Elite Edition
David Cameron says life is about more than money, we should use behavioral economics to drive better energy efficiency, and that transparent government leads to empowered citizens and greater well-being – and he has the Kennedy quotes to back it up. In the US, we’d call that Barack Obama, but in the UK he’s the leader of their Conservative Party.
Maybe you think it’s tacky of TED to let a politician speak there, or maybe you just don’t like conservative thought, or both, but it’s hard to deny David Cameron’s personal charisma and the attraction of his ideas. I understand better now why the Conservative Party has the momentum it does now in Britain, and why Gordon Brown in comparison seems so pathetic.
I’m sure people can find me all sorts of links to information about David Cameron that shows the other side of his conservative views, in all of their ugliness. I’m not looking forward to Conservative rule in Britain, broadly speaking. But I’d like to see the philosophy of Cameron’s talk embraced by the platform of every political party, and I’m proud that it echoes some of Obama’s core political views so strongly.
I get a sense though that conservatism in the UK is a little different than it is here, and that the modern conservative party in the U.S. barely resembles or upholds the values that conservatism was originally founded on.
Walid
Feb 20, 7:38pm
I hear that all the time, Walid, but I don’t think it’s true. If you look at the politics of David Cameron or Stephen Harper, they are very closely linked to those of conservatives here stateside. The difference is for them it is political suicide to attack existing liberal programs like those that created the NHS and Health Canada do the high amount of popularity they enjoy. Klondike’s link to Cameron’s social policies could easily be that of any U.S. Republican. I think the same is true in reverse as well; most of our liberal legislators would happily denounce the right to bear arms and push to nationalize healthcare and other industries if not for the political fallout from our more conservative electorate.
Robert Holbert
Feb 24, 12:49am