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Fascinating and useful explanation. I think, then, the difference compared to the US must be that in the US, the majority of both parties have authoritarian ten
by xaa 9y ago
Fascinating and useful explanation. I think, then, the difference compared to the US must be that in the US, the majority of both parties have authoritarian tendencies, but there is a vocal minority of "libertarians" in both parties, whereas in the UK, you seem to be saying that libertarian pressure comes mostly from the outside the traditional political structure.
I do wonder, more broadly, whether it is possible for a country to have the benefits of the "European" approach (better social services) and of the "American" approach (more robust civil liberty) all in one, or if they are somehow mutually exclusive.
From the standpoint of security, I don't see much of a correlation between the level of surveillance/repression/etc and the level of terrorist activity. It seems to me the biggest determinants of whether a country will suffer terrorist attacks are: 1) immigration policy, 2) perceived level of "colonialist"/"globalist" behavior, and 3) wealth. It is very interesting to me that Poland has virtually no terrorist attacks whereas their neighbors, Germany, France, and UK, have them quite regularly, but I don't know the explanation. It is surely not that Poland regulates the internet more tightly.
- Silhouette 9y agoI suspect the main difference between the US and the UK is simply that in the UK the average citizen is more trusting of their government to do the right thing with any powers it has. That in turn may be because historically the level of abuse in the UK has been lower and abuses that come to light do tend to get challenged and to result in changes in policy. It's obviously not a perfect world and certainly we do still have some problems with discrimination and wrongful use of powers, but perhaps we are culturally a little more pragmatic about these things than our friends across the pond. Whether that tolerance will one day come back to haunt those who supported stronger government powers if we elect our own Trump is a different question.
- xmj 9y ago>That in turn may be because historically the level of abuse in the UK has been lower This must be why persecuted religions fled from UK to US :-D
- _khau 9y agoThis borders on revisionist nonsense. They weren't persecuted, they left the UK so they themselves were free to persecute others, which they were not permitted to do in England. The Puritans believed there was one true religion and wanted this 'fact' to be reflected in English law, government and society. They wanted a theocracy. These people were only persecuted if you believe that the store owner that was told he couldn't refuse to sell cakes to a gay couple on religious grounds also amounted to persecution (hint: it doesn't). Stopping somone from persecuting others does not mean that person is being persecuted. Something the so-called 'Christian' conservatives in the new world and now the US still fail to grasp after 300+ years.