Avoiding politics

You must be mixing in the wrong circles Varian - most people I know are very interested in politics.

I don't think the majority have opted out - particularly with all that's going on in the UK.

I' not remotely interested in politics. I know I should be but I'm not. My DH is the opposite.

I wonder if only a limited number of GNs comment on the politics threads because they so often descend into arguments. I take an interest in politics but don't see why I should unnecessarily open myself up to abuse from strangers.

I think in rl people have never been to interested even if they feel the politicians are a pretty dreadful bunch at the moment

I ask the question partly about GNetters, but also because I was speaking to someone recently who told me he hardly ever bothered to vote because he didn't think his one vote could make a difference and anyway he couldn't be bothered going out to vote after a day's work. He'd rather go to the gym!

I have never in my adult life missed the opportunity to vote and I will argue politics with others, in a nice way if I can, although I admit that brexit is such a divisive issue that in some circumstances it is best avoided.

I am massively interested in politics. Whatever your views, this last year has been the most fascinating. politically, that I can remember.

My husband and I both wonder what we will have to talk about when Brexit is sorted.

I’m of the same opinion as Beckett.

And me.

I'm following you around and agreeing with you today j52.

Beckett, you’ve said it for me, and far more succinctly than I could have done.

I am very interested in politics normally. Feel really let down at the moment, what is the point, whatever is voted for is seemingly overruled. Trying to voice any political opinion on GN appears to leave one open to ridicule and accusations of far right leanings. Aside from GN, today for the first time ever I avoided the canvassers at the door, just couldn’t be bothered.

Kitty

Beckett and Alima say it all for me too

I’m very interested in politics but I’m not interested in descending into cat-fights with people I don’t know on social media.
That’s possibly being unfair to cats.

Beckett and janeainsworth
say it all.

Agree Beckett it’s pretty ugly at the moment in rl with disgraceful comments like ‘nazi’ and ‘traitor’ banded about by elected politicians who should know better.

I have been interested in politics since I was 4 and I used, many moons ago to take quite an active part in political threads on GN but over the last 5 years they have deteriorated to being the same group of people saying the same old, same old, toeing the party line, until I canot tell one thread from t'other.n If all else fails they parade the poor like a useful poodle. A habit I find distasteful and insulting. It reminds meof that Monty Python sketch where every one competes to prove how poor they were when children, a singularly unpleasant way of virtue signalling.

Now and again I still post the odd squib, usually ignored. Try and get people to provide the facts behind their statements, requests also ignored. So why bother?

Quite a lot of posters on the politics threads do provide facts and useful links to surveys, speeches, statistical data etc, so it is possible to learn from them. Unfortunately it seems that those who most need information are sometimes the least likely to check out the facts and figures.

You just proved the point of why people don't post, varian.

Trying to voice any political opinion on GN appears to leave one open to ridicule and accusations of far right leanings

So true Alima

I gave up more or less arguing on the Brexit threads. They were just going around in circles re-hashing old arguments and getting nowhere.

There were two tribes and no middle ground - but actually <thinks> there shouldn't be if the only choices are in or out.

Like you, I wonder why I go on the political threads. I read about what is going on in the world and have discussions with family and friends (not a good idea, often) but don't need to write about it here, to then be accused of being all sorts of horrible things. I am none of the things the 'opposition' accuse me of.

I do get fed up at times attempting to protest, but I will stand up to what I see as unfairness. I don't think it serves any purpose but there is a small, happy band, in the minority, who tend to take up the cudgels and stand up to the more vociferous,

It's probably a complete waste of time and it does nothing for the blood pressure!

I’m keen on the political threads (no!!).

Most posters are very polite I find. I get pressed occasionally on my views but that’s okay.
?

I do sometimes think I wonder what it would be like at a social event where we would all wear our GN identities? Bet you a pound to a penny we would actually like one another!

Varian is it any wonder when so often those who have a different view are considered by certain posters to be ill informed, semi illiterate idiots who don't have a clue what they are talking about.

I belong to that small minority of folk that are actually interested in politics, and I notice that the GN politics posters, who have a good range of strongly held opinions, are probably quite a small minority of GNetters.

Isn't that in itself patronising?

I’m another one who is very interested in politics, but not very interested in getting into arguments about it. I’ve never belonged to a political party, and my allegiances, if any, change according to what’s going on at the time. I’m not extreme in any direction. Not impressed by leading politicians at the moment!

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Totally agree Callistemon

Sorry varian I’m sure you mean well (trying to educate us) but you just shoot yourself in the foot don’t you?

And links are a bind to be honest! Honestly it’s not that we’re thick but all of us get stuff from all sorts of media sources and so another person’s ‘facts’ when presented as a link are, quite a turn off. Why not just post ‘in my opinion’ and give a view from ‘your’ experts? I just think that would be more interesting.