Should Gransnet be used as a political platform?

Aren't some posters trying again and again to intimidate those who make posts 'on the left' though. Or those who sometimes try to put another slant on things, or look at things from a different angle, to counter a majority view ? And you know very little about posters in real life- how do you know they are 'on the left' always. Some like DJ have been very open about it- and I do see what she means, totally, about those who say 'oh me, I don't understand/am interested in politics at all.... but ....'.

I may amuse you to know I am an elected Councillor for a centre right party- in order to counter the extreme right ... (there is no left option in my sepcific area)... granted I am very much at the left of that... so having to encourage people to stop and think, rather than jump on the bandwagon- is very much part of my life- and not an easy one at times.

As for Syria- I agree that I can see both sides, and that I am struggling with the whole thing- but on balance, believe, just as Ken Livingstone said on Question Time the other day- just bombing out of revenge- without knowing who or what- without troops on the ground, is likely to a/not work but cause so much destruction and civilian deaths, and possibly make things worse. I am very glad I do not have to make that decision- and hope those who do will do it for the right reasons, not like for Irak.

Some people think one thing, some another. That is how we finish up with a ruling party and an opposition, which is how democracy works.

If someone posts their view, and you do not agree with it, you have the option to (politely) put your view, setting out the facts as to why you hold that view. If someone is encouraging you to go down one route, then you can explore the other routes, learn from that and come to a conclusion.

It is not surprising that this subject causes strong feelings - we all want our dear children and grandchildren to live in a peaceful world; we all want to avoid innocent people being killed.

And we are all in the difficult position of trying to get our heads round an extraordinarily complex situation that is playing out a long way from our shores; and not knowing whether some actions will lead to a solution or inflame an already tragic situation; and we do not know which set of information (or who) to trust (having been led down the garden path in a similar situation previously). Is DC telling us the whole story? How do we know?

A post with a link to someone's analysis of the situation can be very helpful; indeed the more links the better on all sides to help us to get a rounded view.

I think that posting a link to one means of contacting your MP is a helpful thing; and the fact that the OP encourages us to express a particular view is also fine. Anyone is free to post a link to the same site that encourages us to express the opposite view to our MP. Both are fine.

I find that links and discussions are very helpful in getting my head round it all and encouraging me to explore further and learn more.

Can I just make it clear. to Nelliemoser and others who have totally missed the point. I am not talking about the GNrs who use these forums. It goes out to a much wider audience.

If you can't get yer 'ead round that, then so be it. #Gransnet

Eloethan - would you say the same to a teenager who was being bullied on line? I think not.

Now of course we're not talking about actual bullying, but several GNetters have said why they don't post any more on political threads. Your response is dismissive of their feelings and concerns. And then there are those, like myself, who CBA anymore, but is nothing to do with 'political neutrality'.

PS and how do you tell if someone is feigning it?

This and the previous one are genuine questions.

What is "political neutrality", eloethan? Do you mean apathy? or open-mindedness about a particular topic because one doesn't feel knowledgeable enough about it to come down on one side of the debate or the other?

For example, I've come across several well-written articles (not on Gransnet as it happens) by people who can see both sides of the issue about bombing Syria, and who cannot decide whether they think it's a good idea or not.

I'd appreciate it if you would explain what you meant by the term "political neutrality".

Again we have this claim that people on the "far left" are frightening off other posters.

What is there to be frightened of? All posters are anonymous. You might get your feathers ruffled but you won't get frogmarched out of your home and locked up in a secret prison.

As to the example given of JessM's post, it was quite obvious that she was expressing an opinion. I far prefer that approach to the approach of some posters who feign political neutrality when it is clear that they are anything but neutral.

So what if Jess or anyone else gives a link to a petition or informs people as to how they can easily contact their MP? If you don't agree with the petition or you don't wish to contact your MP you don't have to do so - but for some people these links and information are welcome.

They work for you has a survey at the moment.
If you think it's not worth using or should not be used in this way, you can say so.
Of course, you might use it and think it's a brilliant site and will use it more often.

www.theyworkforyou.com/

I use those links all the time, to write to my MP. I always get a personal reply. In fact my postman wants to know why I get so many letters from my MP.
I am going to write one tomorrow about teaching assistants.

Oh come off it Jingle. I don't think any of us are that naive that we sign a petition just because its on GN. We can all make our own judgements.

If anyone on here wishes to promote one of these online campaigns why not. We don't have to read it, we don't have to sign it and we do not have to let anyone else know if we have signed.

I have been pleased that someone has brought some of these to my attention.

Really Jess? That's the best you can come up with?

I had to teach the difference between fact and opinion so that young people learned to question and discern. It's very common abuse of language in debate.

Thank you for giving a link to the post jingls as I was also wondering which one you meant.
I am another who does not agree with you that there is something objectionable about that post.
Much of what we read and hear as news is only opinion and we always have to make up our own minds whether we believe it and what we want to do about it. That OP was no different.
The thread continues with many other people giving their views, as it should, and I see no problem with it at all.

If anyone doesn't have that direct link, this is an easy and non-partisan way to make contact by email and virtually guarantees a reply.

It is quite easy to email your MP without going through that link

And you should get a personal response if you do that.

Not missing the point at all. Simply disagreeing that it's an inappropriate post.

Yes, mcem, we should use this link and thank you Jess for introducing me to it.

mcem missing the point.

"It does seem that many here disagree with you though"

I've counted eight posters that disagree.

If you disagree with OP's line of discussion, what's to stop you using the link to write to your MP to tell him/her your opinion?

Especially if your MP wasn't voted for you and are therefore not necessarily representing your views.

It does seem that many here disagree with you though. Even if they do not agree with the OP re not bombing- all seem to agree that she has the right to post, express her opinion and ask others to petition your MP - even if they disagree with her about not bombing. We are all grown ups and quite able to decide what to do with her request- agree, ignore or counter.

And in that I totally agree with whitewave re:

If you think about it jing trying to limit thought and political persuasion is exactly what IS is doing.

Where I live, most important decisions have to have a popular vote open to all in the form of a referendum- now that is true democracy (even if that even has its problems... but this for another thread perhaps)- if you have a political system where MPs are elected (and Lords that are NOT)... then it is paramount that you have the right to tell them how you want to be represented, surely.

It would seem that only you are confused about all this jingle. Have a nice weekend.

Petition or not, the way you posted definitely encouraged only posters agreeing with your anti-bombing viewpoint to use the link.

I'm sorry, but this vote is just too important to allow you to get away with this unchallenged.

I should have posted under Site Stuff. Then we might have had the usual wishy-washy comment a point of view from GNHQ.

Anya , have you never noticed that politics is about stating opinions?
Sometimes those opinions are based on "accepted wisdom".
Unfortunately we are still, still, still waiting for Sir John Chilcot to report on his findings re the Iraq war.
I think the majority of people of all political persuasions now agree that Blair took us into Iraq without UN backing because he wanted to maintain "the special relationship" with the American president Bush, who had, declared a "war on terror" a couple of years previously and decided that Saddam was the living embodiment of that "terror". Happy to discuss any alternative theories but I don't think they abound.

Jingles
1. Writetothem.com is not a petition. It is a useful way of writing to your MP, whatever you want to say.
2. Nothing wrong with petitions, or controversial threads, as long as they are legal and stay within GN guidelines.
It's a public space and rules that apply to public spaces apply. If you don't like a thread then there are plenty of others to choose from.
It does not seem to me to be such a tricky ethical issue that you have to start a thread about a thread? To some extent preferable, I'll grant you, to derailing threads by picking on some irrelevant detail and worrying away like a dog trying to kill a stuffed toy.
But on the other hand if you want to pick a fight with me... well by starting a different thread I might have missed it and that would be a pity.
If you think I, or anyone, is transgressing GN guidelines then report the post.