Alexandole Boris de Pfeffel Johnson

[johnnytapia]

Does anyone think we still live in a democracy, in any meaningful sense of the word?

What’s meaningfully different today than the system we’ve had since the equal franchise act?

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

Blair resignation honours = none made, partly due to the recent Cash for Honours issues.
Brown resignation honours = none made (not sure if he resigned anyway), but there was a dissolution list across all parties.
Cameron resignation honours = oh yes indeed, just the 13 Conservative peers (plus 1 labour, and 2 crossbench)

22 Conservative donors ennobled since 2010, for at least £54M, and 9 were made party treasurers beforehand.
Johnson advised by Lynton Crosby to pack the Lords and demand voting for Conservative plans. It'll be sold as ennobling people from the north/Wales/Scotland to balance an apparent dominance of the South/southeast, but it's about as nakedly corrupt as possible.

The bizarre bit is that it's so transparent and not even slightly hidden.

When the only thing keeping the print media afloat is government advertising, it’s no big surprise what’s known but not reported. The corruption and effective muzzling of the media is yet another worrying development in our march to more authoritarian times.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

What’s meaningfully different today than the system we’ve had since the equal franchise act?

The executive were once held to account by the legislature and wouldn’t have got away with the stunts we’ve had pulled in the last 5 years!

 

[The Future’s Blue!]

Forgot what I wanted to say, just to confirm that this lot are cunts.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

What’s meaningfully different today than the system we’ve had since the equal franchise act?

Are you referring to the system itself? Your question is unclear.

 

[johnnytapia]

The executive were once held to account by the legislature and wouldn’t have got away with the stunts we’ve had pulled in the last 5 years!

Very true but where this executive has done anything that’s ‘broken the law”it has been suitably “punished “, be that a fine (party gate) or a ruling from the relevant justice body (prorogue of parliament).
I think that, rather than being so far removed from “democracy” we’re just apathetic. And “they” know it.

 

[johnnytapia]

Are you referring to the system itself? Your question is unclear.

Yep. Not sure what’s really changed, systemically, since women got the vote. Johnson has tried to ride roughshod across everything but I don’t think the system to challenge that is any less / more effective than it was in 1928.

 

[johnnytapia]

Are you referring to the system itself? Your question is unclear.

Maybe a better question: what do you think has changed that means we’re less democratic?

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

Very true but where this executive has done anything that’s ‘broken the law”it has been suitably “punished “, be that a fine (party gate) or a ruling from the relevant justice body (prorogue of parliament).
I think that, rather than being so far removed from “democracy” we’re just apathetic. And “they” know it.

Ministers used to resign, apologise and were sacked and I certainly don’t remember politicians being caught lying and just doubling down by lying even more. They don‘t seem to care that everyone knows they’re lying!
I suspect you’re right about apathy ruling but I don’t think it’s ‘wilful apathy’, for want of a better phrase.

I do think we had a more independent press in days gone by and, of course, if you keep underinvesting in education you end up with a compliant, disinterested group of people incapable of critical thought. An ideal cocktail to keep duplicitous governments in office.

 

[johnnytapia]

Ministers used to resign, apologise and were sacked and I certainly don’t remember politicians being caught lying and just doubling down by lying even more. They don‘t seem to care that everyone knows they’re lying!
I suspect you’re right about apathy ruling but I don’t think it’s ‘wilful apathy’, for want of a better phrase.

I do think we had a more independent press in days gone by and, of course, if you keep underinvesting in education you end up with a compliant, disinterested group of people incapable of critical thought. An ideal cocktail to keep duplicitous governments in office.

All true. I blame apathy. We don’t care. And we should. We have a PM who is a pathological liar; and we’ve shrugged.