I am not interested in politics ...

Oh yes.
I remember now!

Boxing, for example, between two perfectly matched opponents should mean that neither take too many punches.

Sometimes, people choose not to get in the ring.

It's a bit like a contact sport.

It can be enjoyable debating something, at other times, for various reasons, it isn't.

I can understand you are not interested in the internal doings of political parties, the argy-bargy of Westminster, the self- interested preening of politicians, etc., but you ought to be interested in the NHS, schools, housing and the economy because these affect you directly as a patient, a grandparent, a home owner or renter and a shopper and/mortgage payer. The decisions made by politicians determine how well all of these work for you.

I think you are right, Normandygirl (Fri 28-Oct-22 12:28:52). In our area, the Tories have safe seats here and all around us. I have voted for other parties in the past and it has made no difference whatsoever because the majority are happy with the status quo. Those that aren't appear to think the other parties are not going to be any better so what can you do.

" I'm not interested in politics" is merely saying " My views don't count" and is an indictment of the failed political system we have in the UK. A 2 party FPTP system doesn't encourage people to engage with politics when they feel their vote makes no difference and they will not get representation of their views and needs in parliament. It encourages an understandable political apathy.
When people are given an opportunity where they feel their political view is actually going to mean something, it's amazing how engaged they become. An example of course was the referendum when practically everyone was "interested in politics" .

Probably, Casdon I've not seen anything myself but I'm sure it's there.

It's great to get different opinions and a good debate but sometimes it gets so heated that, as you said, people back off because it's not worth the fight

Zoejory

maddyone

Some people get so aggressive and self righteous about politics.

Yes they do. I don’t want to engage with aggressiveness and self righteousness.

Quite agree.

I don’t think what you’ve said applies just to politics though, there are threads in chat and estrangement where exactly that happens too. We’ve all got our hobby horses about which we express views which are controversial to others - and people back off because it’s not worth the fight.

Will OP now start another thread entitled Why Don't Posters Always Agree With Me?

maddyone

^Some people get so aggressive and self righteous about politics.^

Yes they do. I don’t want to engage with aggressiveness and self righteousness.

Quite agree.

I’m not sure why posters need be nervous? If someone “has a go” you are not actually in the room with them ! Just read it, reply or ignore or move on !
Not everybody has the mindset to do that. They do worry, they don't like unpleasantness or confrontation because their MH is fragile.

'It's just my opinion' doesn't move a discussion on at all, and as that should never be the basis of a decision to vote for something we should know why we chose to vote the way we did, whether it is about philosophical belief or based on compromise.

They may well know exactly why they have that opinion but it doesn't mean they have to discuss it further in a chat room if they don't want to.

Recently, I was accused, shoute at even, not to politicise an issue. There were many aspects to the situation discussed, familial, social, cultural- all very important- but there was also clearly a political side too, which had altered the situation greatly. But this was just dismissed, which is not healthy at all.

Maybe they felt that they could change the non-political things more easily and didn't feel they'll be heard in politics. Whilst it may be irritating to feel you are not getting your views heard, you obviously misjudged the tone of the room. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. You are probably doing yourself a disservice to persist if people don't want to listen. It's different on the "Political" threads where people come on the discuss things but if it is advice that is needed, maybe backing off before you get shouted at is the way to go.

Some people get so aggressive and self righteous about politics.

Yes they do. I don’t want to engage with aggressiveness and self righteousness.

baggs, as always, talks an awful of sense.

And, say someone wants a rant about the railways, they maybe just want a rant about the railways, not a lecture on how it was much better before privatisation, how Brexit made it worse and how the UK's trains will never be as good as the rest of Europe.

They maybe just wanted to say that Passenger Assistance in Manchester last week abandoned them and they are spitting tacks. As happened to DS1.

I get the impression that this is a 'some people' thread, with a subtext about other threads that (as usual) I am missing. In case it's not, however, I agree that politics is in everything we do, and I don't understand how anyone can say that they aren't interested.

I can understand people not wanting to say how they vote (on referenda or in elections) in certain contexts, as others will make judgements, and that may not be a good thing. I'm thinking of social situations where political beliefs don't matter (eg a knitting or Art group). Usually I think people should have the courage of their convictions though, and that if you (generic) have voted for something that is detrimental to others, you should be able to explain why you did so, particularly on a discussion board .

'It's just my opinion' doesn't move a discussion on at all, and as that should never be the basis of a decision to vote for something we should know why we chose to vote the way we did, whether it is about philosophical belief or based on compromise.

Not everyone wants to bang a drum all the time of course (thank goodness!), so I can understand people just wanting to chat about TV or knitting or whatever, but if you have made a political statement it is not acceptable to then pull back when challenged, claiming that someone else is politicising the discussion - that is one sided and rather unfair.

JaneJudge

Things have changed in Northern Ireland though, progress might be slow but they are making progress.

At the moment , because of the DUP ,nothing can be done. We have no health minister, have not received our fuel payment, the hospitals cant cope. Most people dont care about the protocol and Im sure some agreement could be made with the eu if all got together, which of course they won't!

Baggs

Aveline
I am not interested in being preached to about what I should or should not care about.
✔️ Wish we had a like button.
? It’s definitely a case of that.

I also dislike, when I say, “I don’t discuss politics”
being told that
“If I’m not interested in politics then . . .”
That simply tells me that the speaker doesn’t listen to anyone else except themselves or doesn’t understand plain English. Not a good basis for discussing politics or anything else.

But the 'not intereste in politics' is a cop out. Be honest. Say you don't want to discuss them.

Perhaps that is what they are saying in a cop out coded way. Perhaps making it sound like a cop out is the only way to stop the insistence of some politico fanatics?

Perhaps they're like: "in for a penny in for a pound. I'm going to be judged and dismissed whatever I say so I'll do the cop out route because it's quickest and easiest and who want to talk to someone as stupid as me anyway? Heh-heh."

I read and smile and take onboard how angst ridden the preachers come across. ?
It can’t be much fun.

Things have changed in Northern Ireland though, progress might be slow but they are making progress.

Often it's because you can do nothing about it. Take N Ireland where we are all heartily sick of party's holding the country to ransom and threatening consequences. They can never agree and no matter how we feel nothing will change.
Elections return the same people who then feather their own nests and say the opposite of what they promised.
Therese Coffey this morning made many of us despair. I wonder what her actual talents are.

I'm sure all of us.

I'm sure ALL of don't want to be interested in politics but if you aren't interested in politics then how do you ever make things better for people? although even that in itself is to be debated because there are plenty of posts on gransnet that make it really clear they don't want to make life better for all people as the have a sliding scale of worthiness

Oh I can agree that people don't want to engage with others for fear of an argument. That's fair enough.

But the 'not intereste in politics' is a cop out. Be honest. Say you don't want to discuss them.

It is strange that people say there is no time for politics and people are too busy. In the past people worked longer hours, did more physical work and had less labour saving devices yet they were involved with politics. It's why Unions and the Labour Party came into existence.

I am not “not interested” in politics but I lack knowledge. I think the news and politics threads are interesting and, for me, educational, and I don’t mind the strong views (which come from both “left” and “right” let’s be clear). I would definitely miss them from GN.

I’m not sure why posters need be nervous? If someone “has a go” you are not actually in the room with them ! Just read it, reply or ignore or move on !

When a poster starts a thread looking for advice and support as opposed to discussing politics, it is so tiresome when a poster arrives to bang their drum, yet again, with their strong personal political views and an ear bashing of, one obviously has no interest in what is happening in the UK when reminded this is not a political thread as the OP has other worries at this moment. I don’t appreciate being preached at nor being told what I think.

There comes a point when the ear basher should read the room and zip it.