Boris and Cambridge Analytica

If they views expressed on here are representative of the country as a whole then we are heading for dangerous times ahead as the rise of the far right sweeps the UK as it has already taken over the US.

This podcast about Dominic Cummings is worth 20 minutes of your time. He absolutely hates the civil service and he's definitely pulling the Conservatives' strings.

www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2019/aug/01/understanding-dominic-cummings-boris-johnsons-chief-strategist

In the past, I've tried reading Cummings' blog, but it's beyond me. The bits I do understand seem like rambling megalomania. It's frightening to think somebody like that is wielding so much power.

Agreed, Anja. I wish those of a more moderate ilk knew how to stop it.

growstuff I think this hatred towards those who are different/ from other culture/ another race/ with disabilities/etc. is inbuilt in our genetic makeup. It’s tribal almost. You see it in football supporters, the way children bully weaker pupils.

So this swing to the right appeals to our baser instincts. Sadly, underneath it’s all about survival of the fittest.

Again I agree with you - unfortunately!

Nevertheless, it's been shown that societies work best when there is some degree of support and respect for others. Of course, that means that the "top dogs" miss out on some of their bones, so it seems that they're deliberately manipulating people to act tribally.

In fact, if you do have time to attempt Cummings' blog, you'll see that's precisely what he's trying to do. The man seems utterly amoral. For him, winning is all that matters and he couldn't care less what damage he does. It's actually ironic that he's now accusing the Conservative Party of not caring about the NHS and the poor, etc - I wonder what he's up to now. It all reminds me of the historical revolutions, with factions all fighting each other and jostling for top spot. Of course, they need to claim the alleged "will of the people" to legitimise their actions.

growstuff I will read it but I don’t expect to be surprised ?.

It's a podcast, but if you've been keeping up do date with what's going on, you probably wouldn't be surprised. I'm trying quite hard not to find it all very sinister.

I followed Cummings on twitter a few years ago. I read some of his blogs then because I thought they would be an interesting take on the 2010 - 2015 coalition government where he was a Special Advisor to Gove in the department of education. I gave up on him very quickly as his blog was basically a long tirade about how very clever he (Cummings) is and how very stupid everybody else, both MPs and civil servants, is.

He's not now accusing the Conservative Party of not caring about the NHS and the poor, that dates from 2017 I understand. It's probably true. Remember that Osborne & Cameron weren't interested in social or affordable housing because the people who needed it weren't likely to be tory voters?

I've also seen it reported that his objective in the 2016 ref was to get a result which would get the EU back to the table to meet more of Idiot Cameron's demands for remaining in the EU. I suspect that might be true; Gove and Johnson's white and stricken faces at the moment of 'victory' really seemed to indicate horror at the result, rather than jubilation. Also, recall Sarah Vine's comment on results day (which she recounted in her column, I believe) to her husband, Gove "You were only meant to blow the doors off" (A reference I didn't quite understand until I saw it explained as coming from a film where a whole building was blown up when it was only intended to blow the doors off.)

There is a very large rise in Orthodox Christianity in Russia. Putin is in favour of this.

Cummings fell out with other members of Vote Leave and left. It would appear he thought he was more intelligent than the rest, who were very wary of him. There's a C4 drama with Benedict Cumberbatch as Cummings called "The Uncivil War". I haven't seen it, but I believe it's still available on catch up.

So glad I’ve never used any Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp varian
My voting preferences are mine alone, not influenced by outside bots nor being harvested to further misuse.
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I suppose that why in my digital virginity I was always cross to be told the referendum was illegal.

I had no part in that!^

So where did you get your information from persuading you that to leave the EU was a good thing Urmston?
The press, news media are all equally to blame for spreading propaganda as much as social media.

Sorry the above should have been in italics where I quote Urmston from the first page.

I also object to be called a Lefty just because I think leaving the EU is a bad idea. Until Brexit I was a true blue Tory and I now feel incredibly let down. Not sure I feel let down enough to vote Labour though which leaves me in a quandary.

dragon don’t forget that Brexit will be for ever and devastating to our country.

A government is only in office for 5 years at the most and the damage they do can be reversed, but nothing like the irreversible damage by Brexit.

Any political party that doesn’t want brexit. Voting tactically too is sensible.

This recent video, not shown on BBC, shows how Steve Bannon is still pulling Boris Johnson's strings.

twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1156567571157721088?s=19

I actually wonder if Johnson is really aware what he's taken on. It's obvious he's having his strings pulled from behind the scenes.

Shall we have a race to see who can spot the most uses of "anti-democratic backstop" between now and 31 October?

Apparently, it's one of Cummings' new catchphrases, after the success of "take back control".

I claim my first one: www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-announces-billions-to-turbo-charge-no-deal-preparations

I reckon all the catchphrases should be identified. They become meaningless in the end though.

Brexit means Brexit
Red, white and blue Brexit
Hardworking families

All nonsense.

Our democracy was manipulated and subverted not just to advance the agenda of right wing populists, but also for financial gain.

www.brexitshambles.com/300-hedge-fund-companies-were-represented-by-vote-leave-during-the-referendum-campaign-and-they-formed-the-biggest-demographic-of-their-membership/

Sajiv Javid has just announced an extra spending of £2.1 billion to prepare for a no-deal brexit, on top of the £4 billion already allocated.

He used the phrase " undemocratic backstop" and " turbocharge" as well as
"not taking no- deal off the table"

Aaccording to the director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies the UK economy is now about £40 billion poorer than we would have been if we had not voted Leave.

I believe the government is now playing a game, a very risky game. They are spending money to prepare for no-deal to show the EU that they are serious about no-deal. The message is ”if you don't get your act together we will crash out. And it will all be your fault."

No one believes them though.

Except perhaps the gullible?

For goodness sake.

This is only an example but what I am trying to say is if you only believe the right wing/Vote Leave / Trump are /have been 'mining ' for your details you are either naive or politically motivated. ALL political parties are ' harvesting' your data.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-45128677

'Emma's Diary gathered data on more than a million people, according to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which issued the fine.

Labour used the information in the run up to the 2017 General Election.'
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Happy to be corrected if that is misinformation.

It is a fact Cambridge Analytica was a story on such a massive scale the Genie was out of the bottle.

It is ridiculous to think you/me/us are not influenced or are trying to be influenced by the media/social media/ technology.

We are the commodity in a technological world that 'harvests ' our data, uses algorithms etc and Cambridge Analytica was outed because of the vast storage of detail involved but it was happening before and after the Cambridge Analytica story broke.

Have you never been through a shop door and you get a message' How did you find your visit to today'? They note what you buy, what you spend etc.

If I look up a company on my tablet and I return to GN at some stage there are adverts for them popping up, am I alone?

If you are a political party member, log onto a politically biased website/blog/facebook/twitter etc. you will be targeted and we are all one click away for our details being stored and heaven knows what afterwards.

We've moved on from that now, POGS...

None so blind as those that will not see POGS. They’ve got got their fingers in their ears, singing la-la-la!

I’ve realised that not being politically blinded has left me with a mental deficiency which cannot be corrected but it doesn’t stop either side thinking that I can be converted to ‘correct’ thinking.

What they don’t realise is over the years I’ve had far cleverer folks than them try - and fail....

There will always be some who are immune to the evidence, who stubbornly cling to their views however nonsensical, like flat-earth believers.