Current Affairs Labour and Anti Semitism.......
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davek
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If they are all who matter then yes.
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And yet every single one of the Millennium Development Goals was reached ahead of target. Perhaps a more pertinent comparison is in eastern Europe, where all post-communist countries have improved tremendously, even above the obvious freedoms that their citizens enjoy now that were unheard of during their occupation.
It hasn't really though has it? When I travelled to Eastern Germany the reality is most people look back fondly on the Soviet days, which I think is as much a comment for the appalling system they have put in it's place as a defence for Stalinism.
It should also be noted, that the Russian economy, adopting Freidman tactics suffered the biggest collapse in human history in the early 90's. Its hard to do justice in words the cataclysmic damage that was inflicted upon people as a result (which went far beyond what had happened in the Soviet era in numeral terms).
The truth is, that no Labour Party in Europe have seen this trend. Germany and Schulz were meant to be their great antidote to Corbyn (ignoring France, Spain, Portugal, Greece & Holland where a Corbyn type character from the left substantially outpolled the centrist Labour Parties). They currently sit on 17% of the vote with that decreasing each day (it's only a matter of time until Die Linke overtake them). That was their "best case" scenario. Tories in government, Labour in the teens, and an AFD type Nazi party in the mid teens.
That is the future is people bin Corbyn and go for a Blaire reformist. People hate the tories but Labour don't have a monopoly on their votes if they can't offer reforms to reverse some of the worst damage of the last 40 years.
NilSatisOptimum
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And East Germany was the lucky one as it rejoined a functional state.
As for Russia it was not just Communism that collapsed so did any sense of a state collapsed with it. Police enforcement laws the lot ceased to be functional, so private organized groups stepped in to fill the void I know them criminal gangs or Mafia types, Uk plc and it's 'the market' still sees them as an opportunity...
There will inevitably be those who thrived under communism (usually party members), but the fact remains that for countries as a whole, things are infinitely better now than during the communist era. The only time that narrative differs is when people are asked how they feel, and the subjective responses are often detached from reality. When you look at hard stats, things are significantly better. I have relatives in Poland (my side) and Czech (her side) so it's not an opinion that has been picked up willy nilly on holiday. Indeed, several relatives have the police records still from having the temerity to try and leave the country or oppose Russian tanks entering their land, with all of the freedoms we take for granted denied them as a result of that stamp as an 'enemy of the party'.
The hard stats show that the main country involved collapsed after "communism" and the growth rates have started at a modest level and slowly declined from that point though.
The sort of state run capitalism that existed in the Soviet Bloc was pretty poor, but what has replaced it has been extremely underwhelming.
I hardly think Russia is an example of liberal globalism, do you? I'm comparing the former occupied nations who have since joined the EU. I can only assume that there is wilful ignorance of life behind the iron curtain if you're seriously suggesting it was good, or that people were willing to risk their lives in their droves in order to escape it were doing so just for giggles.
No I would not say that, I would say Russia was the central hub of the Soviet Union. There is a train of thought that positions the Soviet Union as an imperialist conquest from Russia and it is a position I have sympathy towards. It would be inevitable that countries freed from that clutches of such imperialism (i.e. Russia using them for resource) would benefit. I would say a fairer comparison is to look at the country centrally involved, whose economy tanked on a scale not witnesses before or since.
I don't think I have suggested life behind the Iron curtain was good? The economy slowed up significantly and they didn't take enough risks in the 1960's which meant some people could earn vastly greater sums of money working abroad which meant some tried to emigrate. I also think it's not unreasonable to say many people remained and look back at many aspects of life then as more positive than today.
This is in essence the issue with Brexit too. People in this country look back on 30/40 years ago as a better time and liberals tell them it's wrong because stats prove it. I don't think it's an effective way to engage the debate and I also think it undermines the fact that not everyone has benefitted equally from the benefits that have come. That remains as true in Britain as it does in the eastern bloc.
We should also note, if you are Jewish, a minority, homosexual, a Muslim etc things are a damn site worse for you now in many of those countries than they were 30 years ago. The Rabbi of Kiev has said that Kiev is not safe for Jewish people due to the neo-fascist regime in governance there. Similar is true for the Roma in Hungary or Poland. You will have to forgive me joining in an over simplified analysis that states things have become remarkably better (or worse) down to the collapse of the wall. The truth is more complex.
davek
Player Valuation: £150m
Yes, they now just have to put up with diktat from Brussels and the rise of fascism at home. They must feel like a million dollars.
tsubaki
Player Valuation: £90m
This, plus of course the fact that for all the calls for a centrist / Blairite saviour who can lead the party to glory the reality is that one does not actually exist.
Would Umunna, Kendall or Woodcock be on 45-50% in the polls now? I think we all know the answer to that one.
Just look at our sister parties across Europe.
The Labour Party has changed. If those involved within it are so ideologically driven to want a "Stop Brexit" party that will continue onward with pushing neoliberalism at all costs, then my advice to them is to leave it and form a new one.
And I say this as a long-time party activist. I didn't agree with much Blair, Brown and Miliband did - but never did I go out and attempt to undermine their goal for power. Jeremy Corbyn may have had many fundamental disagreements with the Labour Party, but always did it in a respectful manner.
Yes, by default. The Tories are that bad. The country as a whole is centre-right leaning and are seeing the Tories lurch to the hard right and abandoning what's best for the country, and they're looking for a palatable alternative. Corbyn isn't that - he might sneak an election win (and it's looking more possible as all the stars align for him) but it'll be a close call.
If one of the other leadership candidates from 2015 had won, I'm fairly certain there'd be a Labour government now. This isn't the argument you should be making as it isn't a strong one; your argument should be whether you'd have wanted a centre-left Labour party in power regardless, as it's quite clear that you and your ilk don't see them as part of your party anymore.
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