: Quirks flirts with the right, yet again, and solidfies a few things
The old Tories are back.
And my initial reaction was of complete agreement. Not complete disagreement - complete agreement.
I'm of the opinion that encouraging individual responsibility should be at the heart of governmental policy. That's why I support a shift towards indirect taxation. If it is regressive, it is only because the poor make poor expenditure choices - and if they do not make poor expenditure choices, either it will not be regressive or they will be less poor.
A certain degree of equality is necessary. Equality of opportunity is more important, and correcting mechanisms to reduce unfavourable behaviour is more important still. Ironically, this does include relatively high tax on high earners to reduce inequality, because many (most?) very high earners are engaging in 'unfavourable behaviour' (and furthermore, inequality fuels crime). That said, an aspirational society is essential.
How all this affects those with disabilities is causing me a massive headache. I feel, deep down, I should be on equal terms with neurotypical individuals, and that any weaknesses I have are not to be compensated for. Other people I know strongly disagree, hence the suggestion of part-time study. Could it be that I am accepting key parts of the right-wing consensus precisely because I would be a loser from it? It's the kind of irrational thinking that would go with depression, and while I have never been diagnosed with it (mostly because I expect diagnosis to lead to the enforced consumption of useless and damaging drugs - and by implication NHS wastage, which of course feeds into this right-wing spiral) it is not totally unreasonable to assume I do have it, or some other personality disorder. Visiting a doctor has to happen, but I'm terrified of doing so.
My mind's a mess. No wonder I ended up so close to the centre of the compass when I did the test - I'm taking sometimes contradictory extreme positions, and my attempts to rationalise them leads to a garbled centrist mess.
The old Tories are back.
And my initial reaction was of complete agreement. Not complete disagreement - complete agreement.
I'm of the opinion that encouraging individual responsibility should be at the heart of governmental policy. That's why I support a shift towards indirect taxation. If it is regressive, it is only because the poor make poor expenditure choices - and if they do not make poor expenditure choices, either it will not be regressive or they will be less poor.
A certain degree of equality is necessary. Equality of opportunity is more important, and correcting mechanisms to reduce unfavourable behaviour is more important still. Ironically, this does include relatively high tax on high earners to reduce inequality, because many (most?) very high earners are engaging in 'unfavourable behaviour' (and furthermore, inequality fuels crime). That said, an aspirational society is essential.
How all this affects those with disabilities is causing me a massive headache. I feel, deep down, I should be on equal terms with neurotypical individuals, and that any weaknesses I have are not to be compensated for. Other people I know strongly disagree, hence the suggestion of part-time study. Could it be that I am accepting key parts of the right-wing consensus precisely because I would be a loser from it? It's the kind of irrational thinking that would go with depression, and while I have never been diagnosed with it (mostly because I expect diagnosis to lead to the enforced consumption of useless and damaging drugs - and by implication NHS wastage, which of course feeds into this right-wing spiral) it is not totally unreasonable to assume I do have it, or some other personality disorder. Visiting a doctor has to happen, but I'm terrified of doing so.
My mind's a mess. No wonder I ended up so close to the centre of the compass when I did the test - I'm taking sometimes contradictory extreme positions, and my attempts to rationalise them leads to a garbled centrist mess.