This guy gets it.
Good to see that even the UK still has a few sensible people left.
One thing I have to take issue with is his comment that Nordic/Scandanavian societies have this peaceful, stress-free lifestyle. He’s right in that the loss of freedom required for such equality isn’t worth it to conservatives, but he fails to note that the reason for it isn’t the “equality”, but rather, the culture in those societies. Until a decade or so ago, they were culturally and ethnically homogenous, and therefore, crime was low. Once they started letting the Muzzies in, things changed for the worse.
bump
9. Talking of fairness, lets remember that the word doesnt belong to any faction. How about parity between public and private sector pay? How about being fair to our children, whom we have freighted with a debt unprecedented in peacetime? How about being fair to the boy who leaves school at 16 and starts paying taxes to subsidise the one who goes to university? How about being fair to the unemployed, whom firms cannot afford to hire because of the social protection enjoyed by existing employees?
10. Lets not forget ethics, either. There is virtue in deciding to do the right thing, but there is no virtue in being compelled. Choosing to give your money to charity is meritorious; paying tax is morally neutral (see here). Evidence suggests that, as taxes rise, and the state squeezes out civic society, people give less to good causes.
Well, there you go, comrades. I dont expect the tents outside St Pauls to fold overnight. But perhaps we might at least engage honestly on some of these issues rather than talking past each other.
Great post, newheart...