Monday, April 19, 2010

British Conservatives: Left of US Democrats


Britain’s Ominous Smiley-Face Election
With a general election set for May 6, the two main parties have, as Peter Goodspeed notes in Canada’s National Post, busied themselves “adopting U.S. policies, personnel and practices.” The British press, too, is full of talk about “presidential-style” TV debates and “first lady politics”. The Americanizing of the British election becomes even more evident if one listens to Conservative party leader David Cameron, who routinely references president Barack Obama – as an apparent inspiration – and who has even, on a few occasions, cited John F. Kennedy as “a great American president.”

But despite the US-UK “special relationship,” the British, as well as other Europeans, misread American culture. They admire the US’s vitality, yet believe it to be entirely separated from its traditional, Constitutional values. [...]

Read the whole thing. Yikes. British conservatives offering plans for a "national army of community organizers", based on the teachings of American Marxist Saul Alinsky?

Not much of a choice, IMO. Thatcherite conservatism seems vanquished.


Also see: British Conservatives: where are the real ones?
     

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