Too lib·er·al [adj.] is no more.

The partisan nature of our politics and the ever growing ‘hate’ towards different opinions is too much for me. All are entitled to freedom of speech and expression, but the post-Leveson climate makes it almost impossible. Democracy is being undermined by mob rule; the endless abuse for opposing or presenting an alternative idea is a sin, according to a minority.

I’m tired of the whole circus and worried, too. The whole climate is dangerous. British politics is becoming extremely vile and hostile to the point of all out partisan war. We’ve had people protesting and celebrating a death of an old lady just because a few didn’t like her politics. Others hoped the police, or members of the general public, would physically hurt or injury protesters. What the hell has happened to this country?

I disagree with many positions of Ed Miliband, but I don’t hate him. It is absurd to judge someone entirely on their politics; I don’t even know the Labour leader or spoke to him in person, yet others simply distaste Miliband because of political association.

Iain Dale inspired me to participate in blogging. Liberal Democrat Voice gave me my first national platform and Huffington Post opened the door to a international audience. Twitter, too, has been extremely beneficial for me. But the ‘hate’ is too much. In the past, I’ve received death threats from abroad (didn’t care at the time), but recent events have made me think about potential effects on my family and friends.

And I’m sick of the endless Twitter Wars. If you disagree with someone, then fine; but flooding their mentions with endless Tweets is obsessive. The blind loyalty to party brands are morphing political debate and dialogue into Soviet propaganda. Question the leadership and risk isolation. That’s the nature of British politics.

Too lib·er·al [adj.] blog will remain open encase I ever have a change of heart, but I highly doubt it. The posts will remain available to read and share, but no new content is planned to be released. I’m done. Finished. Game over.

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Another fine liberal moment for Clegg

Nearly 70 years ago, when William Beveridge designed the welfare state he imagined a system that would give people protection from cradle to grave. Not one that would act as a crutch every day in between. The state must offer security in hard times. But it should not, he warned, ‘stifle incentive, opportunity, responsibility’.
In the words of another great liberal, John Stuart Mill, ‘assistance should be a tonic – not a sedative’. I couldn’t agree more.

Nick Clegg’s tax cut speech at the Resolution Foundation

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There is nothing liberal about President Obama

As Europe suffers a hangover from President Obama’s visit and excitement from the media returns to normality, the ‘Leader of the Free World‘ remains unquestioned by Europeans. The message of ‘change’ still resonates in European capitals and has become the new mantra of our politicians.

However, one aspect of the President’s character remains unchallenged; a wall of silence has befallen the media and the adoring crowds: Obama is far from a liberal President.

The British coalition government have managed to achieve the following within 12 months;

1. Prohibiting the creation of national ID cards.
2. Ending child detention.
3. Reducing the period of detention, without trial, for terrorist suspects.
4. Scrapping DNA database.
5. Regulating the use of CCTV.
6. Eliminating hundreds of thousands from the British tax system.
7. Reducing the influence of the state in education.
8. Pupil premium.
9. Liberalisation of the monstrous health system.
10. Credible deficit reduction strategy.

Prime Minister Cameron is desperate to align himself to liberalism and claim he is a liberal, but his American counterpart is still viewed as the head of international liberalism. Obama supporters proudly highlight the draconian policies of President Bush – with analogies to Nazi Germany. They claim Obama restored the great American values and accumulated the wealth of democracy. Instead of taking the claims at face value, let us analysis Obama’s actions as President of the United States of America;

1. Renewal of the US Patriot Act.
2. Legal immunity for telecommunications corporatioons, which participated in unconstitutional wiretapping.
3. Continuation of the death penalty.
4. Failure to achieve his campaign promise of readdressing the relations between Native Americans.
5. Increase of drone strikes in Waziristan.
6. Guantanamo Bay is still operational.
7. Military trials have restarted at the Cuban detention camp, too.
8. Capricious attitude on gay marriage.
9. Appointing a cabinet of former Wall Street and lobby associates.
10. Fiscal and economic decisions that contradict economic liberalism.

President Obama is a brand; an advertisers perfect dream. His first term continued his cult of personality from the campaign, which prevented the media from inquiring election positions and failure to implement.  Majority of his Presidency has been a continuation of the Bush-Cheney era because he is still rather timid and inept in foreign affairs.

He is nothing but an apparatchik for Chicago Democrats; which is allegedly a notoriously corrupt segment of the Democratic Party.  Many of Obama’s advisors originate from Chicago and were instrumental throughout his lucrative career. Critics argue a liberal President would seek to remove the Washington norm of the ‘old boy network’ when appointing individuals to key advisory or governmental positions.

Obama, in my humble opinion, has done nothing to prove he is a liberal or remotely aligned to the teaching of liberalism. And yet the world still adores him.

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Thoughts on muscular liberalism

When the Prime Minister first made reference to this new doctrine, I was deeply impressed and inspired. Multiculturalism does provide benefits towards a society but, in the case of Europe, it has failed to deal adequately with religious extremism.

Governments should not be afraid to promote and defend democratic and civil rights without the fear of ‘offending’ or ‘alienating’ any segment of society. Equal rights, rule of law, freedom of speech and religion, and the institution of democracy are proud and strong liberal values; we have a moral duty to challenge any group, fascist or religious, that dare challenges the fundamentals of our society.

I find muscular liberalism to be more true to the values of neo conservatism, which I always admired; it was grotesquely distorted and misrepresented by the Bush administration, sadly. Efforts to make muscular liberalism apart of our social and foreign policy is something I very much appreciate and welcome.

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