In the aftermath of the UK general election, a lot of focus has shifted to the electoral system and questions have been raised over how fair and democratic it is. In particular, is it democratic for the Conservative party to win a majority of seats with only a third of the votes? Is it democratic for the 7.5 million people who voted for the Liberal Democrats, UKIP and Greens to have only 10 seats? Surely the fact that 25% of voters got only 1% of the seats is a sign of a serious problem with the electoral system? How can we make the electoral system better? There are three main electoral systems. The first and most straight forward is the … Continue reading “What Is The Best Electoral System?”
Tag: Politics
Why Taxation Is Not Theft
Just as all political debates inevitably end with someone making a Hitler comparison, all debates with libertarians sooner or later involve the claim that taxation is theft. It doesn’t matter whether you are discussing the welfare state, universal healthcare or a TV licence, at some point a libertarian will accuse the government of acting like the mafia and stealing people’s money (just the last day a commenter asked me to “stop promoting the use of force against me or my family“, by which he meant don’t regulate bitcoin). Of course we all know this argument is melodramatic hyperbole, but it would be useful to spell out why. Let me use an analogy that I think will best get the point … Continue reading “Why Taxation Is Not Theft”
Atlas Shrugged Is A Ridiculous Book
Atlas Shrugged is a hugely popular book among American conservatives and libertarians who see it as a symbol of resistance to government tyranny. This is surprisingly because it is a horrendous book containing cardboard characters, over necessarily long speeches, absurd plot lines and at least 500 pages more than it needs. The greatest and most obvious flaw with the book is how terrible the characters are. They are all one dimensional cartoons that are either perfect in every way or horrible in every way. If a character agrees with Rand’s ideology, then they are smart, beautiful, strong, noble and rich. If a character disagrees with her ideology, Rand makes them fat, ugly, stupid, lazy and hysterical (most of the villains … Continue reading “Atlas Shrugged Is A Ridiculous Book”
The Genocide And Gun Control Myth
There are many arguments that can be used against gun control and while I disagree with them all, some are plausible. However, there is one that is so completely absurd that it hardly deserves the dignity of a rebuttal. This is the notion that genocides were preceded by gun control and that taking away people’s guns is the first step towards taking away their freedom and finally their lives. This argument is filled with so much paranoia and historical inaccuracies that it is a wonder that anyone takes it seriously. Yet American politics is so extreme that a fanatical argument like this can find widespread support among conservatives. For example here are a few sites that claim gun control leads … Continue reading “The Genocide And Gun Control Myth”
Was The Irish Famine Genocide?
Some people claim that the Great Famine was an act of genocide committed by the British Empire against the Irish people. This theory is most popular among Irish-Americans (who strangely enough are more nationalist than people from Ireland) and on the internet, though it has little if any credence in Ireland. It has been booted out of conspiracy theory land after one of the most respected Irish historians; Tim Pat Coogan supported the allegation in his new book, The Famine Plot. The Great Famine (or Great Hunger as it is also known) was the most cataclysmic event in Irish history. Sparked by the failure of the potato crop (due to blight) it led to roughly one million deaths and roughly … Continue reading “Was The Irish Famine Genocide?”
Unarmed Police
The recent shootings in Sandy Hook, Newtown, Connecticut have made many question the role of guns in American society. This is a sharp contrast the Ireland where we have so few guns that even the police are unarmed. To an American this must seem like madness or liberalism run wild, but it actually works very well. In fact it is a policy that is universally supported across the political spectrum and among commentators. Instead of relying on the threat of violence, they rely upon their authority and consent of the people. As a result, the police force is one of the few institutions in Irish society that people still trust and respect. The reason the Irish police (generally referred to … Continue reading “Unarmed Police”