Harry's Place is probably the most civilised political blog I know, and is currently asking those on the left what it means to be a leftie.

Having read nothing but political blogs for a while, it has come as something of a surprise to me to realise that I still am to a certain extent a political animal and also a bit of a leftie, which, according to the more rabid right, is synonymous with liberalism these days, and, of course, is the root (or route) of all evil.

As noted in Harry's Place, it is easier to explain what you are against - especially when you are arguing with opponents - than what you are for and I may return to this subject when I have spent some more time out in the fields pondering while the dog checks his pee mail.

I said it surprises me that I am still politicised and it is true. When I started this blog I had a view of myself as a vaguely misanthropic old git, tainted by cynicism and holding to the common view that politics was a load of old bollocks. A very post modern view and one that I haven't completely abandoned, for the simple reason that the field has narrowed considerably since the Eighties. When New Labour follows the policies of previous Tory Governments and only manages modest deviations from Thatcherite orthodoxy, yet still describes itself as a reforming party, you do look back to the Iron Lady's time with a touch of regret. In those days it mattered how you voted.

Well, it didn't actually, since her majority was as unassailable as Blair's, and, of course, it is a measure of the Left's defeat that there was no way to beat her or her heirs without becoming her clone. I don't know how many other old Lefties have retreated into cynicism since the realignment of British politics, but for someone like me, who was pretty cynical to start with, it was a logical step to take. Some, I know, went the hippy, green, anti globalisation route, others went even further into anarchy, some refused to acknowledge the change and stayed exactly where they were, sad idiots spouting Marxist-Leninism, even more deluded now than they were when the Berlin Wall was up.

But I wonder how many joined the "they are all as bad as each other" mainstream? Because on the face of it, it's true. There is still a very large part of me that takes the view that those seeking power over others, whether it is by the ballot box or any other means, should be automatically denied that power. The world should, like the H2G2 universe, be run by a naive, kindly soul who doesn't know he's doing it.

But the world is the world, and we get a chance to have a small say in how our bit of it is run. And thank's to t'internet, we political pub bores can talk to each other, maybe understand each other's point of view a little. Maybe the politicians themselves will take notice, too.

Now that would be something.