Monday 18 June 2012

Fptp is a centre-left monopoly

It's difficult to make a convincing argument for the abolition of fptp (and specifically that pr enhances freedom... we are not interested in making an argument from the left) because for neither of the leading parties does it make sense to get rid of it. If we consider the centre-left party... fptp enables them to get into power very easily and so it would make no sense for them to want to get rid of it. The left would not want to make it more difficult for them to get into power. If they are not concerned about fairness then there is no argument to make against the left that fptp is bad. If we assume fptp is a centre-left monopoly then the only arguments to use against the left are those against monopolies and the same arguments as those which must have been used at the inception of democracy itself.

To use arguments against fptp against the centre-right party makes no sense because the argument of a libertarian would rest on the premise that the centre-right party has no chance of being elected so to argue for them to change their policy is a contradiction. You would only be arguing with them if they have a possibility of being elected in which case there would be no reason to change the system.

We can only sensibly make an argument for pr directed at the left and it must be made on the grounds that fptp gives the left an unfair advantage and so we must replace it like we must replace all monopolies. We must argue that fptp is a centre-left monopoly.

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