Polarisation of society

I'm not interested in Rupert Murdoch's personal life ronib but I am interested in the role he has had in influencing elections.

www.theguardian.com/media/2023/mar/31/rupert-murdoch-fox-news-2020-election-dominion

The Daily Mail is owned by Harmsworth, who doesn't pay any tax in the UK. Neither does Murdoch.

Passthechocolates

Caleo

Quite right Granny Gravy. It's not the fault of Daily Mail readers that they tend to have have dim ideas.

I’m actually intelligent and articulate and not even a tiny bit dim.
I suggest those criticising cast the beam out of their on eye before trying to demean other for their perfectly free choice.

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. For those of us who want a fair and just country and an end of poverty to read comments like this leaves one with a disgust of people who we should be working with side by side to achieve our aims.

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.

MOnica
You’re quiet right. It does occasionally piss one off.
But maybe one should pity such people who have such a jaded narrow view of mankind.

I believe reading age plays a part here. As a population we should aim higher.

My head hurts but that's from the brick wall I think.

I would never call anyone 'dim' because they read a paper I generally don't, or hold views opposed to mine.

I do, however, sometimes think some are "misguided" - in exactly the same way they think I am.

GrannyGravy13

Grantanow I actually think that when folks starting calling sectors of the electorate dimwits they have lost any credibility.

I agree, calling people dimwits because they have a different political view to you is not helpful, neither is referring to some posters as woke, snowflakes, the loony left, or libtards, or remoaners. These are all judgemental and say more about the poster than the people they are criticising.

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.

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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..

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.

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'.

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 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.

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

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

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

Have you been drinking?