Would the UK population accept communism?

[speedy_thrills]

gruffalo said:

That is why I hope that we would never accept such a totalitarian idology as communism.

Communism? No the UK has no interest in being Communist. A move towards a greater degree of democratic socialism perhaps.

However Britain has always been politically evolving and changing with the state progressively playing a greater part in peoples lives since...well Feudal times. However it's been readily evident that in the long-term people come to accept progress and new ideas. Political ideas and arguments don't remain static after all.

[speedy_thrills]

McWigglebum4th said:

More and more believe the state has a magic money pot and all businesses are evil

I think events of recent years (financial crisis, bailouts, income disparities, zero hours contracts, exotic tax arrangements etc.) have caused society to re-evaluate it's expectations of capitalism and businesses. I don't think this should be any surprise and the situation is much more complex than people equating businesses with a perpetual money tree.

The emerging picture so far is that people want businesses that fulfil a reciprocal arrangement with society. Society supplies human capital, infrastructure, legal systems, a protective environment etc. that make businesses a viable proposition. What society expects in return is employment that gives people the means to be ever more materially prosperous.

If a majority of people in society are not convinced that arrangement is being honoured they will likely re-evaluate aspects of that relationship. The prevailing view seems to be applying sufficient pressure to businesses to meet it's side of the arrangement but not so much it means business cannot deliver. Most questions are around if that balance needs a little adjustment.

You've gotta milk 'em just right .

[markcoznottz]

McWigglebum4th said:

If everyone got a free iPhone every year?

More and more believe the state has a magic money pot and all businesses are evil


So if a party cropped up promising state control of everything, no big businesses and free iPhones


Would they win?

See Browns free laptops... He thought he was running a communist country.

[Guybrush]

markcoznottz said:

McWigglebum4th said:

If everyone got a free iPhone every year?

More and more believe the state has a magic money pot and all businesses are evil


So if a party cropped up promising state control of everything, no big businesses and free iPhones


Would they win?

See Browns free laptops... He thought he was running a communist country.

The longer Labour stay in power, the worse it would get - progressively worse

[Guybrush]

The UK has no interest in communism. Sure a few starry eyed students who know nothing of the (disastrous) history of it may think it's a great idea, but those with some experience of life will know what it's really about. Labour will always try to tap in to many people's (sometimes buried) streak of envy and resentment and stoke up class distinction, but as a nation, we are just a bit right of centre when it comes to how we would wish to be treated ourselves. Communists just need to be honest with themselves - would they want to impose their politics on themselves, or just others?

[jmorgan]

Negative Creep said:

steveatesh said:

jmorgan said:

Green party init?

This.
How anybody votes for this lot is beyond me. Unless they are committed to totalitarianism of course.

B-but what about the fluffy Polar bears.......global warming..............The Corporations!?

Shut up. We give you a citizens wage, be thankful we turned off all the nasty power stations and made cheap houses out of cardboard....... oh, hello Mr Putin, going on holidays with your army?

[speedy_thrills]

Guybrush said:

Labour will always try to tap in to many people's (sometimes buried) streak of envy and resentment and stoke up class distinction...

Interesting. Is it though? I keep hearing this stuff about Labours policy hinging on envy but never found much evidence for that view.

When you look at NSR social class in polling AB (which tends to be Managers and Professionals) seems to indicate a fairly even spread of support between parties. ~30% indicate they will vote Labour, ~40% indicate they will vote Conservative at the moment.

It appears from polling age is much more influential than class with older voters (65+) strongly preferring the Conservatives and voters of working age (under 65) generally preferring Labour.

[eatcustard]

Commies must burn, but can I have that free iphone, a white one 128mb 6 plus, thanks

[crankedup]

It's perhaps possible, but not for a few more decades. As the indigenous population dilutes so too do those dyed in the wool Society values. Hard to imagine the U.K. becoming a classless Society though!
Guess the sales of The Morning Star may increase as the years roll by, that to me is the best barometer of the strength (or lack) of the Communist Party within the U.K.

[SPS]

Well Karl thought it was a good place to start

[markcoznottz]

crankedup said:

It's perhaps possible, but not for a few more decades. As the indigenous population dilutes so too do those dyed in the wool Society values. Hard to imagine the U.K. becoming a classless Society though!
Guess the sales of The Morning Star may increase as the years roll by, that to me is the best barometer of the strength (or lack) of the Communist Party within the U.K.

Middle classes will retreat to villages, major cities will be multicultural with no definitive character. Like now but more so.

[SWTH]

The base issue with communism or indeed socialism in the UK is that we generally don't like being told what to do. Communism and socialism only really work when the overwhelming majority of the population are all doing the same thing, and believe in the same common cause.

Here in the UK a communist system will always be doomed to failure because of the large number of people who can think independently, it's also why we can't do mass production. We are not suited to doing the same repetitive task, simply being grateful for what we have. We constantly strive by any means to better our lot, to earn more, be able to do more, to work our way up the ladder. That attitude does not work for either communism or socialism, and coming back to manufacturing it's why we excel at prototyping and development work, but don't have huge amounts of mass production over here.

[MrHorsepower]

McWigglebum4th said:

I think the british love to see everything being controlled by the government

Oh, so true.

[rudecherub]

We're members of the EU.


“The most puzzling development in politics during the last decade is the apparent determination of Western European leaders to re-create the Soviet Union in Western Europe.”


― Mikhail Gorbachev

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embed...

[crankedup]

markcoznottz said:

crankedup said:

It's perhaps possible, but not for a few more decades. As the indigenous population dilutes so too do those dyed in the wool Society values. Hard to imagine the U.K. becoming a classless Society though!
Guess the sales of The Morning Star may increase as the years roll by, that to me is the best barometer of the strength (or lack) of the Communist Party within the U.K.

Middle classes will retreat to villages, major cities will be multicultural with no definitive character. Like now but more so.

Yes very likely, and its the complete opposite of how the French Society seem to behave. For them it's the City living and their lack of understanding what it is that makes the rural life so attractive. Different things to different people!

[AreOut]

grumbledoak said:

You'll be telling us next that the closed borders were just for decoration.

In reality, anyone with a brain can see why it cannot work and will try to avoid or escape it. It can only be imposed, which is why they are forever seeking excuses to do so. And you cannot run an economy on nothing but propaganda forever, but you can make life misery for several generations if you are ruthless enough. See e.g. the USSR. Or any of the others.

I've never said it had to work, just that it somehow settled in countries that weren't successiful in capitalism either, old capitalist Russia was doing so good that it sold Alaska for around ~100 million converted in todays money.

Life in Yugoslavia was better too under "communism" (which in reality has been communism only for a couple of years after the WWII).

Also the country with biggest GDP today has communist party in power officialy(although it doesn't have lot to do with communism).

[FredClogs]

Funny to choose an Iphone as the bribe, given that they're designed by a company pretty much run as a personality cult, assembled by an indentured workforce "freed" from the tyranny of communism to carry the guiding light of capitalism - by communists.

[xjsdriver]

FredClogs said:

Funny to choose an Iphone as the bribe, given that they're designed by a company pretty much run as a personality cult, assembled by an indentured workforce "freed" from the tyranny of communism to carry the guiding light of capitalism - by communists.

Fred, I think the irony is lost on Wibbles......

[vonuber]

This country would be more likely to turn fascist first than communist.

[xjsdriver]

vonuber said:

This country would be more likely to turn fascist first than communist.

+1

This is sadly true........not that I'd want it to turn communist either.