I wasn't sure if this deserved a spot in the current news section, since Australia has just gone through an election, and the new government in the UK has just passed the 100 day mark, but i'm just wondering, since most of the people on this forum are young, do you still have faith in politics?

Like a lot of young people I know, during the May 2010 elections in the UK i was quite whipped up in support of the Liberal Democrats, in a hope that there was a small chance that we would have a government who would support what i really wanted; a green economy, social justice, improved social mobility but maintain economic growth and well-being. I canvassed for the Liberal candidate in my constituency, I put up posters, and on election night i was unsurprisingly disappointed, since the party I supported didn't do as well as they'd hoped.

But, there did seem to be light at the end of the tunnel - no party had an an absolute majority, which meant the Liberals held the balance of power. Now they are in coalition with the conservatives and driving through massive austerity measures which, according to a recent IFS report are "regressive" and hit the poorest families hardest (and as personal wealth increases, you are damaged financially less, until you hit the very highest bracket of earnings). And now it seems the party I hope would change things has jumped into bed with a party I have very little in the way of agreement with.

After all this, it even looks possible that the referendum on voting reform (which was a deal maker in the coalition) may not even make it through parliament.

Does anyone else feel disillusioned with politics (not just in the UK)?

For me it seems there is no party on the left which can plausibly form a government at anytime in the future - the labour party are centrists (and are probably going to have David Miliband leading them in the future) and left us with a huge wealth gap, the conservatives are on the right and the liberals seem to have given up on their ideas of fairness for all. Now i feel as if all i can vote for are the greens, an independent or respect party candidate - essentially wasting my vote (unless i live in Brighton and Hove - congratulations!).

Thoughts?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education...graduates.html


Such a stupid proposal. Nick Clegg is such a fucking joke, I completely regret voting lib dem ugh.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010...warrant-sweden

I can't help but feel slightly suspicious about this. Then again, he has always seemed a little strange...

i was recently directed to this daily mail story about a local news story and suffice to say i think whoever wrote this was pleased with their pun skills.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...-000-bees.html

i'll list them

• Honeytrapped! Policeman needs 'Swat' team after he's trapped in patrol car by 50,000 bees
• Talk about a 'sting' operation.
• 'Bee' careful

Do you agree with what the flight attendant did?

I'm torn on this. I really don't think the parent is very mature if her kid kicks her and she responds by "popping" (wtf?) her in the face. She already had a black eye... it's cause for concern. Who the fuck hits a 13 month old child in the face? On the other hand, I don't think that the flight attendant should be playing police on board.