WAR! What is it good for?

The US and to a lesser extent us, have tried anything and everything to stem the tide ... but as Peter Gabriel wrote in the lyrics to Biko (best version by Simple Minds) ...

"... and the eyes of the world, are watching you now..."

 

That's a minority of the UK.

 

My point was that the younger demographic certainly do care - your 'assurance' that the majority of Brits don't care is, to put it politely, just your opinion (and you don't live here) or less politely, bullshit ...

My opinion is just as irrelevant as yours - but travelling in to London on crowded commuter trains, I can assure you that what is happening in Gaza is high up there in actual conversations and on people's social media - it is also up there in conversations in pubs and bars after work - to what extent that means they 'care' is open to interpretation, of course - but there is no lack of interest.

 

You're saying all young people care? Even if all uni students cared, which they don't, you'd be speaking about 4% of the UK population.

What's your definition of care? Topic of conversation in a pub or on a train?

I think when people suggest caring enough to force through international policy change, I can absolutely assure you it is evident, clear as day, the majority of the UK population does not "care"

Saying it's sad and then eating your lunch, isn't giving a ****.

That's reality, living in a fantasy won't change anything.

 

You can say that about pretty much every political issue tbf.

The public won't be forcing through any policy change on anything, those days are gone. Now on everything most do say everything is sad then eat their lunch.

 

Of course, because the UK has poor political involvement.

That's my point. Large swathes of the UK vote the same at every single election irrespective of anything because that's what you do.

That's insane when you consider that UK election turnouts are poor to begin with.

So, even amongst those that put the effort into a vote, a lot of them don't even bother reading up on it.

It's depressing but, it's something that I think Britain ignores about itself. The news tries to drum up interest amongst a population that mostly doesn't give a **** about anything but themselves and their wages.

 

Yup ... and it's always been that way

- but social media is making a significant difference - one example I can give (my youngest is involved and she's by no means a radical) is the forthcoming election - students are 'mobilising' to make sure as many as possible vote to ensure there is an end to the 14 years of toxic pestilence of corrupt, self-serving, government ...

 

I think the only good thing that might come out from the thousands of innocent lives lost in Gaza - their deaths despite being abhorrent may not be completely in vain, if it focuses the light on the decades of injustice perpetrated on Palestinians and means more and more countries recognise Palestine.



We've just had 3 more countries last week and 3 more likely to.

 

Here's hoping ...

 

I don't think always tbf. You lived through the late 60's and 70's so you'll know this better than me but I think the public had far more direct contact with significant politicians. You could turn up to a church hall and find some important minister getting pelters from the ppl who'd come in to tell them exactly what they thought. Now it's all stage managed and sanitised.

But you're right about social media. It's not perfect but there's a huge benefit in that ppl can see what's really going on and then see the bollox and propoganda being spouted to try and convince you day is night and night is day.

 

Completely agree on the first part but would argue the second part.
Social media is the perfect medium for people to impose ideas on to young minds and is used this way far too much.

 

Social media is horrific.

You have no idea what is being posted from where, by who and for what purpose. Political machinations from all over the world manipulate algorithms to show you specific information. It's not a conspiracy theory that Russia, China and right wing media manipulate democratic opinion, it's a fact. Because it's so easy.

You can find fantastic information online, if you look for it, but the social media circle people use is appalling.

I think Twitter has been dramatically improved in one way - Musk added the "context" box at the bottom of all political posts. Which is a massive massive improvement.

The idea that students haven't mobilised like this before an election is silly Fosse.

People were doing this in the 80s.

 

Students care about scraping through exams, getting pissed and trying to get a leg over. A loud minority will whine and convince themselves they’re going to make a difference but they haven’t got the numbers and it’s hardly a new phenomenon.

 

Only time will tell - but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the biggest student vote at a General Election in history this time around ...

 

Probably yeah. Doesn’t change what I said. They’ll also be back home where they’ll have less impact.

 

and who are they voting for to stop the war in Gaza?

I find it funny to suggest students care about Gaza, but then in the next words you write they are going to vote against 14 years of Tory, like the deaths and suffering no longer matter. So it seems social media isn't making the difference it should be, it's all about what is fad of the month. Yesterday they'd wear a Ukraine flag, today they'll wear a Palestinian one, tomorrow will decide over lunch as welshie suggests - while actually not making the slightest bit of difference..

Seems to me it's all a bit cock-eye..

 

So when Labour get in under Keir Starmer, which they will, with this greatest turn out in history, what will change in Gaza, what will Keir do differently that every other world leader hasn't succeeded in doing?

 

God's chosen people... they don't want every Palestinian dead at all.

 

A lot of what is posted on social media is done by fake accounts, or people who pretend to care, but have either extreme right wing / left wing views or other political spectrums - they will give you their version of events, but without carefully delving into them, it can be hard to prove if what they say is true, and there lies the problem. If one particular account is offering you your source of information over and over, and it's to your liking, ask your self why...what do you know about the account that is feeding you this information, what is their motive or agenda. It's quite clever in sense, it's like being stuck in a room with someone, that is feeding you what you want to hear...

 

It's ok mate, the British students are mobilising, an uprising to stop it, somehow, I don't know how....but it's happening sometime around lunch break.