The Student Room Group

Do people on the political right care about societal issues?

I was watching this video and found it interesting that he says he is not into "that society stuff", which I honestly found weird. Surely if you are part of human society you should have a slight concern about how the world stands on a human level after all we don't each live on our own separate islands but shared spaces.

I've always like the analogy of the ants being a smaller representation of us, working together & co-operating and to a certain extent we do that. It seems though that some people think that profit can be gotten at the expense of the planet & society and I am not naive I know there are psychopaths out there who are currently wringing the world dry just for some profit that they will probably never spend. The trouble it seems is that these people (or rather their advocates) are increasingly in the public domain forcing this ideology into the mainstream media and political sphere and more and more I see these views are being expressed in places like TSR by right- wing students.

Furthermore, I sometimes find that many people on the right are unwilling to discuss social issues or dismiss them as irrelevant in the face of profit and growth. My question is do people on the political right care about societal issues such as inequality, poverty etc. ?[video="youtube;JNeGadtnUJo"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNeGadtnUJo[/video]

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Reply 1
Being on the right and caring about societal issues are not mutually exclusive statements.
Just look at David Cameron's big society idea.

Some of us out there are Social conservatives rather than traditionalists.
Original post by LazarusD
Being on the right and caring about societal issues are not mutually exclusive statements.
Just look at David Cameron's big society idea.

Some of us out there are Social conservatives rather than traditionalists.


So what do you think about the issue being discussed in the video? Do you think that inequality is a problem? Do you think its detrimental to society to have wealth concentrated in so few hands?
Reply 3
Original post by LivngForSummer
So what do you think about the issue being discussed in the video? Do you think that inequality is a problem? Do you think its detrimental to society to have wealth concentrated in so few hands?


I think there are caveats on both sides.
History has shown what communism and socialism resulted in.
I think this is why the left is dying.
Reply 4
Capitalism is a problem
Original post by LazarusD
I think there are caveats on both sides.
History has shown what communism and socialism resulted in.
I think this is why the left is dying.


That's weird thing, whenever I watch mainstream media they tend towards Capitalist, free- market conservative views but whenever I meet people or there is a poll on issues in society a majority of peoples views tend to reflect socialist principles e.g. I read a poll the other day that showed a majority of the British public think that energy and transport should be re-nationalized.

Ps. I don't think history reflects an accurate portrayal of socialism in practice. I personally don't agree with everything Marx says, I think socialism needs to be redefined. Capitalism is all well and good but there needs to be more social awareness, higher taxes on rich, more regulation in banking and an increase in public spending. I'm not asking for a complete egalitarian society, I doubt that is even possible with so many prone to greed and self-interest but there should be a more moral conscience injected in particularly the political sphere, there seems to be a worrying trend of politicians being brought and sold to the highest bidder. I for one am not paying taxes just so politicians can invest public money in private firms, subsidize low wadges and look for their next high paying job. Most, what you would call "champagne socialists" are champagne socialists because they don't trust the government to spend their money on things they believe in e.g. schools, hospitals- if it were going to these places they would happily pay more tax.
The right-wing comprises a great many groups. Some care deeply about society, some care very little. I myself care very little.
No we don't this isn't the three musketeers with 'all for one and one for all'.
Left wing - Care about people
Right wing - care about money

Realistically we do need a bit of both, but the right always has more power and influence. This is especially true in America, where they simply cannot get the money out of politics.
(edited 8 years ago)
I'm very right wing, and I care about societal issues.I just dont think the way to tackle poverty is to get people dependent upon state handouts
Original post by BefuddledPenguin
Left wing - Care about people
Right wing - care about money

Realistically we do need a bit of both, bit the right always has more power and influence. This is especially true in America, where they simply cannot get the money out of politics.


erm left wingers care about money as well, they're the ones always crying that they don't have any. However, the methods to recover the economy are by appealing to minority groups and the disadvantaged, giving voice to the voiceless, which ultimately, as one, are a great number of people. That's simply the plan. Right wingers just live that ivory tower life, or want to, but that doesn't make them any more or less noble. Politics is ****ed all around. There's bottom feeding and ulterior motives on both ends. I don't **** with it.
I did notice that Hassan wouldn't answer the last question that the American put to him.

"If the only way to close the gap between the rich and the poor meant that the rich got much poorer but the poor stayed the same, would you want that this to happen?"

I think we know the answer.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by caravaggio2
I did notice that Hassan wouldn't answer the last question that the American put to him.

"If the only way to close the gap between the rich and the poor meant that the rich got much poorer but the poor stayed the same, would you want that this to happen?"

I think we know the answer.


It is because the left envy of the rich and think they should be punished.
They are the greedy ones wanting other peoples money.
Original post by caravaggio2
I did notice that Hassan wouldn't answer the last question that the American put to him.

"If the only way to close the gap between the rich and the poor meant that the rich got much poorer but the poor stayed the same, would you want that this to happen?"

I think we know the answer.


FWIW, I'm pretty far left and I don't think this would be a good thing to do (my politics are based on utilitarianism rather than any appeal to individual rights).

It's pretty absurd to think that you can just tar the right-wing with a single 'selfish' brush of not caring about societal issues. A couple of my mates who are pretty much the central case of market liberals feel very strongly about gender/racial equality. Admittedly, some are just self-interested, but that's just one possible philosophy underlying right-wing ideology.
Original post by LazarusD
Being on the right and caring about societal issues are not mutually exclusive statements.
Just look at David Cameron's big society idea.


If you went into a jobcentre and told them you wanted to do volunteer work for the PMs big society you'd get sanctioned for avoiding paid work. It was just a PR exercise but never actually happened. Even Cameron's fellow MPs thought he'd made a booboo.
I think it depends on the specific type of right wing
Original post by LazarusD
I think there are caveats on both sides.
History has shown what communism and socialism resulted in.
I think this is why the left is dying.


An NHS which was the envy of all the world? The highest living standards we've ever had? Equality for women, gays and ethnic minorities?

Damn socialism, making peoples lives better.
Reply 17
I'm a centrist and care about social issues, I just don't need the God of socialism to clear them up for me. I prefer my social policies to based grounded in reality.
Reply 18
Original post by Bornblue
An NHS which was the envy of all the world? The highest living standards we've ever had? Equality for women, gays and ethnic minorities?

Damn socialism, making peoples lives better.


And was the natural continuation of employment and labour legislation which was introduced prior to the NHS. Equality for women is not a socialist thing, it is accepted by the right as well.
I respect those on the right who just admit they don't care rather than those on the right who pretend they do. If you're right wing you don't care about the most disadvantaged in society and that's fine but just don't pretend you do. That's why I preferred thatcher to Cameron , she didn't pretend to care

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