Two party rotating dictatorship (2)

Continuing the theme of my an earlier post, the answer to the question Are we destined to be stuck in a two party rotating dictatorship for good? is, rather depressingly, "Yes". Bluntly speaking, this is not just because of the dishonesty of politicians, it is because of the dishonesty (or stupidity, or petty-mindedness, or lack of vision) of voters.

The two (or three) large parties have policies that are virtually indistiguishable; because it is easier for them to "fight over the centre ground". This is not really centre-ground at all, it is Large Government.

If a small-government, free market liberal sticks his head above the parapet, sure, most people will agree with him on one or two narrow issues, but most will also be more worried about losing some trifling advantage that the tax, welfare or planning system gives him; or by the thought that others might benefit more; or, Heaven forbid, that the State might stop interfering in people's lives so much. This forces the large parties to stick to the pre-agreed script; any perceived differences are purely presentational and not of substance.

I can't be bothered rehearsing the arguments in favour of low, simple taxes and Universal Benefits, it's easier to consider this in terms of relatively trivial matters, for example my manifesto for a Coalition Of The Willing. The accompanying Fun On-Line Poll ended up 60% in favour of scrapping all these silly bans, but I doubt whether any political party, short of LPUK, would have the nerve to recommend such a list. And to be honest, I doubt whether this sort of thing is a vote-winner, because voters are basically a spiteful lot, who quite happily give up one or two freedoms of their own if it means that they can outlaw all the little things of which they don't approve.

Crudely, Tory voters don't like the fox-hunting ban but wouldn't dream of legalising cannabis; Lib Dem or Green voters are relaxed about legalising cannabis but disapprove of fox-hunting. The Labour Party just enjoy banning everything, I am not sure if Labour voters have even noticed this, so it might not be fair to generalise on "What the stereotypical Labour-voter would or would not ban".

And there we have it, a classic impasse, that can only get worse as time goes on.