It already has. Years of drip feeding negatives, blaming the EU for our woes instead of austerity, headlines about immigrants etc., creating a narrative of fear, laid the ground for Brexit with people not understanding of the actual implications, just 'feeling' it was what we should do.
I hope you're right, but MSM hasn't changed.
I live in Clacton, where enough people (and because of FPTP) thought it a good idea to elect Farage. Many in this country engage with his rhetoric. And Tufton St mouthpieces still regularly appear on TV shows pushing their right-wing, libertarian views.
I agree it is challenging, one development worth watching is how long it takes for your neighbours in Clacton to see they were just a platform, to be dropped by Farage when his next 'opportunity' arose.
and there are progressive media gaining ground in the UK.
@bylinetimes.bsky.social et al 🤞
Interesting article. Lived in Texas for 2-3 years from 1997-2000 and was shocked how little international news was aired. The impact of niche broadcasters & podcasts on an individualistic society with an unhealthy worship of the ultra wealthy & ‘might is right’ exceptionalism has been corrosive.
A lot of us are not coping at all, listening to music, walking in the woods, pretending it isn’t happening. I left Twitter too; shouting into a void owned by one of the perpetrators of this mess seemed pointless and stressful
Pretty much where I am too. Want to delete but can’t quite yet. Trying to stay off it, if only for my blood pressure. Got far too angry in the last few days. 😶
Hopefully the time, space and thinking will help us come up with some new ways to try and get stuff done, before our version of the planet is totally destroyed. #tryingtobeoptimistic
Likewise, I have removed any news apps from my phone for my mental well-being. It's actually good. I am not so stressed. But I am not going to completely disengage from Twitter yet. If we stop posting on it completely, the right wins. They want to brow beat the left into silence.
The only way I'm processing the next few weeks is by avoiding all coverage of that horrible orange twerp by rewatching all of Buffy the vampire slayer - I just can't face it.
I've just listened to the prologue of Conspiracy Theory The Story of an Idea as read by one I Dunt. I'm therefore wary of people just asking questions!
My first need is to get my mood back to a good place and so I’m all but ignoring the news right now and I’ve deleted Twitter. It’s not as if I can do anything about it. I guess I’m lucky in that respect as I don’t need it for my job like you do but I hope you take care of yourself.
I’m scared for my kids. Two generations of my family have already fought in person in world wars. One gassed at the Somme, another was part of DDay landings & Arctic convoys. I don’t want any of that for my kids, not ever. Just peace.
This is the most important part. Even if they appear to agree with you, even if they're "fighting for you." If they had any intention of fixing anything, they already would have
Yes, solutions must always be a reviewable work in progress and utterly dependent on the right framing of the questions and yes, particularly in the first onslaught of easy answers from the Trump regime only designed to keep its adherents’ amygdalas fired. Trump/Musk –the primary threat to America.
I feel as low as I did after Brexit, but at least then I could see a way to try and fight. At the moment I just feel crushed by how many people just don't care about the damage they inflict on others.
Or….have a complete much needed break. Your (great) show at the Tabernacle was my cut off point. Nonstop https://TotallyWired.com till the end of the year.
One of the reasons Farage does well is simply, recognition. Most people do not follow politics and are not interested in finding out about issues. Farage is always in the news - BBC, papers, etc. Most people recognise him and Johnson. Few people can name Green Party leader. Control of media is key.
True. He has been around longer than any of the other "party" leaders. Always available for interviews etc, because he has no real responsibilities and likes earnings opportunities. Everyone knows him, so he becomes "acceptable" to many (like Trump)
Any old cunt can come along and insist you respond to Trump by doing the same shit they always wanted. Useful people try to provide solutions based on reality rather than their own brain.
It's in their interest to take all wealth and political power. They have the resources to do it and they will never stop. In every country and time, they will try to to take *everything*. And they'll never relinquish it peacefully. Which means there is a solution, but you probably won't like it.
I appreciate that's the vast oversimplification you'd like to avoid, but it seems to me that trying to do politics when the entire ecosystem is dominated by a few nefarious people with sociopathic interests, whose money and support your party depends upon, isn't great for either side
By being more logical and moral. By trying our best any and every day to be better at those two simple things. Which of course connects directly to what OP said. If we're being more logical and moral than we were the day before. We'll have no other choice but to base it on reality.
As an example of that. I'm 100% sure that people are currently getting to an extremely small amount of trump supporter minds by way of....telling them exactly what they're in for for having voted for him.
This isn't to say it's futile, it's just that a lot of this stuff is insidious and backed with government funds, and most people don't see it or understand it, because it's not especially visible to the average person
When do we move from pinning this on "Trump" and start pinning it on "The Republicans"?
He's got a limit on his time, and the party have and will enable him. If they are getting fully MAGA'd up as an institution it's tine to hold then as responsible
Questions: How to explain to Europeans that defense expenditures will have to increase significantly? How to deal with the Russian 5th column of Orban, Le Pen, Farage, and others within Western Europe? How can the UK play a leading and necessary defense role without close EU engagement?
Comments
https://newrepublic.com/post/188197/trump-media-information-landscape-fox
I'd actually be keen to hear your thoughts on this @iandunt.bsky.social ?
the alternative is hopelessness and that leads to further disempowerment.
We can help the pendulum swing back towards progressive values as long as we remain vigilant and energised.
I live in Clacton, where enough people (and because of FPTP) thought it a good idea to elect Farage. Many in this country engage with his rhetoric. And Tufton St mouthpieces still regularly appear on TV shows pushing their right-wing, libertarian views.
and there are progressive media gaining ground in the UK.
@bylinetimes.bsky.social et al 🤞
...and I was a reporter on cyber things at the time, so, you know, bit awkward. 👀
It's a minefield out there innit...
Many parallels.
Stop
Believing
Billionaires
Thank you, Ian, for being a (very sweary) rock.
He's got a limit on his time, and the party have and will enable him. If they are getting fully MAGA'd up as an institution it's tine to hold then as responsible