This government has me puzzled

Thanks molly. Putting the trans stuff aside as I know I talk about it a lot, I am just agog that people talk so much about the far right when it is clearly Islamic terrorism that is the threat.

Ruthlessness and authoritarianism exist in extremes of both left and right. I don't see how that can be denied. That, ironically, is the 'human' side of the ideologies. The economic sides are different though, with the right wanting limited state intervention and low support for the weak, and the left wanting a much bigger state with less individualism.

I can't say I've seen many comments on GN that I would class as far right or far left, or if there have been they've been deleted or I've forgotten. I find the generalisations irritating on both sides, and think that has got exponentially worse since the GE.

Anyway, I wish all posters, whatever their voting habits or political affiliations, all the best for what's left of Christmas, and a happy and prosperous 2026.

You too doodledog

Susieq62

Nanna8 stick to Australian news maybe 🤷‍♀️

Our lot are so far left they make Starmer look like a right wing extremist. Rudeness doesn’t become people, at least not where I live. Still xenophobia is xenophobia I suppose. .

nanna8

Susieq62

Nanna8 stick to Australian news maybe 🤷‍♀️

Our lot are so far left they make Starmer look like a right wing extremist. Rudeness doesn’t become people, at least not where I live. Still xenophobia is xenophobia I suppose. .

It helps nanna8, to separate how it feels from whether something is factually correct. I’m not sure how a "fact" can be "rude". We have been dealing in facts.

It seems when the word is used on GN it's often an attempt to close down debate.

Do you now want to discuss Australian Politics and whether they vear to left or right? It is an interesting topic but not the one currently under discussion. I discuss them regularly with my son so would be happy to join you on another thread for this.

Galaxy

Thanks molly. Putting the trans stuff aside as I know I talk about it a lot, I am just agog that people talk so much about the far right when it is clearly Islamic terrorism that is the threat.

In the UK specifically, the claim that it is “clearly Islamic terrorism that is the threat” doesn’t match how UK security services themselves describe the situation. MI5 and the UK government have repeatedly said that both Islamist extremism and far-right extremism are major threats. In recent years, far-right terrorism has accounted for a significant share of disrupted plots and investigations, especially involving younger offenders and online radicalisation. So public discussion of the far right isn’t irrational or misplaced. It reflects what security agencies are actually dealing with. Talking about one doesn’t mean ignoring the other.

We don't talk about the second one in any meaningful sense, and yet they are are the fascists as far as I am concerned.
Also far right has come to mean 'anyone I disagree with' - whenever anyone now uses the term far right to describe someone I always go and listen to the person they are describing as far right. Occasionally I will be listening to a tedious racist but more often them not I am listening to someone who holds ' conservative' viewpoints and are quite interesting.

I don't think that 'far right has come to mean anyone I disagree with'. Not at all. I probably do disagree with those who get called 'far right', but that's not the same thing at all. It doesn't make them far right, but nor does it mean that I see them as such, and it definitely is not what the term has come to mean. It's just a lazy insult.

I see the term 'leftie' used as a lazy insult too. Usually against someone who voted for the right-to-centre-left current government. It was the same with 'Remoaner' for someone who didn't want the debacle that was Brexit. To me, it's all part of the dumbing down of the English language. If we all talk in cliches, and parrot tabloid truisms we will lose the ability to think critically, and that frightens me.

Galaxy

Also far right has come to mean 'anyone I disagree with'

You only have to look at how it is used, to see how true that is.

Disagreeing with what someone says? Well why not? We all have our own POVs.

Slinging the accusation far right to explain the disagreement even with c&p has become so common place that it carries less weight.

DaisyAnneReturns

nanna8

Susieq62

Nanna8 stick to Australian news maybe 🤷‍♀️

Our lot are so far left they make Starmer look like a right wing extremist. Rudeness doesn’t become people, at least not where I live. Still xenophobia is xenophobia I suppose. .

It helps nanna8, to separate how it feels from whether something is factually correct. I’m not sure how a "fact" can be "rude". We have been dealing in facts.

It seems when the word is used on GN it's often an attempt to close down debate.

Do you now want to discuss Australian Politics and whether they vear to left or right? It is an interesting topic but not the one currently under discussion. I discuss them regularly with my son so would be happy to join you on another thread for this.

The rudeness comes from susieq62 telling a British poster who lives in Australia to stick to Australian news maybe which is saying butt out of British politics!
Surprised you can’t see that DAR.

Galaxy

Thanks molly. Putting the trans stuff aside as I know I talk about it a lot, I am just agog that people talk so much about the far right when it is clearly Islamic terrorism that is the threat.

Islamic extremism/ terrorism is indeed the biggest threat in our world today.
This fact doesn’t sit easily with any far left as they prefer to push a far right agenda.

So facts don't matter Oreo, just your opinion?

DaisyAnneReturns

So facts don't matter Oreo, just your opinion?

Facts matter, but the weight one gives them and whether they are 'facts' or wishful thinking aso comes into it.

Doodledog says:

I don't think that 'far right has come to mean anyone I disagree with'.

This accusation has been thrown around for quite some time now on here. But I would like to see actual examples of this happening on a regular basis on N & P because I'm sceptical about it actually happening.

People tend to be called 'right wing', but I don't recall instances of them being called 'far right'.

Allira

Jane43

eazybee

This government has me in despair.
Contradictory, inconsistent, duplicitous.
Promising much
delivering little.
Meanwhile.....?

Delivering little? Many of their manifesto pledges have been achieved, others are in progress. 18 items achieved, 21 items in progress, 17 items on track
fullfact.org/government-tracker/

And how many on back-track?

Another one today and not before time too.
They obviously have now realised who it is provides their bread, butter and in fact lavish meals in the Commons restaurants.

No, not the taxpayers - Farmers!

One person’s backtrack is another person’s listening and modifying.

Oreo

Galaxy

Thanks molly. Putting the trans stuff aside as I know I talk about it a lot, I am just agog that people talk so much about the far right when it is clearly Islamic terrorism that is the threat.

Islamic extremism/ terrorism is indeed the biggest threat in our world today.
This fact doesn’t sit easily with any far left as they prefer to push a far right agenda.

Why would you think that, Oreo?

I think that Russia and the US under its current President are huge threats to world peace.

I also think that climate change is a serious threat.

And the accumulation of global resources into the hands of a few...

Islamic terrorism is one threat among many.

The systematic murder of Jews is of greater concern to me than all of those but we each have our own concerns.
The only one that I would consider as a similar threat would be Russia.

M0nica

DaisyAnneReturns

So facts don't matter Oreo, just your opinion?

Facts matter, but the weight one gives them and whether they are 'facts' or wishful thinking aso comes into it.

Who decides?

In the UK, recent data indicates a significant shift where more suspected far-right extremists are referred to anti-terrorism programs than individuals linked to Islamist ideologies. However, Islamist terrorism remains the predominant security threat in terms of overall caseload for security services and historical lethality.

Btw I googled white extremism vs Islamic ideology and AI brought up a really interesting table featuring Key Differences and Comparisons
Feature White Extremism (Extreme Right-Wing)Islamic Radicalisation (Islamist Extremism)

If only I could use a snipping tool on here

Jane43

Allira

Jane43

eazybee

This government has me in despair.
Contradictory, inconsistent, duplicitous.
Promising much
delivering little.
Meanwhile.....?

Delivering little? Many of their manifesto pledges have been achieved, others are in progress. 18 items achieved, 21 items in progress, 17 items on track
fullfact.org/government-tracker/

And how many on back-track?

Another one today and not before time too.
They obviously have now realised who it is provides their bread, butter and in fact lavish meals in the Commons restaurants.

No, not the taxpayers - Farmers!

One person’s backtrack is another person’s listening and modifying.

Precisely. Isn’t it good to have a government that will admit to getting things wrong instead of sticking to a policy to save face? Thatcher was supposedly strong and ‘not for turning’ and, imo that’s when things started to go wrong in this country and we’re still feeling the effect of it.

MayBee70

Jane43

Allira

Jane43

eazybee

This government has me in despair.
Contradictory, inconsistent, duplicitous.
Promising much
delivering little.
Meanwhile.....?

Delivering little? Many of their manifesto pledges have been achieved, others are in progress. 18 items achieved, 21 items in progress, 17 items on track
fullfact.org/government-tracker/

And how many on back-track?

Another one today and not before time too.
They obviously have now realised who it is provides their bread, butter and in fact lavish meals in the Commons restaurants.

No, not the taxpayers - Farmers!

One person’s backtrack is another person’s listening and modifying.

Precisely. Isn’t it good to have a government that will admit to getting things wrong instead of sticking to a policy to save face? Thatcher was supposedly strong and ‘not for turning’ and, imo that’s when things started to go wrong in this country and we’re still feeling the effect of it.

But there have been so many U turns by this government. Perhaps they should have got it right in the first place and listened to the electorate, then they wouldn't have needed to 'listen and modify'.
There is no excuse for all the errors they have made and the damage that has been done in such a short time.

sundowngirl

But there have been so many U turns by this government. Perhaps they should have got it right in the first place and listened to the electorate, then they wouldn't have needed to 'listen and modify'.

There is no excuse for all the errors they have made and the damage that has been done in such a short time.

BUT

KS/Labour making errors seems evidently now to be seen as a virtue.

I didn’t see the previous government’s errors as a virtue, and I don’t recollect anyone else on GN mentioning that
they did.

Maybe Labour’s errors are different if you’re an ardent supporter but excusatio non petita, accusatio manifesta.

So many U Turns

Yes, some I agree with, some I don’t, that’s not the point, they are floundering around keen to be seen doing something, not taking advice on the consequences of their actions.

Although I agree with Starmers intentions I’m rapidly loosing confidence in him as a leader, even worse I really don’t see a capable replacement.

Susieq62

Nanna8 stick to Australian news maybe 🤷‍♀️

Why should that be?
You yourself have commented on Australia on other threads.

It's not against GN rules or unusual for posters to comment on what is happening in countries other than their country of residence.