to ask why several prominent members seem to have vanished?!?

Gransnet has plenty of space for chat, advice, moans, gardening, games as well as politics. We all have our favourite bits and ignore other threads.

I think Trisher’s point is that the Politics threads now have fewer in-depth debates and is becoming repetitiousness.

(Any more insults that can be hurled at Corbyn anyone? Perhaps consult a thesaurus!)

Vox pox was intellectual ?

trisher I don't disagree that being house bound or ill doesn't mean someone isn't capable of logical thinking, however, when someone has been house bound or in ill health sometimes all they want is a bit of chit chat or gossip. It's like when you are depressed, you long for comfort food rather than the healthy diet (at least most of the people I know do!)

Blimey Trisher. That is a sweeping generalisation!

Gransnet is many things to many people as Situpstraight describes.

I'd suggest a small percentage need or read the political threads and they are probably of a minority interest on such online forums. It's disingenuous to suggest "any intellectual or critical debate seems to have been totally abandoned" because of the loss of three posters!

If you want that level of 'political' debate (because that was their niche - they posted very little elsewhere) then we all know there are thousands of sources online which will provide it for you.

Thread started anyway. But I think it would be good to have both and i don't think tha being house bound or ill necessarily restricts peoples' thinking any more than getting old does.

Oh apologies Elegran. I did not mean you offended me. (Hugs) It just raised a point that makes me very cross.

It is the premise that only "Socialists" have compassion and care about others, spouted by those posters who have left and others.

I see so much hypocrisy in socialism and with the MPs who supposedly support it. There seem to be many tiers to socialism and I do think that for too long those with least ("oh what about the homeless!") are merely fodder for political ambition.

Increasingly white middle classes support socialism, living in their ivory towers and not at grass roots level where most of us live and work.

No socialist government has eradicated poverty, no socialist government has built homes so everyone has a roof over their heads, no socialist government has pumped money into the NHS or our schools or our transport systems so they it can cope with increased demand.

Socialist governments do tend to be gung-ho about spending money raised by taxation and working people.

Many of us fear what will emerge from Corbyn's Marxist party but you can bet your bottom dollar millionaire socialists who support him and far left Momentum won't be affected by the fall out.

There is less hassle on GN now, and quieter political threads. Could this be a Labour ploy just as elections are coming up? No hassle, less fuss, less indignation about Corbyn and far left Momentum?

I write with a smile but their absence - and don't forget socialist Grandad has been quiet too - could be strategic.

It wouldn't do to have lots of Grannies getting hot under the collar and writing lots of anti-Corbyn posts just before up-coming elections, would it?

Oh yes, a conspiracy theory without doubt, but it's strange that the most ardent socialists amongst us have erm, retreated, isn't it?

trisher start a thread then and you can have your ‘intellectual and critical ‘ debates, I’m sure there are a few like minded people who will be happy to contribute.

I feel, however that for many GNs who appear to be in poor health, house bound and have many problems, sometimes with no family members to help them, Gransnet is a lifeline for them, they don’t want to get into arguments online, they long for gossip and chit chat to help them to feel part of a community that they don’t have whilst they are trapped in their homes.

Some have worries which appear to them to be insurmountable and if I can help anyone out with advice, a recipe or a listening ear, then I will and I won’t feel it’s beneath me to do so.

There are always new posters lemongrove what some of us lament is that any intellectual or critical debate seems to have been totally abandoned and what remains is the sort of chit-chat found in many gossip magazines, recipes for cakes, games and requests for advice. It indicates I suppose that some on GN are just as mindless as the youngsters they often decry. They're just not as honest about it all.

That statement is aimed at you I should think MaizieD and also trisher and anyone else bemoaning loss of politics threads, if you have things to say, then say it!
There are new posters on just about every thread now, or hadn’t you noticed?
GN seems much more like it was when I first joined.
The anger levels about politics and Brexit had got way out of hand.

For goodness sake start a ruddy thread on News and Politics and not rely on others to do it

Not quite clear who you were aiming that statement at POGS

I was just observing that the forum seemed to have died a bit since losing 3 regulars. Not particularly waiting for their lead before posting anything.

I've been awaiting with great interest all those previously totally cowed posters who would rush in and fill the gap with the opinions which had previously been viciously shouted down by the leftie tyrants. Not much in evidence yet...

However, we have moved on from staring at the closed door of a London clinic for days and days to excited anticipation of the imminent birth. I suppose that's progress...

Happy to be of service trisher

Our MP originally backed Burnham for the leadership and received death threats for doing so (widely reported) . Quickly changed allegiance to the great one and was rewarded accordingly.

There is a difference between union funding and union dictatorship ! Our Local LP office is covered in Unite posters and Momentum posters. You could be forgiven for not being entirely sure who's offices they were.

But Momentum are not the Labour Party. And the unions have always funded it. Arguably they have less members and less support than at any point in their history. I think you have given me an idea for a thread!

No links to vox pox written by the Holocaust denier Mike Sivier

trisher

"There is one on Windrush POGS".
Yes there is I said that!
-
"Anti-semitism has been debated and the same accusations bandied about ad nauseam".
Yep and refuted ad nauseam hence there was debate / argument .
-
" Doesn't seem much point in starting a new thread when everyone will post the same things".
I think that point applies to most threads to be honest . It's a cop out though .
--
Nobody is stopping any GN member from posting or starting a thread !

The "real" LP of which I was once a member was a party for everyone. This excuse of a LP (Momentum) is a party of extremists who hate business (we are all fat cats after all) and is run by and dictated to, by dangerously powerful unions who would think nothing of bringing the country to a standstill.

There is one on Windrush POGS , Anti-semitism has been debated and the same accusations bandied about ad nauseam. Doesn't seem much point in starting a new thread when everyone will post the same things- of course they care- it's just that the Labour party are too left wing etc etc. In fact you could just cut and paste comments from other threads-so no need for anyone to post anything

Well said, trisher!

(at 10.22 & 10.41)

I think the Corbyn thread is grinding to a halt because it's no fun trying to wind up people who aren't there to respond...

For goodness sake start a ruddy thread on News and Politics and not rely on others to do it. .

Have some of you become so reliant on 3 posters you have been in a Stockholm Syndrome and incapable of having your own thought?

The current news is Windrush/ Anti-Semitism in Labour /Kate in Labour and they are on GN. What is missing at the moment is 'activism' and politically overt links to sites / blogs but if you want to carry that practice on then do so.

Nobody is stopping you !

We can Annie but saying the same thing over and over again doesn't make it true you know. (One of my DSs went through a stage when he was a toddler where he thought that would work)

I think in the past the political threads were dominated by just a few regular posters. There have been times when it appeared to be the same posters just agreeing with each other, which can be off putting for those for whom politics isn't an abiding passion.

I wonder how many people were put off posting by the sheer number of "links" which, quite frankly, they didn't have time to read through and therefore felt they were unable to comment.

gillybob perhps you could explain exactly why you feel that this is not the "real" Labour Party?

Critcism of a politician is not critcism of a poster, sadly some are so motherly over Corbyn they can't see the difference .

I feel the same Gilly, we don't have council elections in Wales this year we had them last year .

Quite agree Trisher. Rational debate is impossible, no proper evidence provided for the accusations. “Hypocrisy” is a word banded about frequently but without realising their own hypocrisy.
Kinder, less toxic thread they say. But they use smear words constantly (Corbyn’s talons mentioned recently - is that not toxic or an insult?)

"The devil and the deep blue sea" springs to mind whenever I consider politics at the moment.

None of the parties represent me at all. What happened to the real Labour Party ?

Local elections coming up soon. Another complete waste of breath and paper in my town.