[jaykay]

Gotta love Tizaala's political spectrum 

[ambriel]

The Labour Party are the 'left', the Conservatives are the 'right', and the Liberal Democrats supposedly somewhere in between. Don't know how you'd map that onto the USA's two-party system where both sides appear to be right-wing to me.

Tony Blair = Left, Maggie Thatcher = Right.

I remember some years ago now an american friend commenting upon how bad it was that France has elected a socialist government, and how the Brit's wouldn't do that. I had to point out that Britain at the time had a socialist prime minister, Tony Blair. The look on his face was priceless.

[doganjo]

for someone with an iq of 167, your spelling is awful!

That's why I use spell check 

[yankieGirl]

You really want to be a socialist country? (I know we are heading there if we haven't already arrived)

Did you ever read The Road To Serfdom?

This is especially eye opening because you folks are dirty handers like me.  Pigs, chickens, cows, goats...crops, gardens...

Who convinced so many of you that scores of people CAN'T help themselves but you (special people?) can?  Why expect so little of others?

[deepinthewoods]

its not that i/we think i/we are special, just that we at least had an opportunity to improve our lot. politically my views are to the right, i believe in a fair days pay for a fair days work. there really isnt that opportunity for these kids. i had my first job at 13, and payed for my own school uniform, books , dinners from then on, my single mother was unable to. i left home at 16 straight into a job in a chicken factory, then as the last recession kicked in was made redundant at 19, along with many of my peers. there HAS to be available emplyment, our countrys economy isnt built on work anymore its built on finance and 'service' which basically means everyone is 'serving ' each other. nothing is 'made' anymore.
 
the attitude of 'i want without working for it' is due to the medias constant thrust towards celebrity, personally i blame 'hiphop' music!!!!

[tizaala]

Well Deepinthewoods thats what fingers that can't keep up with the brain do for you. I forgot to mention that I was your classic underachiever. Deliberately failed my 11+ because I knew the parents could not afford to send me to grammar school. Hated my secondary school because they were only interested in turning out factory fodder, Woodwork and metalwork were double lessons twice a week for the boys followed by technical drawing. So they churned out patternmakers and sheet metal workers for the sweatshops of the industrial Midlands,
I had to teach myself a bit of physics to do a C&G Radio Ham exam (Pass & Credit) went on to take the Morse code exam and got my ''A'' licence. The teachers trying to cope with classes of up to 30 kids could not be bothered with the very bright , or, the very dull kids ( don't ask questions I don't know the answer to!)was one reply I got. So you sit there bored out of your tree until you are fifteen and start work the day after you leave, But my spelling is probably better than most of the street rats we are writing about , and you probably got the gist of it.

[suziequeue]

I got this from a diagram in "Information is Beautiful" by David McCandless

Right in UK is equivalent to Republican in US.

The philosophy is traditional with a focus on the individual, supporting free trade, freedom and employers. Community is based on morals.

Family life: tough love from a strict parent builds character and develops child into self reliant adult.

Beliefs:

Religion: theistic, organized, conventional
Rights: others must not interfere
Criminals: choose to be criminals
Homeless: no work ethic, no values, no sense of shame
Society: survival of the fittest

Government:

Tend to be hawks and believe in upholding order, helping those who help themselves, strong role models, champions of opportunity

[yankieGirl]

Suziequeue, what does your diagram say about the left?

[knightquest]

Let me take a moment to explain to Yankygirl what we meen by right wing. starting on the Left: Trotsky, Lennin, any trade union leader , Ken Livingston, then in the middle ground you have the liberal party and other great roaring poufters, then moving to the right we have Hitler, Attila the Hun, the KKK, then Maggie Thatcher, Poll Pot, Then way over there if you have a good pair of Binoculars or the hubble telescope you might get a fleeting glimpse of me .

That is a great spectrum! 

Ian

[jaykay]

Here's the diagram, I got curious Suzie 
Left v Right

[Hatty]

for someone with an iq of 167, your spelling is awful!

and I'm dyslexic and a teacher 

[suziequeue]

Here's the diagram, I got curious Suzie 
Left v Right

Yes - that's the one Jaykay.

I think it's very good - gets it all on one page at least!!

We have this book in the loo 

[northfifeduckling]

for someone with an iq of 167, your spelling is awful!

Let's not go there again 

[northfifeduckling]

now, back to topic -

there has been a study that teenage brains are in a state of constant reforming. At this time especially they need guidance, boundaries and loving care. So what they are exposed to in that time will make them who they are going to be , so much more formative than childhood. Violent video games and movies, crime in their surroundings and negligent parents - and a society that does not give them purpose or offer any prospects. How can any of these ghetto kids achieve a standard of education when they can legally rob others (as stakeholders or executives or bankers)? If you are not born rich it is not likely that you ever will be - money makes more money. There was a government which took everything away from the larger community and put it into some people's pockets long ago - that trend was never reverted , not by Blair or anyone else considered "left" - what was left about New Labour??? So it is alright to skim the profits of companies which do well and never give anything back, build a mansion instead and another, and another. And then - let it go bust and small people are without jobs. What really are kids learning these days? Why are they so detached from the rest? We've lost them to the culture they have already created to feel at home somewhere, damage done.
And to National Service - yes - if there is the option of Social Service , too. This will help the voluntary and care sector in trouble. And kids get in touch with the needy, elderly and disabled, which will (hopefully) raise compassion for others worse off than themselves.

and - Yankiegirl - just out of curiosity, what does appeal to you in the Tea Party? 

[jaykay]

How can any of these ghetto kids achieve a standard of education when they can legally rob others (as stakeholders or executives or bankers

Not sure I follow the logic in this sentence though agree with a lot of what you say.

I wish we could ensure that kids did get a decent education and then they might be able to see other possibilities and have the wherewithal to pursue them. To do so though, for kids who haven't been socialised properly as pre-schoolers, needs small classs and the right to discipline them properly when necessary, ie it's not ok for them to mess up classes and refuse to work.
All this seems expensive and we won't pay for it - but class sizes of 10-12 and back-up support, are a helluva lot cheaper than paying for the whole mess later - and more constructive!