach of the peace slapped on them.
So enjoy this flash in the pan of freedom while it lasts. I'd give us 5 years max.
Then darkness.

Jim Baxter said...

Ah, Soft Machine, I had that Police guy in the backo the Daimler once, the one that wasn't Sting. When I say had...

Drat.

It wasn't a naked lunch.

Spartan said...

For one that was part of the 60/70's revolution l am at somewhat at a loss to find myself now labelled as 'right-wing'.

Did l cross over into a parallel universe? WTF?

Jon Lishman said...

There is no real Left and Right. Extremism's for loonies. The real reality is that there's only common ground.

As a result, nice people, 99% of the world's population, are just stuck right here in middle, with a desire to see, before we die, some sane balance in law, compassion, freedom and individual endeavour. Nothing more or less. Just a proper balance.

WW, though it will no-doubt pain you to hear this, I will nonetheless say it: you're more or less a Tory! (Or merely a fine-tuned conservative. Doesn't realy matter. You'll alwways be one of us/them/or some other).

Richard said...

I can still sing the whole of Moon In June, word for word.

The guy is a genius - for a commie!

Wrinkled Weasel said...

I knew there was no use denying it when I started putting portraits of Mrs Thatcher on my blog.

Is there a helpline I can ring for advice about coming out to friends?

Unknown said...

It may not seem like it, based on the news that comes out of the U.S., but it's quite similar here. Twenty years ago, our Democratic party was fairly middle of the road, and I could've aligned myself with it then. Now it's so far Left, I have absolutely nothing in common with that party. I'm left with the Republican party, which is not without it's own crazies, but relatively fewer than the Democrats. As R & R mentioned above, if you believe in taking care of yourself and those you love, without assistance from the state, and care about personal responsibility, over here you're treated as a right wing nutjob.

I actually had a coworker tell me if our company had another layoff, he's seriously considering just going on welfare and "living off the fat of the government". I've heard similar statements echoed by others. These are professional people who have good jobs in IT, and shouldn't have that much trouble finding work, yet they would rather just bag it. Why is hard work considered such a "bad" thing?

I really don't understand the mentality.

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Thanks, Jen, for your insights into life across the pond. You have made me think about this as a global issue, which throws up obvious questions such as "Why?"

There is probably no straight answer to that, but I dare say that a general move away from traditional moral values will be a contributory factor.