Help me out, Tell me about the politics of your country. Trends, leanings, and parties.

I have long been disinterested in politics out of sheer disgust with the whole subject and those who occupy its centerfold. Being that ATS has a predominantly AMERICAN subject matter in this area that I have begrudgingly taken in, I am now MORE interested in someone informing me about the political systems of other countries in layman's terms. Honestly, if I cant hear it from someone from the place, I will probably never know. I would rather read hours of ancient texts from dead languages or studies of genetics or climate before skimming a single page of politics, regional to me or foreign. So help me out. Please

Help an American learn about your home country and its political system. Help me learn about others you may understand well enough to school me on.

The question:
What are the political trends as far as left VS right and libertarian VS authoritarian of your country and what major parties fall in line with them?

I am VERY interested in the UK and Australia, France and Germany, India and Russia.

All others are welcome too of course, VERY welcome.

Again, American politics, not so much please. I think we are all tired of hearing about that. LOL

Thanks in advance and forgive my light responses. I am trying to learn after all and am not in a position to offer much other than my ill informed opinion which is not much at all about this subject.

a reply to: tadaman

In Australia, its just the same old two party system that's purposely designed so only these two parties have any kind of chance of gaining power, the liberal party (conservative) and labor (progressive). Aussies tend to be far less extreme with there political ideologies than they are in America though, there for both parties would probably be considered more progressive leaning than conservative leaning by US standards. The conservatives (liberal) are really just associated with being the business party, where as the progressives (labor) are associated with the union movement.

The main differences between the US and Australian political system (without going into boring detail) is that we have compulsory voting (they'll send you a $20 fine if you don't vote), also the prime minister can stay in power forever if he keeps getting voted in.

We're also obviously a part of the commonwealth, but its completely symbolic, the queen never gets involved in Australian politics, so for all intense purposes we are a independent country. In fact, we're far more aligned with the US than England and I believe its pretty much been that way since Japan attacked us in WWII and the brits refused to help, or even allow our troops to come home and defend our country, in the end it was left to the US to come save us. That's why we're so tightly allied with the US today, even though your average American has no idea, lol. Being as we are such a small country, with a relatively (although fairly technologically advanced) insignificant military.

We had a referendum in 1999 to become fully independent, but the people voted against it, "if its not broke, then why fix it", I think was the general opinion. Like I said, Australians really are not that extreme in our political views.

lol, the only time I've ever seen Australians kick up a real storm politically, is when the Government tried to take our working rights off us and put in place an American type system, where benefits are negotiated between employee's and employers, rather than having universal federal minimums.

Demanding good working rights is the one thing that's deeply embedded in our culture, probably because it was the union movement that stood up to England and stopped them from taxing us without representation back in the late 1800's.

But a part from that, Aussies seriously are a pretty laid back bunch when it comes to politics, imo.

a reply to: tadaman

Canada is simple: For the most part, it's the same system (not quite identical) as the USA. The primary difference is that stuff that is 'controversial' to americans (taxes, jobs, welfare, socialism, healthcare, equality) is stuff we got past 70 years ago. A nation of refugees has no qualms about helping one another, and I'll NEVER understand the mentality surrounding it across the border.

The issue that I've noticed, is that it takes a LOT to get citizens to react to scandals, it takes an INCREDIBLE screw up by our government for people to even bat an eye. Example being the NSA exposure. CSIS was exposed at the exact same time, using the exact type of surveillance, and I've not heard a peep about it from fellow Canadians (who at the exact same time went on to bash the NSA, I'm sure many canadians reading this don't even know yet)

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

I learned allot. Damn. I knew some of it, was surprised by the rest. I am glad I made this. This is my "avoid looking like an idiot thread".

LOL

Thank you!

a reply to: SpongeBeard

Thanks!

I’m from South Africa and most members should have a very good idea about our political situation because we Ats’ers love our news. Although I decided to ignore any political threads I do like to give my private picture about my Countries political status.
We are called the rainbow nation with multiple political parties.

List of Parties:

The Elite Party
The Family Party
The Agenda Party
Give & Take Party
The Blaming Party
Stuff The Poor Party
The Religious Party
The Kick-back Party
No Oppression Party
The Winning Movement
Control Sport Party
Upgrade Prison Conditions Party
The Anti Corruption Party
And lastly my Party a friend now living in Oz, created!!! The Guitar Finger Picking Party

I think most of these parties can be found in other Countries as well. They are just using different party names.

Something I found on the net

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa

We're also obviously a part of the commonwealth, but its completely symbolic, the queen never gets involved in Australian politics, so for all intense purposes we are a independent country. In fact, we're far more aligned with the US than England and I believe its pretty much been that way since Japan attacked us in WWII and the brits refused to help, or even allow our troops to come home and defend our country, in the end it was left to the US to come save us. That's why we're so tightly allied with the US today, even though your average American has no idea, lol. Being as we are such a small country, with a relatively (although fairly technologically advanced) insignificant military.

This has nothing to do with OP's question. However since you have obviously inserted it for a reason I decided to read up on the event. What you have stated is nonsense. There was a supply hub centered around Darwin. It was attacked by air raids by the Japanese in order to disrupt the supply chain. There was no impending invasion. For any general in charge of troops to send ground troops "back home" would be stupid beyond belief !!!!! what you needed was air support. Which is what you had from the RAAF, USAF and RAF.

Oh and I looked at the list of warships in the area the vast majority were Australian followed by US and as far I could tell only 1 british ship. So it is no wonder the US "came to your aid". They were already there !!!!

I am under the distinct impression that this is BS rolled out by the anti british brigade.

a reply to: tadaman
Politics of the UK;
I always think these things are best understood through the historical background, so that's how I'll do it.

In the nineteenth century, the old Tories and Whigs were re-branded as Conservatives and Liberals.
Both parties were really coalitions. The Conservatives were based on the land-owning aristocracy (hence their original approval of the tariff barriers against imported corn).
The Liberals were led by the Whigs, liberal-minded aristocrats. This was also the party of business and the middle classes, and the Radical theorists. The first attempts to organise the working class politically also began within the Liberals.
It was in this era that W.S. Gilbert wrote that every child "born alive/ is either a little Liberal or else a little Conservative".
This was not quite true, because an Irish party was also growing and introducing complications in Parliamentary life.

The Liberal coalition began to break up. The first stage was Gladstone's decision to go for Home Rule for Ireland. This lost him the Whigs and other members of his party, who began working with the Conservatives under the name Liberal Unionists.
It is against this background that The Importance of Being Earnest has a real dig at that last group.
Jack is asked about his politics; he says that he doesn't really have any, but he calls himself a Liberal Unionist. Lady Bracknell replies condescendingly "Oh, they count as Tories. They dine with us. Or come in the evening, at any rate". The film version fifty odd years later substitutes "Liberal", because by that time the Liberal Unionists had been absorbed into the enlarged "Conservative and Unionist party". Even in that form, the joke had lost some of its topical bite.

Nevertheless, the country went into World War One under a Liberal government. By the end of the war, this had become a "National" government, which was mainly Lloyd George and a few other Liberals leading the Conservatives. In 1922, the Conservative back-benchers (M.P.'s without government posts) rebelled against this, breaking up the coalition and dumping Lloyd George. The organisation of Conservative back-benchers is still called "The 1922 Committee". Since the Liberals never recovered their unity, this ended their future chances of forming a government.
Also their social base was being ripped apart. Their working-class vote had defected to the new Labour party. Their middle class vote reacted against the rise of Labour by defecting to the Conservatives. Winston Churchill was doing the same thing for the same reason, his second change of party. As he himself observed (from memory), "Anyone can rat once. It takes a real genius to rat twice".
Meanwhile, the achievement of Home Rule and the eventual republic in Ireland had taken that complication out of party politics.

So the twentieth century developed a three party system, Conservative and Labour and the small rump of Liberals. I've seen a suggestion that this is why General Elections are, by tradition, held on Thursdays. It was a practice that had grown up to allow each of the three parties to borrow their local Town Halls in turn for a same-week pre-election political meeting. A splinter group from Labour existed for a time, worked with the Liberals, and finally merged with the Liberals to form what is now the Liberal Democrats. It used to be the case, but isn't any more, that Ulster produced six guaranteed Ulster Unionist M.P.'s who would automatically vote with the Conservatives. (No, six is the number of counties. There must have been a few more consituencies) The nationalist parties in Wales and Scotland are more recent growths.

In terms of the official OP question, the Conservatives are obviously regarded as right wing, and the others regard themselves as belonging to the virtuous left in comparison.
Because the Conservatives have been the governing party for the bulk of the last hundred years, anti-authoritarianism naturally aligns itself as part of the left. So "libertarianism" as a distinct issue has never really taken root.

a reply to: yorkshirelad

Well whats the difference? Not like I care personally about a war that happened 70 years ago! Except to maybe use it against English dudes as a little tongue and cheek once in a while.

Fact is though, the Japanese did attack Darwin and as far as the Australian people were concerned it was a full on invasion. Darwin was poorly guarded at the time because most Aussie troops were off defending 'great mother England'. Then it was american air craft the people saw flying in to save the day, not British! lol.

A lot of American troops were stationed in Darwin as a result and it had a huge impact on the then very young and innocent culture of Australia. Since then our government & people have always viewed America as a sort of big brother figure who'll always look out for us and never really trusted the British since, to carry out that roll.

Perception sometimes has far more influence over culture than actual fact.

a reply to: tadaman

Now that you know about the ancient Belgians, I can explain modern-day Belgium if you want.


Federal state - 3/4 regions according to the point of view - 3 languages for Belgium - 24 for the EU in Brussels.
Brussels also hosts the headquarters of NATO and various NGO's.
Modern-day Belgium can have it's roots traced back to battle of Waterloo (bicentennial anniversary this year). Catholic Belgium separated from Protestant Netherlands and gained independence in 1830.
The modern politics of Belgium are driven by the constant struggle between the French and Dutch speaking communities.

Don't know exactly what aspect of the 'politics' you are looking after. But if you are interested in French, German and UK politics, well ... we're right in the middle !

Again, I am very happy I made this thread. These are some GREAT responses that make it all so much easier to understand.

Thank you all VERY much!

I will repost here what I put on another thread for reference.




Our two main parties are pretty central.

Conservatives(AKA torys) are slightly to the right, Labour is slightly to the left.


Then we have 3 smaller parties.
UKIP who are very "right" wing but seem to be authoratarian but as they are new its hard to totaly get a feeling of who they are yet as some are pretty libertarian others are bordeline facists but they are united in there hate for the EU.
Green who are very very left verging on communisum.
Libral democrats who apart from there odd EU support are a sort of libertarian "lite" they recognise the value in public services but want leaner more cost effective public services and lower taxes.
Scotish national party who are a bit furtner left of center to labour and are pro EU but anti UK


At the moment we have a Conservative/lib dem government.

All PM's have been either Labor or Conservative since WW2.

For reference famous PM's you might have heard of:

Tony Blair=labour
Margret Thatcher=conservatives
Harold wilson=labour
Winston churchhill= conservative.