Yeah, that's pretty much how I see it. I think he's right. I've tried to avoid invoking the 1930s but I do see some similarities in the dynamics of what's happening. We can't go down that route but I feel almost like the major parties are sleepwalking in to it. I'm glad someone like Clive Lewis seems to feel this way too, it gives me some hope.
Interesting stuff. It does veer into nostalgia even as it warns against it, but maybe that’s just how we are. I do worry that it’s an insatiable desire. This yearning for a version of a country that is mostly fabricated. And there’s a whiff of populism in what Lewis wrote that I completely mistrust (as I do with populists of all persuasions). But I’d certainly settle for a bit more big picture stuff than we’re getting out of the current government. In my most miserable moments I tend to view a slide into authoritarianism as inevitable. A combination of general lack of intelligence in society plus an unwillingness to grapple with the notion that for someone to rise, someone else usually needs to fall. Hopefully someone will surprise me, but it’s not gonna be someone who is promising magic bullets.
There is a difference between posting glee at someone’s demise and the stuff that usually gets far right people sacked, mind - even if I personally view both as distasteful.
Discontent will always show first in the lower and working classes, you will hear it in pubs and clubs and on the terraces at football stadia. Certain countries of the world are a shambles with divisive laws and bigotry. Others have archaic rules and lead by fear or use religion as a weapon or means of control. When the discontent becomes too loud and leaders emerge then civil unrest is never too far away. The UK is in general a very tolerant place but the mis information on media and social media may well cause horrific civil unrest. People like Farage and Trump play on these emotions and fears to gain votes and in my mind are nothing but parasites but they are not the only ones. Politics in general is a web of lies and deceit, of slaying your opponent rather than doing what is best for your country, it is spin and media coercion in the extreme and I find it hard to listen to most of the **** that comes out of politicians mouths.
So if the shoe was on the other foot and for argument sake say Jeremy Corbyn was murdered then I posted a video celebrating do you think I’d have a job to go to the following day? I think you’d be surprised at how touchy some employees are over social media mate, working for a large employer I’ve seen some stuff around social media disciplinary hearings, one of the more comical ones I actually had to deal with one for a member of my team who was arguing with a local councillor.. about broadband in their local village around this way. And he got a final written. Didn’t abuse him, didn’t really do much wrong if I’m honest but it was seen as “anti-competition”. I know another lad who was given a warning for making a post about the Scottish referendum over a decade ago now that was banter between us as mates as our apprenticeship group had a few Scottish lads in back in the day. It really is a dangerous place to write anything remotely “touchy” to someone these days and unfortunately we live in a world full of snowflakes so someone is always offended by something.
The wealthy, through politics and ownership of the media, are deliberately controlling the narrative. The way to mitigate this is increase connection so the narrative fails as people experience a different reality and improve critical thinking. The sad thing is that people have little time for either because they have to graft so hard to live because of financial inequality/ poverty.
Guess I’m thinking more about outright discriminatory posts from far right types - although most of the real foot soldiers are now well-practiced in saying what they mean without explicitly saying it. However I’d definitely agree that anyone and everyone should be accountable for things they say on social media. That being said, I wonder how high the bar for dissent over Kirk will be in the states. If you’re in the army and you posted that he was a proper dick and you’re not really bothered he’s dead, does that qualify you for reprimand?
I don’t think anyone should lose their job for saying “ I’m glad he’s dead, he was an awful person”. It’s distasteful and not very kind but that’s something that should certainly fall within freedom of speech. Saying “ I think someone should also murder …..” is much closer to incitement but perhaps a grey area depending on context. Saying “ bloke was a c***, let’s go and murder all of them, grab your guns” is definitely lose job and go to jail territory.
It’s helped no one this death and I’d suggest his children needed more calm and less trauma so his murder is a bad thing but for a man who said he doesn’t weep for the death of others the overreaction to this has such high levels of irony. You live by the sword and all that. It appears his supporters are saying free speech as long as it’s said by us.
Well the defence secretary has called on the pentagon to hunt down military personnel who’ve posted but no idea to what extent the post has to be considered as a sackable offence. I noticed a lot of comments on the video I saw were from people claiming to be in the military and saying 90% of them are right wing anyway. Free speech is a funny thing because everyone wants it until something they say is seen as “over the top”. Then they feel like they don’t have it so nobody should have it. And I’ve seen that on both sides for years, tit for tat “what happened to free speech” arguments. Personally I think anyone dragging political arguments and opinions onto their own personal Facebook/Instagram etc is a bit of a wally it’s just a recipe for disaster. There needs to be guidelines of what is acceptable because it still seems to be a grey area. Why can people call the British Govt and police terrorists and get away with it yet we all know what would happen if I called my local takeaway owner one…
There is a lot of “ bringing employer into disrepute” social media stuff in a lot of disciplinary procedures at big places now so I suppose there’s often room for companies to go down that route. I don’t think it’s very consistent however to go down the freedom of speech, just hurty words route where people have incited actual violence and then be reporting people for saying they thought someone was a dick and won’t be mourning them.
I’m with this https://www.instagram.com/p/DOksWRrjFIf/?igsh=MWt0d3VwYTc3eHg4ZA== Don’t let Britain become the USA. Choose a better place to mimic.
Agree. Think this is why the ‘it comes from all sides’ thing rings a touch hollow. Of course it ‘can’ come from anywhere and does on occasion. However, just like political violence the majority of the truly heinous stuff is travelling in one direction.
A lot of deeply stupid people see a group of like-minded individuals having a whale of a time across the pond and don’t have the intelligence to do anything other than facsimile.
Whilst I agree with us not becoming the USA, he’s hinging his argument based on likes on a comment that could’ve came from Ethiopia for all he knows.. then insinuating there must be a lack of education around those liking the comment. I think there’s a lot of interest in our politics across the pond now so Americans could be liking comments relating to them. Who knows
I don’t like the stupid people assumption. I know that education does correlate with political views and is well researched so there’s some basis but a lot of the people “ protesting” are in their 50’s, will have gone to ordinary comprehensive schools like I did and whilst they may not be academics ( nor am I although I do have a degree) they’re not actually stupid. society, dare I say it culture and economic circumstances have bred this malcontent. I do think there’s probably a lack of critical thinking and a lack of consideration around confirmation bias( lord knows I often have to stop and think about my own) but most of the people we see won’t be stupid.
It’s exactly the same on both sides. Misinformation is what drives politics these days and that’s BOTH sides as much as they’ll both tell you it’s just the other. I can guarantee most people who vote at the next election won’t even bother reading the individual parties manifestos they’ll just vote based on A) what they’ve always voted or B) information they’ve picked up across the years on social media. I do however think, and this stems from Brexit, that there is a hint of a “superiority complex” on the left. As if these folk who are protesting don’t deserve a vote because it doesn’t align with their views or because they’re just tradesmen so what would they know? There was a lot of hate directed toward the older vote after Brexit and these are people that have been educated, likely worked through poverty, been around long enough to see major changes in the UK.. and yet they’ve got some stuck up little 18 year old knobhead still in education who hasn’t worked a day in his life trying to null their vote because they shouldn’t be voting for “his future” when they won’t be around to see it. The same 18 year old whose political beliefs will have been built from social media agendas. We all vote on who we believe is the right party to make this a better place for us, we’re all equal in that and nobody can predict what said party will follow through on. So this idea that a voter demographic may be more intelligent than the other is meaningless.
Fair comment. Lots of Americans (and others) are determined to get involved over here. And I certainly won’t rule out bots being part of it too. There’s plenty of ours who just c&p purely American issues into our environment though.
I’ll admit I’m deeply frustrated by the voting of many from older generations - including my parents. I can only speak for myself but every political view I take and every vote I cast is through the lens of what is good for my kids. I’m gonna be fine. Them, not so much at this rate. I’m sure it’s annoying that the social contract hasn’t quite panned out the way people thought it would, but I don’t think that pulling up the drawbridge is the right response. As for brexit, there’s little comfort in the superiority of being right about it when we’re all hurt by it. But we digress. We could definitely do with all people thinking A LOT more about civics and whatnot. And being a bit more realistic about the world in which our country exists - and its place in that world.
