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News & politics

Polarisation of society

(260 Posts)
varian Wed 29-Mar-23 11:17:55

Former US President Barak Obama has told an Australian audience that Rupert Murdoch's media empire has fuelled a polarisation of society

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/29/rupert-murdoch-has-fuelled-polarisation-of-society-barack-obama-says

Glorianny Mon 03-Apr-23 10:50:10

Just caught up on this. Really £8million on Charlie's picture in schools. When I first started teaching most schools still displayed the picture of Elizabeth (Annigoni?) they were given when she became queen. Can't remember seeing it in any of them when I retired. Will they have to display the one of Charles? Or can it be confined to the staff loo or a cupboard somewhere?
Wouldn't it have been great if £8 million had been spent on books or reopening libraries to commemorate his coronation.

Fleurpepper Mon 03-Apr-23 10:50:07

M0nica

Fleurpepper I didn't say accept their views as equal, most of us have views and opinions that other people think are ridiculous. It is treating the person with respect and as an equal and not a lesser mortal because they are not as clever as the commentator - and some pretty nasty remarks have been made on this thread by people who are the ones causing polarisation in society.

I can only assume you didn't read my post. Views and opinions is one thing, we can agree to disagree.

Facts are facts. And nonsense is just ... well...

The earth is NOT flat, whatever your opinion of view is about it.

Casdon Mon 03-Apr-23 10:35:47

Oreo

tickingbird when anyone says that to you on social media it means they’ve nothing worthwhile to saywink take it as a compliment.😄

In this case, no. When somebody doesn’t believe your reason for saying something, you explain why you did say it, provide them with the evidence that caused you to say it, and they admit they say it frequently but they still don’t believe your reason for saying what you did, I’m not sure what conclusion you think you should reach. Will let others draw their own conclusions in this very bizarre exchange.

Grany Mon 03-Apr-23 10:30:48

Grany I get it you’re a republican, but you can’t seriously expect something like a coronation to cost ten quid. £ 100 million on coronation not needed he is already king. In poll many more people weren't interested in coronation than were. Then would you believe government spending £8million on pictures to be put in schools councils ect. With a cost of living crisis nothing spent on people living in poverty more food banks. That's all I'm saying.

Oreo Mon 03-Apr-23 09:15:27

Galaxy

I'm left wing, well centre left is probably more accurate, and I have routinely said that describing people in those terms is not acceptable. It's also politically and strategically utterly counter productive. But still they keep going.

👏🏻👏🏻

Also good comment Monica about arrogance on threads.
The I’m more clever than you brigade I call them.

Oreo Mon 03-Apr-23 09:11:29

Grany I get it you’re a republican, but you can’t seriously expect something like a coronation to cost ten quid.

Oreo Mon 03-Apr-23 09:09:45

tickingbird when anyone says that to you on social media it means they’ve nothing worthwhile to saywink take it as a compliment.😄

tickingbird Mon 03-Apr-23 08:34:20

Casdon. Have you been drinking?

At 07:44??? No I have not. Might be standard in your world but not in mine.

Grany Sun 02-Apr-23 13:43:43

The government has lost the plot if it thinks people want money spent on pictures of Charles, in a cost of living crisis. £8 million. Some people would agree.

Charles spends your money every day, in return for little work & a lifetime of privilege, status and influence. He gets exempted from laws the rest of us have to follow and is beyond any serious accountability, while ignoring accusations of corruption.

Casdon Sun 02-Apr-23 08:12:18

tickingbird

Casdon

Still not making sense. I get it. You’re embarrassed because I’ve highlighted your gross hypocrisy. Outraged at BJ’s tea party but happy to gloss over Blair’s despicable acts. Laughing because my comment was so me?? Of course it was. My loathing of Tony Blair is no secret. I’d be laughing until my sides ached if I found every ‘so you’ comment made on here about BJ funny.

Must try harder Casdon grin

Have you been drinking?

tickingbird Sun 02-Apr-23 07:44:21

Casdon

Still not making sense. I get it. You’re embarrassed because I’ve highlighted your gross hypocrisy. Outraged at BJ’s tea party but happy to gloss over Blair’s despicable acts. Laughing because my comment was so me?? Of course it was. My loathing of Tony Blair is no secret. I’d be laughing until my sides ached if I found every ‘so you’ comment made on here about BJ funny.

Must try harder Casdon grin

Galaxy Sun 02-Apr-23 07:06:24

But then you couldnt catagorise people into goodies and baddies without any critical thought, what's the fun in that.

M0nica Sat 01-Apr-23 19:57:10

Fleurpepper I didn't say accept their views as equal, most of us have views and opinions that other people think are ridiculous. It is treating the person with respect and as an equal and not a lesser mortal because they are not as clever as the commentator - and some pretty nasty remarks have been made on this thread by people who are the ones causing polarisation in society.

Fleurpepper Sat 01-Apr-23 19:14:07

And if a certain paper, day in, day out, and this for many many decades - keeps demonising certain groups of people, and pushing hatred- then why is it surprising that those who choose to read it, and continue to read it- probably agree with the demonisation of those groups, and the divisions and hatred it creates. And no, I can't 'respect it as 'equal'.

Fleurpepper Sat 01-Apr-23 19:11:15

M0nica

Arrogance has nothing ot do with how much you or others know. It is a question of treating everyone, whether they agree with you or not as your equals in respect and not look down on them because you do not consider them as clever as you or consider their views to be beneath your contempt.

Monica, views and opinions are one thing- but facts are another.

If someone says the earth is flat, I won't accept the comment as 'equal'.

Casdon Sat 01-Apr-23 18:58:35

tickingbird

^You misunderstand tickingbird, what was laughable was your attempt to make a cheap political point when Johnson has made £1m from speeches in the last few months after completely cocking up this country and our future. I wasn’t condoning Blair’s actions in Iraq, he made a bad political mistake.^

Nice try Casdon but that quickly thought up excuse won’t wash I’m afraid.

I’m blessed (cursed?) with a good memory for other frequent posters’ views on Gransnet tickingbird, and suffice to say I remember you posted along very similar lines about Blair before. I genuinely was laughing at what you said because it was so ‘you’ a comment. I’d be surprised if anybody would laugh about a war and the politics around it, they would be a very strange person if they did.

Allsorts Sat 01-Apr-23 17:18:15

Whatever these people say, they still negotiate the highest fee, I wouldn’t pay to listen to any of them, but people do and they will keep clawing it in..

M0nica Sat 01-Apr-23 17:13:49

Arrogance has nothing ot do with how much you or others know. It is a question of treating everyone, whether they agree with you or not as your equals in respect and not look down on them because you do not consider them as clever as you or consider their views to be beneath your contempt.

MaizieD Sat 01-Apr-23 16:58:33

Nice try Casdon but that quickly thought up excuse won’t wash I’m afraid.

I suppose no-one on here is obliged to tell the truth at all times, but it would be good if posters were treated as though they did.

tickingbird Sat 01-Apr-23 16:51:48

You misunderstand tickingbird, what was laughable was your attempt to make a cheap political point when Johnson has made £1m from speeches in the last few months after completely cocking up this country and our future. I wasn’t condoning Blair’s actions in Iraq, he made a bad political mistake.

Nice try Casdon but that quickly thought up excuse won’t wash I’m afraid.

Norah Sat 01-Apr-23 16:37:02

M0nica I find the intellectual arrogance of so many on this thread, and others so offensive and Caleo's comment sums that attitude up so succinctly.

Sadly it seems to be that the more left wing your politics the more arrogant you are.

Honestly? Who are you, of all people, to call a person arrogant?

Katie59 Sat 01-Apr-23 16:27:51

A responsibly to who ?

A responsibility to society we all have rights and responsibility, but there are plenty that demand their rights but do not contribute.

Passthechocolates Sat 01-Apr-23 14:13:16

Caleo

Passthechocolates, yes, you do have a free choice but you also have a responsibility to contribute as well as you can.

I admit my own reading is not as good as it should be or even as good as it could be, however I do know what constitutes material where better ideas are to be found.

Not sure what you mean there @Caleo ‘you have a responsibility to contribute as well as you can’

A responsibly to who ?

I was merely objecting to being called a dimwit because I choose to read the Daily Mail.

Caleo Sat 01-Apr-23 13:21:14

Passthechocolates, yes, you do have a free choice but you also have a responsibility to contribute as well as you can.

I admit my own reading is not as good as it should be or even as good as it could be, however I do know what constitutes material where better ideas are to be found.

Caleo Sat 01-Apr-23 13:15:16

Monica. it's not possible to "work side by side" with the uninformed unless the uninformed want to learn.

As for my own arrogance, I admit I am better informed than many here about certain topics. On other topics, such as politics, or serious modern novels, I seldom advance my views as I know little and find these topics difficult to understand, although I read the ideas of the better -informed with interest.

I have the impression that participators in Gransnet are generally very well informed at practical human relations, and other practical matters. Few individuals in any sphere of life are good at everything.