lobstaboy wrote:johnm wrote:I wish we didn't keep seeing simplistic scenarios to justify a position that is basically an act of faith or prejudice, not just on this topic either.
-(
Unfortunately that's exactly how politics works.
.. or rather, that's how the representation of UK politics work in some of the UK media. It is regarded as quite ordinary and reasonable in the US for a Senator or Representative to vote with a Motion or President of the opposing Party, sometimes on personal or local (State or District) considerations, or out of the acceptance that on this issue the opponents are actually right in the interests of the nation. Equally, a normal Majority or Presidential supporter may oppose the 'Party line' on some issues. This has been seen during the Nomination processes of the nominees of the new President:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-56596839[drifting a bit into domestic politcs, but in an acceptably nerdish and non-Partisan way, I hope. Mods please edit/excise if not
]
In UK, however, some of the media are very quick to denounce as 'weak' or 'ineffective' or even 'treasonous' a comparable decision by an Opposition politician at any echelon to support an incumbent Party's policies, when that support is given in the explicitly stated belief that the policy is in the national (or City, County, Region, ..) interest. Furthermore, the incumbent governing Party are happy to go along with this at the next pertinent election. There has been, since 1945 at least, no reward in the UK system for publicly putting Nation before Party. Recent examples were the media treatment of the Deputy PM during the Coalition and the current treatment in the same media of the Leader of the Opposition.
In private in UK, in my experience and acquaintance over decades, it is common for those in UK politics to accept that their formal opponents frequently have many valid arguments. I regard the St John Stevas amendments to the Select Committee system, including to have them Chaired by Opposition MPs, as a great improvement on the former system; and some of the best debates leading to the most effective Amendments to Bills are in the equivalent Committees in the Lords ]
(mere guide at) Jet Age Museum, Gloucestershire Airport
http://www.jetagemuseum.org/TripAdvisor Excellence Award 2015
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction ... gland.html