Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

User talk:OurMike

2008-04-06T16:58:33Z

OurMike: /* talk:Richard Dawkins */

{{Welcome|sig=[[User:TK|şŷŝôρ-₮K]][[User_Talk:TK|/Ṣρёаќǃ]] 11:37, 13 October 2007 (EDT)}}

== No!!! ==

What happened? I thought you'd come to your senses and given up. You really should walk away from this tiny site. It's better for your health.

<blockquote>"It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead."</blockquote>

[[User:TonyJ|TonyJ]] 14:34, 21 November 2007 (EST)

:Great freedom of information post on the Dawkins page. It was game set and match before your post now, well - what comes after game set and match? --[[User:British_cons|British_cons]] [[User_talk:British_cons|(talk)]] 13:46, 12 December 2007 (EST)

::Someone tried to [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Richard_Dawkins&curid=49668&diff=351028&oldid=351027 preemt that]. [[User:CillaHunt|CillaHunt]] 14:17, 12 December 2007 (EST)

==[[talk:Richard Dawkins]]==

Seems like you came here merely to talk, not to contribute. I appreciate any desire you may have to clear the record, but arguing about the record is fruitless. I'm only interested in proof that Oxford followed the normal requirements for granting a [[professorship]]. What you supplied instead was an exhaustive list of the requirements themselves - but no proof that they were followed.

As I said before, if you can't supply the proof, I can only assume you don't have it. If you ever do run across such proof, don't bother to post on the talk page. Just edit the article itself; it's not protected. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] [[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]] 12:19, 6 April 2008 (EDT)

::I'd love to Ed, but every time I've edited it has been reverted. I have in fact already provided the proof you seek in the talk pages, way back in December 2007, but changes I made at the time were also reverted. [[User:OurMike|OurMike]] 12:53, 6 April 2008 (EDT)

:::Give me a diff, please. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] [[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]] 12:55, 6 April 2008 (EDT)

:::: The talk page where I presented the evidence from Oxford: http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Talk:Richard_Dawkins&diff=prev&oldid=351021
:::: The article page changes (later reverted) http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Richard_Dawkins&diff=prev&oldid=362186

User talk:OurMike

2008-04-06T16:53:48Z

OurMike:

Elizabeth I

2007-11-13T15:01:11Z

OurMike: Removed erroneous reference to 'Richard Walsingham'

Queen '''Elizabeth I''' (1533 to 1603) was the queen of [[England]] from 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the only child of King [[Henry VIII]] and [[Anne Boleyn]] and was preceded as English monarch by her older half-sister [[Mary I]] (Bloody Mary). Mary's strict [[Catholicism]] caused the relationship to be strained, and for a while during Mary's reign Elizabeth was locked up. She was released, however, and named by Mary as her successor before Mary's early death. Elizabeth remained unmarried throughout her life and therefore produced no heirs. Queen Elizabeth I chose her cousin James VI of [[Scotland]] ([[James I]] of England) to succeed her, which was somewhat ironic since she put his mother [[Mary Queen of Scots]] to death in 1586.

==Monarch==

In 1558 Queen Elizabeth I took the throne and became one of many noteworthy monarchs of England. After almost forty five years of ruling she died in 1603, the ruler of one of the most powerful and influencial nations of that age. Queen Elizabeth I was able to skilfully manage and keep peace between the [[Parliament]] and deal with the religious tension still present in England between Catholics and the still relatively new Anglican Protestanism. In 1588 she also triumphed over the massive [[Spanish Armada]] that made an effort to invade England, a victory that was in large part due to her famous admirals, [[Sir Walter Raleigh]] and [[Charles Howard]]. At that time [[Spain]] was the most powerful nation in Europe. The loss of the Spanish Armada was the beginning of a fairly rapid loss of their top nation status. The period of Queen Elizabeth's successful rule is called the [[Elizabethan Age]].

For many centuries England had been considered a European backwater, situated on a remote and cold island. But this very fact now made England powerful. Freed from any European entanglement by repudiating the Pope, England turned its back on mainland Europe and looked to the world, a process started during the reign of Elizabeth I. England prominently joined the [[Age of Exploration]]. Over the following 200 years, by sending ships and people across the globe, England founded many countries that are very important today: the [[USA]], [[Canada]], and [[Australia]], to name just three.

[[Category:United Kingdom Monarchs]]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Elizabeth 1}}

Talk:Labour Party (UK)

2007-10-09T17:37:44Z

OurMike:

==Labour Party, socialists or not?==

Yes. Their party website decribes them as being a socialist party.

No. Fidel Castro describes Cuba as being a democracy - what the leader says doesn't make it so! Labour has pursued Third Way social-democratic policies since 1997, and during their time in power they have significantly shifted to the right. --[[User:Rafa|Rafa]] 18:04, 13 March 2007 (EDT)

Anyway, where does it describe them as socialist on their website?[[User:Sitedrm|Sitedrm]] 14:37, 21 March 2007 (EDT)

*I think it is more accurate to call the Labour Party a social democrat party rather than a democratic socialist party. While there are still elements with the party that could still be described as socialist, very few of the party's objectives match the definition. They are recognised as being centre-left much like other parties in Europe and social democrat is the label that is typically applied to this part of the political spectrum. They would be closest to the Democrats if an American comparison had to be made. I will make this minor change if nobody objects. [[User:Ajkgordon|Ajkgordon]] 13:16, 9 October 2007 (EDT)

::Ajkgordon, although I agree with the essence of what you are saying, I think it is also worth noting that the Labour party does use the term "democratic socialist" to describe itself - see [http://www.labour.org.uk/how_we_work]. Many Labour party members would be proud to emphasise that term, so I don't personally think it's misleading. [[User:OurMike|OurMike]] 13:37, 9 October 2007 (EDT)

== Title ==

Shouldn't this be located at a more appropriate title given the numerous parties around the world with the name? I know how fond Conservapedians are of Wikipedia, but just [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Party as a comparison]... Thought I'd throw that out there. I doubt [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Party_%28Netherlands%29 the one whose page I was looking for] would merit much interest here anyway. :) [[User:Punuma|Punuma]] 19:03, 6 October 2007 (EDT)

: The leading "Labour Party" is in England. We're not going to elevate political correctness over the obvious here by linking to obscure parties in other countries copying the same name.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 00:07, 7 October 2007 (EDT)

Queen Elizabeth II

2007-10-09T12:34:20Z

OurMike: /* Early life */ War service

[[Image:Elizabeth-II.jpg|right|Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II|thumb]]
Her Majesty '''Queen Elizabeth II''' (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, born April 21, 1926) is the reigning monarch and current [[head of state]] (1952-) of the [[United Kingdom]] and of several former British colonies, including [[Canada]] and [[Australia]]. She is the elder daughter of King [[George VI]] and the late [[Queen Elizabeth]], the [[HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother|Queen Mother]].

In Britain, she is referred to formally as "Her Majesty the Queen", but is generally called simply "the Queen". Her full title, by virtue of the Royal Titles Act of 1953, is: "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith".

==Early life==
She was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King [[George VI]] and Queen Consort Elizabeth. At birth she stood third in line of succession to the throne after Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and her father, The Duke of York. It was not expected that her father would become King, or that she would become Queen.

Princess Elizabeth's quiet family life came to an end in 1936, when her grandfather, King [[George V]], died. His eldest son came to the throne as King [[Edward VIII]], but, before the end of the year, King Edward VIII had decided to give up the throne in order to marry the woman he loved, Mrs [[Wallis Simpson]].

Upon Edward's abdication, Princess Elizabeth's father acceded to the throne as King George VI, and in 1937, Princess Elizabeth attended her parents' coronation in Westminster Abbey. This put Princess Elizabeth first in line to the throne.

The Princess received home tuition at Sandringham and [[Buckingham Palace]] during the 1930s, where her tutors included her father and Henry Marten, the Vice-Provost of Eton. She was also instructed in religion by the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]. Now that she had became first in line to throne, Elizabeth started to study constitutional history and law as preparation for her future role as Queen. Elizabeth also learned French from various French and Belgian governesses, this skill standing The Queen in good stead, as she often has cause to use it when speaking to ambassadors and heads of state from French-speaking countries, and when visiting French-speaking areas of [[Canada]].

In 1940, at the height of the Blitz, the young Princess was moved to the safety of [[Windsor Castle]], where she spent most of the war years, although in 1945 she joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service and trained as a driver, operating military trucks.

==Marriage and Children ==
She married [[Duke of Edinburgh|Prince Philip Mountbatten]] of [[Greece]] and [[Denmark]] on November 20, 1947. Her first child, [[Prince Charles]], now The [[Prince of Wales]], first heir to the throne, was born in 1948, and his sister, [[Princess Anne]], now The Princess Royal, two years later. After Princess Elizabeth became Queen, their third child, [[Prince Andrew]], arrived in 1960 and the fourth, [[Prince Edward]], in 1964.

==Death of Father==
On Wednesday, February 6, 1952, Princess Elizabeth, who was on a tour of [[Kenya]] and staying at the 'Treetops' resort, received the news of her father's death at Sandringham and her own accession to the throne.

==Coronation==
On June 2, 1953, Elizabeth was crowned Queen of the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]] and [[Canada]], [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]] and her other realms and territories at [[Westminster Abbey]] by the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], in the traditional coronation ceremony that has been used for at least 1000 years.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elizabeth 2}}
[[Category:United Kingdom Monarchs]]

[[Category:Women]]
[[Category:People who were Educated at Home]]

Europe

2007-10-09T12:32:06Z

OurMike:

[[Image:Europe pol 2004.jpg|thumb|300 px|Political map of Europe]]
[[Image:Europe ref04.jpg|thumb|300 px|Shaded relief map of Europe]]
'''Europe''' is the continental landmass consisting of the major peninsulas of Eurasia, and covering some 15% of the world's land area. It is bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean; the north by the Arctic Ocean and Barents Sea; the east by the Ural Mountains; and on the south by the Caspian, Black, and Mediterranean Seas (a second mountain range, the Caucasus, serves as a land boundary between the Caspian and Black seas).

==Land==
===Topography===
===Climate===
===Drainage===
===Flora===
===Fauna===
===Resources===
===Arable land===
==People==
===Ethnic groups===
===Languages===
===Religion===
===Education===
===Health===
===Demography===
==Economy and Commerce==
===Industry===
===Agriculture===
===Forestry===
===Fishing===
===Transportation===
===Trade===
== History ==

[[Category:Continents]]

Labour party

2007-10-08T13:22:10Z

OurMike:

The '''Labour Party''' is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[democracy|democratic]] [[Socialism|socialist]] political party. It was founded in 1900, and is currently the party of government in the [[The United Kingdom|United Kingdom]]. On 27 June 2007, [[Gordon Brown]] became the leader of the Labour party and [[Prime Minister]] of the UK, taking over from [[Tony Blair]], the longest serving Labour Prime Minister.

==History==
===Origins===
The Labour Party was formed out of an alliance of several prominent left-wing and socialist movements that existed in Britain at the turn of the century. Chief amongst them the were the [[Trade Union Congress]], the [[Fabian Society]], and the [[Independent Labour Party]]. The group took the name [[Labour Representation Committee]], later adopting the name [[Labour Party]] after achieving seats in the [[House of Commons]] at the 1906 election.

===Interwar period===
In its early years the Labour Party benefited from an alliance with the other main left-wing party in Britain, the [[Liberal Party]]; from a growth in working class consciousness; and from disatisfaction with both the Liberal and [[Conservative Party|Conservative]] parties in the wake of what were perceived to be their mistakes in the handling of the [[First World War]]. Winning growing numbers of seats at each election, the Labour Party was finally able to form a government in 1924 under the leadership of [[Ramsay MacDonald]]. However this was short-lived. The party did not have an outright majority, and in fact only had about one third of the total seats within the House. After just nine months the Party lost an important vote, and the government resigned.

The Labour Party briefly formed a government again in 1929, but this did not survive the effects of the [[Great Depression]]. In a dispute over the best way to handle the economic consequences of the global financial crash, the Party leadership fractured. A new "National Government" drawn from all parties was formed, with [[Ramsay MacDonald]] still as Prime Minister. However this was dominated by the other parties, particularly the Conservatives, who went on to dominate the British political scene for the rest of the interwar period.

The [[Second World War]] saw a major shift in political attitudes within Britain, and led to a landslide victory for [[Clement Attlee]] in 1945. This government introduced sweeping reforms of indsutry and the creation of the [[welfare state]]. Attlee's government nationalised major industries, founded the [[National Health Service]], and developed the idea of welfare from cradle to grave paid for out of taxation and available to everyone free of charge. Much of the welfare state is still in force today.

The Labour Party has also been a strong proponent of social reform. Under Harold Wilson in the late 60s, abortion and homosexuality were legalised, the death penalty abolished and divorce was made easier. Unease from a perceived large number of immigrants from Commonwealth countries also led to four Race Relations Acts, all of which were passed under Labour governments.

===Industrial Strife===
The Labour Party always prided itself on strong links with [[trade unions]], but by the late 1960s there was growing industrial unrest. Inflation was becoming a growing problem and unemployment began to rise. Harold Wilson was elected for a third time in February 1974, taking over from Conservative [[Edward Heath]] whose government was brought to its knees by oil shortages and a crippling coal miners' strike in 1973. Throughout the late 70s strikes were commonplace, tight controls on pay rises, known as incomes policy, was struggling to curb inflation which reached a high of 27.6%. A series of devastating strikes in the winter of 1978/79 which became known as the [[Winter of Discontent]] led to the government of [[James Callaghan]] being defeated in a vote of no confidence and a general election called which Conservative [[Margaret Thatcher]] won in a landslide.

===A swing to the left===
Michael Foot became leader of the Labour Party in 1980 and took the party in a more leftward direction. The 1983 manifesto pledged to reverse all Thatcher's economic reforms; renationalise all privitised businesses, raise taxes and make them more progressive, restore trade union powers, leave the European Union, abolish nuclear weapons and campaign for a united Ireland as a solution to the paramilitarism and terrorism that had beset the province of Northern Ireland throughout the 70s. The manifesto became known as the "longest suicide note in history" and was defeated by Thatcher's Conservatives in a landslide. Pro-European Union Labour Party members who formed their own party, the SDP, nearly polled more votes than the Labour Party.

Foot was succeeded by Neil Kinnock who was still pledging broadly left-wing prolicies in 1987. This manifesto too was defeated in a landslide.

===New Labour===
The term New Labour didn't come into being until Tony Blair became leader in 1994, but the reform of the Labour Party took place long before then. By 1992, it was clear that Thatcher's reforms had struck a chord with voters and the Labour party were no longer promising to renationalise industries or restore trade union powers. Only the top rate of income tax would be raised from 40 to 50%. All the opinion polls showed a likely Labour victory, but a close election led to an unusually high voter turnout, and the Conservative party won by a narrow victory of 23 seats.

John Smith became leader in 1992, but his sudden death in 1994 led to Tony Blair to become leader and the term New Labour was born. Blair started by reforming Clause IV. (Clause IV dealt with the purpose of the Party and referred direct to its erstwhile desire for public ownership of the means of production; the current version instead calls for 'a community in which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many, not the few'.) Blair also promised no increases in income tax and pledged to run a stable economy. They were elected in a landslide in 1997, and again in 2001.

One of Blair's most controversial decisions was to [[Iraq War|invade Iraq]] in 2003. The was the second largest country in the Coalition of the Willing and was largely in charge of the southern provinced including the city of Basrah. Possibly due to the war's unpopularity, the Labour party won a much smaller majority in 2005 and has seen key bills defeated by backbench revolts such as the plan to hold terrorist suspects for up to 90 days without charge.

==Prime Ministers==

* [[Ramsay MacDonald]] (1924 and 1929-1935) [http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page136.asp]

* [[Clement Attlee]] (1945-1951) [http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page133.asp]

* [[Harold Wilson]] (1964-1970 and 1974-1976) [http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page129.asp]

* [[James Callaghan]] (1976-1979) [http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page127.asp]

* [[Tony Blair]] (1997-2007) [http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page4.asp]

* [[Gordon Brown]] (2007-present)

==External links==
*[http://www.labour.org.uk/home Official site]

[[category:political Parties]]
[[Category:British politics]]

British politics

2007-10-08T13:14:43Z

OurMike: /* Conservatives */

Politics in the [[United Kingdom]] takes place within the context of a [[democracy|democratic]] [[parliamentary]] system dominated by three major parties.

The political culture of the UK tends to be more liberal than that of the United States, but less so than that of many other European nations.

==Institutions==

===Parliament===

''See also [[Parliament]]''

The cornerstone of the unwritten British [[constitution]] is ''Parliamentary supremacy'', or ''Parliamentary sovereignty''.

Britain is one of a small number of nations without a written constitution, and the British legislature, ''Parliament'', is free to legislate however it pleases. In British law, the only authority higher than parliamentary legislation is the law of the [[European Union]], and Britain is subject to EU law only by virtue of the fact that Parliament has chosen to accept it.

Parliament consists of the Queen, the [[House of Lords]] and the [[House of Commons (UK)|House of Commons]]. The Queen today takes no part in active politics (the last time that a monarch refused to ratify a law passed by the Lords and Commons was in 1714). While the House of Lords is considered to be the more prestigious chamber, the Commons is dominant by virtue of the fact that its members are elected rather than appointed. The Lords can only delay rather than veto legislation, though the Commons rarely chooses to push through laws against the Lords' wishes (it has done so only five times since the Lords' absolute veto was removed in 1911).

Reform of the House of Lords is a current political issue in the UK. The House of Commons has resolved to make it more democratic, so that 80% or 100% of its members are elected rather than appointed.

===The Executive===

The British Government operates in the name of the Queen (or the "Crown"), but power lies in practice with the '''Prime Minister''' and his '''Cabinet'''. The British Prime Minister has one of the most powerful roles of any democratic head of government or head of state (though some, like the French President, have similar or more extensive powers).

== Devolution ==

{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=cccccc
! Nation/Region || Legislature || Executive || Leader(s)
|-
| '''[[Scotland]]''' || Scottish Parliament || Scottish Executive || First Minister
|-
| '''[[Wales]]''' || National Assembly for Wales || Welsh Assembly Government || First Minister
|-
| '''[[Northern Ireland]]''' || Northern Ireland Assembly || Northern Ireland Executive || First Minister and Deputy First Minister1
|-
| '''[[London|Greater London]]''' || London Assembly|| Mayor of London || Mayor of London
|}


1 Northern Ireland is a dyarchy in which both leaders are regarded as equal.


==Local government==

Each locality in the UK has its own '''local authority''': there are '''councils''' of various sorts, as well as a number of elected '''mayors''' (most notably in London, whose current mayor is the popular but controversial left-wing politician [[Ken Livingstone]]). The powers of local authorities have been declining for many years, but it is believed that they are due for a significant revival.

It should be noted that most mayors in Britain are relatively powerless officials who serve as mere figureheads (rather like the Queen). However, a number of cities, such as London, have powerful mayors with a full executive role.

==Parties==

The British political spectrum has historically been dominated by the '''[[Labour Party]]''' on the left, the '''[[Conservative Party]]''' on the right, and the '''Liberal Party''' (now the [[Liberal Democrats]]) in the centre between them ("liberal" in British political terminology is often used to mean "centrist" or "moderate", rather than "left-wing").

In recent times, there has been a perception that the main parties are crowding together on the centre ground. In the 1990s, Labour moved decisively away from the traditional left (angering many of its more traditionally-minded supporters), to the point where it was perceived by many as being less left-wing than the Liberal Democrats. Since the advent of [[David Cameron]] as its leader in 2005, the Conservative Party has moved away from the territory of the traditional right (in this case too, angering many of its more strongly conservative or [[Thatcherism|Thatcherite]] supporters).

===Labour===

The Labour Party is the current party of government in the UK. It is also the largest party in the Welsh legislature and the second-largest party in the Scottish Parliament.

Following its defeat by Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives in 1979, the Labour Party adopted a strongly left-wing, socialist program. Following a catastrophic defeat in the 1983 general election, more moderate politicians took charge of Labour and slowly moved it closer to the centre ground of British politics, a process started by [[Neil Kinnock]] in the mid-1980s and carried forward enthusiastically by [[Tony Blair]] after his election as leader in 1994. Many more traditional, left-wing Labour supporters see Tony Blair as an usurper whose policies are too right-wing for comfort. This has been the case in particular following the Iraq War.

Blair's policies were arguably a mixture of left (e.g. higher taxes, higher government spending, greater integration with the European Union, support for the [[homosexual agenda]]) and right (e.g. pro-market reforms in the public services, retention of Lady Thatcher's labour laws, support for the [[War on Terror]] and [[George W. Bush]]'s foreign policies). His successor [[Gordon Brown]], once a close ally of Blair, has spoken out against the idea of the party shifting back to the left

===Conservatives===

British conservatism has traditionally been a moderate, non-ideological creed: its heroes include such pragmatic figures as [[Edmund Burke]] in the eighteenth century and Sir [[Robert Peel]] and [[Benjamin Disraeli]] in the nineteenth century. These figures contrasted with contemporary conservatives from other European countries such as the French thinker [[Joseph de Maistre]], who were often strong, ideologically-minded supporters of absolute monarchy and Roman Catholicism.

The Conservative Party became strongly ideologically conservative during the leadership of [[Margaret Thatcher]] (1975-1990). Since Lady Thatcher resigned in 1990s, the strongly conservative element within the party has been more or less eclipsed. It had some influence in the 1990s during the leadership of Sir John Major (1990-1997), but the current Conservative leader, [[David Cameron]], has moved decisively away from "Thatcherism", to the dismay of many Conservative activists.

===Liberal Democrats===

The Liberal Democrats (or "Lib Dems") were formed in 1988 by the merger of the old centrist Liberal Party with the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SDP). Their current leader is the Scottish trial lawyer Sir [[Menzies Campbell]], who took over when his predecessor, [[Charles Kennedy]], was publicly exposed as an alcoholic in early 2006.

The Liberal Democrats are divided between a relatively left-wing faction (to which Campbell and Kennedy belong), which has taken positions to the left of the Labour Party on a number of issues, and a more right-wing, pro-[[free market]] faction (several of whose members contributed to a controversial collection of essays published in 2004 called ''The Orange Book'').

=== Scotland ===
The largest party in Scotland is the '''[[Scottish National Party]]''', which is in fact a major force in Scottish politics, being the largest party in the Scottish Parliament. It advocates independence for Scotland.

=== Wales ===
There is also a Welsh nationalist party, called '''Plaid Cymru''', or simply '''Plaid'''.

=== Northern Ireland ===
Northern Ireland has a number of political parties:
* '''[[Democratic Unionist Party]]''' - strongly Unionist
* '''[[Sinn Fein]]''' - strongly Irish-Nationalist ("Republican")
* '''[[Ulster Unionist Party]]''' - moderately Unionist
* '''[[Social Democratic and Labour Party]]''' - moderately Irish-Nationalist

===Minor parties===
There are several other minor British parties worthy of mention:
* The '''[[UK Independence Party]]''' advocates the withdrawal of Britain from the [[European Union]] and other more strongly conservative policies than those supported by the official Conservative Party.
* The '''[[Green Party (UK)|Green Party]]''' campaigns for protection of the environment, decentralisation and social justice.
* '''RESPECT''' is a strongly left-wing, socialist party led by the maverick ex-Labour politician [[George Galloway]].
* The '''[[British National Party]]''' is generally seen as an extreme right-wing or fascist party. It advocates the repatriation of non-white people from the UK to the countries of their or their families' origin.
*The [[Monster raving loony party|Monster Raving Loony Party]] is a 'joke' party, which however often receives significant numbers of [[protest vote]]s especially in high-profile [[by-election]]s (which may attract a large number, sometimes dozens, of other not entirely serious candidates).

[[Category:British politics]]

Europe

2007-10-08T13:11:17Z

OurMike:

[[Image:Europe pol 2004.jpg|thumb|300 px|Politcal map of Europe]]
[[Image:Europe ref04.jpg|thumb|300 px|Shaded relief map of Europe]]
'''Europe''' comprises a large peninsula at the west of the Eurasian land mass.

It stretches from the [[Ural Mountains]] in [[Siberia]] on the east, to the western coast of Spain and Portugal and the islands of [[Ireland]] and [[Iceland]]. It is bounded to the north by the [[Arctic]] Ocean, and to the south by the [[Mediterranean]] Sea.

Europe is home to more than 10% of the worlds population (Around 600,000,000) yet covers only 2% of the land. It is geographically and culturally very diverse. Major countries include [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Spain]], [[Italy]], [[Russia]], [[Poland]], [[Ukraine]], and the [[United Kingdom]].

The [[European Union]] comprises 27 separate European states, and has the highest GDP of any political entity in the world.

== History ==

Europe has a long and rich history. [[World War I]] and [[World War II]] started in Europe, and large battles took place in Europe. During the [[Cold War]] Europe was split into a democratic western part and communist eastern part. [[European integration]] has been a theme in European relations since the Second World War ended, see the [[European Union]].

[[France]] and [[Germany]] remained neutral in the US led Operation Iraqi Freedom, while some European states, notably the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Poland]], have sent troops as members of the coalition.

[[Category:Continents]]

Labour party

2007-10-08T12:57:07Z

OurMike:

The '''Labour Party''' is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[democracy|democratic]] [[Socialism|socialist]] political party. It was founded in 1900, and is currently the party of government in the [[The United Kingdom|United Kingdom]]. On 27 June 2007, [[Gordon Brown]] became the leader of the Labour party and [[Prime Minister]] of the UK, taking over from [[Tony Blair]], the longest serving Labour Prime Minister.

==History==
The Labour Party was formed out of an alliance of several prominent left-wing and socialist movements that existed in Britain at the turn of the century. Chief amongst them the were the [[Trade Union Congress]], the [[Fabian Society]], and the [[Independent Labour Party]]. The group took the name [[Labour Representation Committee]], later adopting the name [[Labour Party]] after achieving seats in the [[House of Commons]] at the 1906 election.

In its early years the Labour Party benefited from an alliance with the other main left-wing party in Britain, the [[Liberal Party]]; from a growth in working class consciousness; and from disatisfaction with both the Liberal and [[Conservative Party|Conservative]] parties in the wake of what were perceived to be their mistakes in the handling of the [[First World War]]. Winning growing numbers of seats at each election, the Labour Party was finally able to form a government in 1924 under the leadership of [[Ramsay MacDonald]]. However this was short-lived. The party did not have an outright majority, and in fact only had about one third of the total seats within the House. After just nine months the Party lost an important vote, and the government resigned.

The Labour Party briefly formed a government again in 1929, but this did not survive the effects of the [[Great Depression]]. In a dispute over the best way to handle the economic consequences of the global financial crash, the Party leadership fractured. A new "National Government" drawn from all parties was formed, with [[Ramsay MacDonald]] still as Prime Minister. However this was dominated by the other parties, particularly the Conservatives, who went on to dominate the British political scene for the rest of the interwar period.

The [[Second World War]] saw a major shift in political attitudes within Britain, and led to a landslide victory for [[Clement Attlee]] in 1945. This government introduced sweeping reforms of indsutry and the creation of the [[welfare state]]. Attlee's government nationalised major industries, founded the [[National Health Service]], and developed the idea of welfare from cradle to grave paid for out of taxation and available to everyone free of charge. Much of the welfare state is still in force today.

The Labour Party has also been a strong proponent of social reform. Under Harold Wilson in the late 60s, abortion and homosexuality were legalised, the death penalty abolished and divorce was made easier. Unease from a perceived large number of immigrants from Commonwealth countries also led to four Race Relations Acts, all of which were passed under Labour governments.

==Industrial Strife==
The Labour Party always prided itself on strong links with [[trade unions]], but by the late 1960s there was growing industrial unrest. Inflation was becoming a growing problem and unemployment began to rise. Harold Wilson was elected for a third time in February 1974, taking over from Conservative [[Edward Heath]] whose government was brought to its knees by oil shortages and a crippling coal miners' strike in 1973. Throughout the late 70s strikes were commonplace, tight controls on pay rises, known as incomes policy, was struggling to curb inflation which reached a high of 27.6%. A series of devastating strikes in the winter of 1978/79 which became known as the [[Winter of Discontent]] led to the government of [[James Callaghan]] being defeated in a vote of no confidence and a general election called which Conservative [[Margaret Thatcher]] won in a landslide.

==A swing to the left==
Michael Foot became leader of the Labour Party in 1980 and took the party in a more leftward direction. The 1983 manifesto pledged to reverse all Thatcher's economic reforms; renationalise all privitised businesses, raise taxes and make them more progressive, restore trade union powers, leave the European Union, abolish nuclear weapons and campaign for a united Ireland as a solution to the paramilitarism and terrorism that had beset the province of Northern Ireland throughout the 70s. The manifesto became known as the "longest suicide note in history" and was defeated by Thatcher's Conservatives in a landslide. Pro-European Union Labour Party members who formed their own party, the SDP, nearly polled more votes than the Labour Party.

Foot was succeeded by Neil Kinnock who was still pledging broadly left-wing prolicies in 1987. This manifesto too was defeated in a landslide.

==New Labour==
The term New Labour didn't come into being until Tony Blair became leader in 1994, but the reform of the Labour Party took place long before then. By 1992, it was clear that Thatcher's reforms had struck a chord with voters and the Labour party were no longer promising to renationalise industries or restore trade union powers. Only the top rate of income tax would be raised from 40 to 50%. All the opinion polls showed a likely Labour victory, but a close election led to an unusually high voter turnout, and the Conservative party won by a narrow victory of 23 seats.

John Smith became leader in 1992, but his sudden death in 1994 led to Tony Blair to become leader and the term New Labour was born. Blair started by reforming Clause IV. (Clause IV dealt with the purpose of the Party and referred direct to its erstwhile desire for public ownership of the means of production; the current version instead calls for 'a community in which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many, not the few'.) Blair also promised no increases in income tax and pledged to run a stable economy. They were elected in a landslide in 1997, and again in 2001.

One of Blair's most controversial decisions was to [[Iraq War|invade Iraq]] in 2003. The was the second largest country in the Coalition of the Willing and was largely in charge of the southern provinced including the city of Basrah. Possibly due to the war's unpopularity, the Labour party won a much smaller majority in 2005 and has seen key bills defeated by backbench revolts such as the plan to hold terrorist suspects for up to 90 days without charge.

==Prime Ministers==

* [[Ramsay MacDonald]] (1924 and 1929-1935) [http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page136.asp]

* [[Clement Attlee]] (1945-1951) [http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page133.asp]

* [[Harold Wilson]] (1964-1970 and 1974-1976) [http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page129.asp]

* [[James Callaghan]] (1976-1979) [http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page127.asp]

* [[Tony Blair]] (1997-2007) [http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page4.asp]

* [[Gordon Brown]] (2007-present)

==External links==
*[http://www.labour.org.uk/home Official site]

[[category:political Parties]]
[[Category:British politics]]

Gordon Brown

2007-10-08T12:35:43Z

OurMike:

{{Prime Minister
|image=Gordon Brown.jpg
|seq=74
|term_start=June 27 2007
|term_end=present
|previous=Tony Blair
|party=Labour Party
|birth_date=February 20 1951
|birth_place=Glasgow
|spouse=Sarah Brown
|religion=[[Church of Scotland]]
}}
'''Dr. James Gordon Brown''', generally known as '''Gordon Brown''', is the current [[Prime Minister]] of the [[United Kingdom]] and leader of the British [[Labour Party]]. He succeeded [[Tony Blair]] in these positions in June 2007.

A Scottish [[Labour Party|Labour]] politician, Brown served as Britain's [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] for ten years. His mutual enmity with former Prime Minister Blair was a consistent feature of British political life for a number of years.

In Britain, Brown is seen as being a more somber, sober and serious figure in contrast to Tony Blair, who is regarded as charismatic and has at times been perceived as lightweight and as an overly "slick" media performer (not unlike [[Bill Clinton]]). This resonates with a stereotype that many English people have of Scottish people being humorless and dour. Brown's father was a Minister in the [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] [[Church of Scotland]], and it is thought that Brown's religious beliefs have influenced his serious, sober style. On the negative side, some believe that he is insufficiently likeable and sunny to appeal to voters. He has also been criticized for secretiveness, control-freakery and an awkward personal style.

Brown was one of the longest serving Chancellors in history, and has taken credit for the consistently healthy state of the British economy during his tenure. He is a passionate advocate of reducing poverty in the [[Third World]]. He has also acquired a reputation for being strongly patriotic, following speeches in which he has praised the concept of "Britishness" and suggested that Britons should display the British flag outside their houses, as many Americans do with the US flag. However, his patriotic convictions are expected to have consequences in foreign policy which are arguably negative: it is widely believed that he will be zealous in defending British interests (narrowly defined), but that he will neglect broader elements of Tony Blair's foreign policy such as support for the United States and the [[War on Terror]].

During Brown's tenure as Chancellor, the UK enjoyed sustained economic growth and generally positive reports from the [[International Monetary Fund]], although there were concerns at extreme inflationary pressures in the housing market. At the same time, he has followed a generally redistributionary policy, increasing spending in the [[National Health Service]] and [[education]], whilst giving tax breaks to poorer families. His most significant achievement in the early days of the Labour Government was to grant fiscal independence to the Bank of England.

Just two days after the Brown ministry began, Islamic terrorists initiated several [[June 2007 UK terror attacks|attempted attacks]] against Great Britain, consisting of two car bombs in [[London]] on June 29 and a suicide-bomb attack at Glasgow International Airport on June 30.

==See also==

* [[British politics]]
* [[Labour Party]]

==References==

http://www.imf.org/external/country/GBR/index.htm
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Gordon}}

[[Category:United Kingdom Prime Ministers|Brown, Gordon]]
[[category:Scottish People|Brown, Gordon]]

Talk:Virginity

2007-10-06T13:14:43Z

OurMike:

I'd like to re-caption the image in this article if nobody minds. It is not a genuine First World War poster (as implied in the caption). It's actually an adaptation of a 1WW poster - see http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3g01960 for the original.
Unless someone can show evidence the wording on the poster was actually used in a real 1WW poster I'll re-caption it. Thanks. --[[User:OurMike|OurMike]] 09:13, 6 October 2007 (EDT)

Talk:Virginity

2007-10-06T13:13:11Z

OurMike: New page: I'd like to re-caption the image in this article if nobody minds. It is not a genuine First World War poster (as implied in the caption). It's actually an ''adaptation'' of a 1WW poster - ...

I'd like to re-caption the image in this article if nobody minds. It is not a genuine First World War poster (as implied in the caption). It's actually an ''adaptation'' of a 1WW poster - see http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://z.about.com/d/atheism/1/7/6/4/3/Protect-Her-Virginity-e.jpg&imgrefurl=http://atheism.about.com/od/religiousright/ig/Christian-Propaganda-Posters/Protecting-Girls-Virginity.htm&h=500&w=330&sz=46&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=MWjYDtrZfoNOPM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=86&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvirginity%2Bwar%2Bposter%2Bfathers%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG which states the image was
:"based on a World War I poster of Uncle Sam exhorting men to "protect the nation's honor," where the nation is depicted as a vulnerable woman. Even symbolically, the "honor" of women is something which men are expected to protect and preserve."
Unless someone can show evidence the wording on the poster was actually used in a real 1WW poster I'll re-caption it. Thanks. --[[User:OurMike|OurMike]] 09:13, 6 October 2007 (EDT)

London School of Economics

2007-10-06T12:31:40Z

OurMike:

The '''London School of Economics and Political Science''' (known more simply as the LSE) is a world-renowned undergraduate and graduate school for training future economists, investment bankers, financial analysts, businessmen, diplomats, lawyers, and those interested in public policy.<ref>http://www.lse.ac.uk/</ref> It was founded in 1895 by the socialists and leading [[Fabian Society]] members [[Beatrice Webb]] (1858-1943), [[Sidney Webb]] (Lord Passfield) (1859-1948), [[George Bernard Shaw]], and Graham Wallas. It became a constituent part of the [[University of London]] in 1900.

The Library of the London School of Economics is the British Library of Political and Economic Science, and is one of the world's largest social sciences libraries.

Due to its high profile, the LSE often hosts debates and lectures from senior diplomats and international politicians.

In 2006 the LSE was ranked "3rd in the world" for Social Sciences, after Oxford and Harvard.

==History==
Known for far-Left radicalism during the 1960s, it has been referred to as the ''London School for Extremists''

In the 1970s and 1980s it was known as a base for Trotskyist and Maoist students {{fact}}.

Three al-Qa'eda-linked terrorists studied or lectured at the college between 1990 and 1993 {{fact}}. In recent years, the Islamic extremist group ''al-Muhajiroun'' has been known to recruit volunteers at freshers' fairs {{fact}}.

From 1997 to 2003 the Director of the LSE was sociologist [[Anthony Giddens]], who was an advisor to [[Tony Blair]], the British Prime Minister, and whose so-called 'Third Way' theories of social and political change heavily influenced both Blair and US President [[Bill Clinton]].

== Notable alumni and academics ==
*[[Clement Attlee]], British Prime Minister
*[[Mick Jagger]], rockstar
*[[George Soros]]
*[[Anthony Kennedy]], Associate Justice of the [[Supreme Court]]

== References ==

<references/>
[[category:economics]]