The General Political Thread

[StevenChilton]

I love how they divide it into three sections, Conservative, Socialist, and Liberal. Am I the only one who feels it dumbs down these candidates into these niche boxes and presents them in a biased way to the average reader?

It corresponds to the EU Parliament groupings so it's not really dumbed down. Basically each group nominates a candidate, and after the elections the group with the most MEPs *should* get to install their candidate as head of the EU Commission.

[Ambiguous]

I love how they divide it into three sections, Conservative, Socialist, and Liberal. Am I the only one who feels it dumbs down these candidates into these niche boxes and presents them in a biased way to the average reader?

It corresponds to the EU Parliament groupings so it's not really dumbed down. Basically each group nominates a candidate, and after the elections the group with the most MEPs *should* get to install their candidate as head of the EU Commission.

I thought they were divided into the "Commission" and the Opposition not like Conservative, Liberal, and Socialist.

[StevenChilton]

I love how they divide it into three sections, Conservative, Socialist, and Liberal. Am I the only one who feels it dumbs down these candidates into these niche boxes and presents them in a biased way to the average reader?

It corresponds to the EU Parliament groupings so it's not really dumbed down. Basically each group nominates a candidate, and after the elections the group with the most MEPs *should* get to install their candidate as head of the EU Commission.

I thought they were divided into the "Commission" and the Opposition not like Conservative, Liberal, and Socialist.

Nah it doesn't really work like a traditional Parliamentary system. Most votes go through with huge majorities, and it's only since 2014 that the EU Parliament has had what you could call an "opposition" (basically a sizeable contingent of anti-EU MEPs).

[Furrnox]

Which candidate are people planning on voting for? 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-election-names-factbox/a-successor-to-juncker-names-in-frame-for-top-eu-job-idUSKCN1MC259

Well you do indirecly vote for the candidate of the coalition that your party belongs to.
But the head of the European Comission is such an important role it should have an election of it's own.

[StevenChilton]

Which candidate are people planning on voting for? 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-election-names-factbox/a-successor-to-juncker-names-in-frame-for-top-eu-job-idUSKCN1MC259

Well you do indirecly vote for the candidate of the coalition that your party belongs to.
But the head of the European Comission is such an important role it should have an election of it's own.

Precisely, it's too far removed from voters. Of course if you did have direct elections then you're essentially creating the post of 'President of the European Union', and certain member states that are used to being in control  *cough* Germany *cough* might not like that. You'd also put rocket boosters up the eurosceptic cause.

But the biggest problem is that Europe isn't politically, culturally or economically homogeneous enough to have such a position. What happens if someone, say from Eastern Europe, wins by running on a traditionalist platform? I'd quite like that but I sense most Western Europeans wouldn't. What if it's a Southern European who run's on an anti-austerity platform which Germany would de facto end up paying for? Well, now they have a mandate to meddle....

[Ambiguous]

Which candidate are people planning on voting for? 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-election-names-factbox/a-successor-to-juncker-names-in-frame-for-top-eu-job-idUSKCN1MC259

Well you do indirecly vote for the candidate of the coalition that your party belongs to.
But the head of the European Comission is such an important role it should have an election of it's own.

Precisely, it's too far removed from voters. Of course if you did have direct elections then you're essentially creating the post of 'President of the European Union', and certain member states that are used to being in control  *cough* Germany *cough* might not like that. You'd also put rocket boosters up the eurosceptic cause.

But the biggest problem is that Europe isn't politically, culturally or economically homogeneous enough to have such a position. What happens if someone, say from Eastern Europe, wins by running on a traditionalist platform? I'd quite like that but I sense most Western Europeans wouldn't. What if it's a Southern European who run's on an anti-austerity platform which Germany would de facto end up paying for? Well, now they have a mandate to meddle....

The EU is honestly such a bureaucratic nightmare it's hilarious. Like why are there seperate elections for the EU parliament instead of just staffing it according to the proportions of national elections? Fucking hell it triggers me.

[Duuring]

So you think the system is bad but you give arguments why it should not be changed? Okay.

Like why are there seperate elections for the EU parliament instead of just staffing it according to the proportions of national elections?

Is that a serious question? Because you literally say the EU is a bureaucratic nightmare and then argue for more bureaucracy.

[Ambiguous]

So you think the system is bad but you give arguments why it should not be changed? Okay.

Like why are there seperate elections for the EU parliament instead of just staffing it according to the proportions of national elections?

Is that a serious question? Because you literally say the EU is a bureaucratic nightmare and then argue for more bureaucracy.

Having one election instead of two sounds like a lot less bureaucracy.

[Duuring]

Organizing an election is really not that hard once the structure is already in place. Letting parties pick people to take seats in the European Parliament is a technocratic wet dream and is precisely what will make it even more of a bureaucratic fortress.

[Ambiguous]

Organizing an election is really not that hard once the structure is already in place. Letting parties pick people to take seats in the European Parliament is a technocratic wet dream and is precisely what will make it even more of a bureaucratic fortress.

I'm struggling to see your point, are you saying two elections is less of a bureaucratic nightmare than one?

[StevenChilton]

So you think the system is bad but you give arguments why it should not be changed? Okay.

Because changing it would make it even worse. The EU isn't homogeneous enough to follow the NZ-AUS model, its ambitions are too big to simply be an intergovernmental conference of European countries, so it has to have a central authority like the EU Commission that can reign states in.

[Furrnox]

I really hope Brazil ends up electing Haddad.. I get that there is severe dismay in the country but Bolsonaro have been speaking out as pro dictatorship pro torture and very anti LGBTQ rights.
"the error of the dictatorship was that it tortured, but did not kill." - Bolsonaro regarding the military dictatorship Brazil had from the 1960's to 1980's.

[Sgt.Winters]

I really hope Brazil ends up electing Haddad.. I get that there is severe dismay in the country but Bolsonaro have been speaking out as pro dictatorship pro torture and very anti LGBTQ rights.
"the error of the dictatorship was that it tortured, but did not kill." - Bolsonaro regarding the military dictatorship Brazil had from the 1960's to 1980's.

Haddad would stand a better chance if half his party wasn't behind bars. 
Bolsonaro is a crazed motherfucker but the PT is despised all across the board, no thanks to Lula of course. Oh and that knife incident really didn't help.

[StevenChilton]

In 30 years time, after Cannabis has ravaged Western societies in the same way tobacco did, people will look back and ask how politicians were stupid enough to first decriminalise and then legalise it.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6273159/UK-hospitals-treat-125-000-cannabis-users-past-five-years.html

[Duuring]

Hey, so, we have a brexit agreement. How are we all feeling about it?