People who misplace the ideology of foreign political parties...

[Greedy Oil Puritan]

1. I know people on the right who think the Kuomintang is a leftist party because it supports Taiwan's reunification with China. This in spite of the fact that the KMT is very socially conservative, has a history of fascist regimes, is very pro-Big Business, and is a member of the right-wing Internationl Democrats Union (an organisation which includes the GOP, the Liberal Party of Australia, and the Conservative Party of Canada). The pro-Taiwan parties are centrist to slightly left-leaning.


2. I know people on the left who admire Jacques Chirac and think that he's one of us. France's staying out of the Iraq War had nothing to do with principle or with the French government respect the will of its people, and everything to do with the business interests of Chirac's corporate supporters. Furthermore, Chirac and his party have a record that is very anti-gay, anti-Muslim, and anti-Taiwanese democracy. Like the Kuomintang, Chirac's Ralliement Pour un Mouvement Populair is affiliated with the aforementioned International Democrats Union.

Rumour has it that New Labour and the Communist Party of China will also be invited to join the IDU.