# New style politics



## Happyexpat (Apr 4, 2011)

I was delighted to read in a Spanish paper that 15th May aka DRy are not going to fight the elections as a political party but rather are going to be scrutineers of what is being said, who the candidates are and promises made.
This may sound stupid but it is a very positive and sensible thing to do. They are not ready for being a true party but if they are TOTALLY independent and honest they will force a change in politics unlike anything before. Lets face it the press can no longer be trusted to do this job due to bias. Well done to them and good luck.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Happyexpat said:


> I was delighted to read in a Spanish paper that 15th May aka DRy are not going to fight the elections as a political party but rather are going to be scrutineers of what is being said, who the candidates are and promises made.


Happyexpat,
they have said all along that they were not going to be constituted as a political party. To put it another way, they have never said they would be a political party, as was pointed out on the very first thread about this, and every one ever since.

I believe you yourself, and certainly others, have heavily criticised the movement because of this very fact!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Happyexpat,
> they have said all along that they were not going to be constituted as a political party. To put it another way, they have never said they would be a political party, as was pointed out on the very first thread about this, and every one ever since.
> 
> I believe you yourself, and certainly others, have heavily criticised the movement because of this very fact!


And they have been scrutinising policies and statements made by politicians on a regular basis since the beginning - I subscribe to their newsfeed on Facebook and get two or three new items every day. This is how the new generation of voters find out what´s really going on - not by reading propaganda put out by politicians.


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## Happyexpat (Apr 4, 2011)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Happyexpat,
> they have said all along that they were not going to be constituted as a political party. To put it another way, they have never said they would be a political party, as was pointed out on the very first thread about this, and every one ever since.
> 
> I believe you yourself, and certainly others, have heavily criticised the movement because of this very fact!


Yes I was critical because they had no definition and they did put out a party political manifesto. Now they have provided a very clear and defined single purpose and I always believe that one should praise where praise is deserved. They have also actually now not ruled out party political status but not for this election, again sensible.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Happyexpat said:


> they did put out a party political manifesto.


As far as I understand it, no they didn't.

They put out a manifesto stating their beliefs, which can be, but is not necessarily, issued by a political party


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> As far as I understand it, no they didn't.
> 
> They put out a manifesto stating their beliefs, which can be, but is not necessarily, issued by a political party


That's correct PW. Their manifesto demands greater accountability and transparency among the existing parties, but they have never announced any intention to become a party themselves.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Happyexpat said:


> I was delighted to read in a Spanish paper that 15th May aka DRy are not going to fight the elections as a political party but rather are going to be scrutineers of what is being said, who the candidates are and promises made.
> This may sound stupid but it is a very positive and sensible thing to do. They are not ready for being a true party but if they are TOTALLY independent and honest they will force a change in politics unlike anything before. Lets face it the press can no longer be trusted to do this job due to bias. Well done to them and good luck.


Sounds all well and good but when analysed means ...nada.
So they scrutinise and monitor and the nation votes in a PP Government...then what??
What can they do about it?
Of course the press is biased -to the left as well as to the right. Aren't DRy also biased to the left?
Why can't the press be trusted any more than DRy which is basically an umbrella movement within which are sheltered many groups and groupuscules with differing views as to how Spain should be run? Very similar in fact to the Czech Civic Forum movement which was united only for the purpose of getting rid of socialism. They succeeded because they had massive popular support.
They cannot be a 'true Party' (what's an untrue party, btw? precisely because they are not an homogenous group.
The facts are that there are realistic, possible outcomes to the November elections which are PSOE majority (unlikely) or PSOE -led Coalition (possible) or repeat of those outcomes substituting PP for PSOE. Judging by May's results PP will sweep the Board.
If you truly want change and not just protest with no real solutions, then the only way to do it is to work within the system. That involves tedious, unglamorous work with a lot of grubby compromises but it's how the world works, sadly. Meaningful change is incremental, not revolutionary.
Alca is right when she says the ballot box won't change things...but only in so far as it won't change things the way she would like it to happen. In a pluralist society we must remember that one person's political vision of paradise is another's vision of hell.
If the majority of Spanish voters choose PP to govern them, well, that's their democratic right. Hell rub it into them, as my Scottish OH's mum used to say.
Spain is a democratic country now and the verdict of the ballot box rightly determines who goverrns, not minority movements however much some may sympathise with them.
You can't change the rules until you've won the game.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> That's correct PW. Their manifesto demands greater accountability and transparency among the existing parties, but they have never announced any intention to become a party themselves.


So....the solution is to join the existing Parties and work for greater transparency and accountability.
Nothing will be achieved outside the system.
In a year's time we'll all be too busy moaning about what the PP are doing to even think about DRy.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

I would have 'liked' mry's previous post anyway but including the the word 'groupuscules' :clap2:


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