I do it to myself. I’m well aware of this. Recently, I tried an experiment where I ignored any news and current affairs. I lasted about a week; it made me feel stupid. I’m not trying to imply that I’m on the ball and completely up to date with absolutely everything, but I usually try to know at least the basics of what is going on in the world. What I don’t need to do is read the comments sections on news articles.
I managed to avoid them for quite some time, but this week, like a moth to a flame, I was drawn to them. Now my head is spinning. It honestly appears to me that the world is deliberately making itself stupider. I mean the news has been depressing enough. You have the actual president of the US, in the space of a week, making public statements, then saying the opposite of them a day later. I mean, we’re all used to politicians not keeping to their word, but usually they at least wait a few months before back-tracking. The main thing I’m referring to here is on Trump’s visit to the UK, amid the protests, he did an interview with The Sun (a right-wing shit-smear of a tabloid newspaper here, with a solid background in printing lies – for reference look up their coverage of the Hillsborough tragedy for their most egregious example) where he heavily criticised the Prime Minister and then endorsed a bumbling oaf in the form of Boris Johnson to be Prime Minister.
This was moronic. On the eve of a state visit, to publicly disrespect the leader of the country (I noted a week later he didn’t dare do that with Putin) is a diplomatic gaffe of epic proportions. When confronted about this, he uttered, without irony, the words I’ve come to loathe in any context – Fake news. The Sun responded with the fact they had the interview on tape, where the wannabe pro-wrestler then backtracked yet again by dismissing it as ‘just the tabloids’. As a politically left leaning sort of person, imagine if you will how unclean it makes me feel to have to not only defend Theresa May, but the journalistic integrity of a piss-rag like the Sun, but here I am doing it anyway in the face of something even worse – a boorish megalomaniac who has recently been treating dictators with more respect than his closest allies.
At the same time, you have the continuing clusterfuck that is Brexit, where the government frantically try to arrange some sort of deal that doesn’t ruin the country for at least the next decade, a consequence of a referendum with many lies told, proven voting fraud and the disenfranchised voters being told by the leave campaign to ‘ignore the experts’ (the ones providing, y’know, facts) and vote based on empty promises (which were then admitted to be lies the day after the referendum result – the 350million a week for the NHS promise on a bus). Also, protest marches continue to free Tommy Robinson or Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (his real name which sounds too posh to court the moronic following he’s amassed), who was convicted for contempt of court and imprisoned. For an offence he admitted and was expressly told NOT to do when he was let off lightly, despite his prior convictions, with a suspended sentence for doing the same thing in the past. It has been a depressing week in the news and no mistake.
So, I read these news reports, mainly in disbelief at how these things can be happening, my eyes flit downwards and I catch the numerous comments on all these subjects. Stupidly, I continue only to be driven further and further into despair. Arguments rage back and forth; the same phrases being thrown about with no actual discussion going on.
On Trump:
People can’t admit he is a great man who has put America back into work.
(cue the sharing of multiple sources citing the rise in employment beginning deep into the Obama administration and political analysts stating that the benefits of a new presidency are rarely seen until at least 2 years after the beginning of their term)
Trump supporters’ response? Fake news
On Brexit (and the election fraud scandal):
You lost get over it/ will of the people/ getting our sovereignty back/ taking back control/ democracy at work.
(cue the predictable and necessary question being posed that if the democratic rules have been broken, then how is it democracy?)
The response? Yeah? Well, remain spent more/ sore losers.
On Stephen Yaxley- Lennon:
He was just trying to get justice/ he is a political prisoner/ trying to silence free speech/ snowflakes/ swivel eyed lefty (I shan’t carry on, it just seems to be a barrage of insults)
(cue the very easy counters that he was filming outside a court, where the suspects were being tried – justice was already being served. He isn’t a political prisoner, he plead guilty to a crime. Free speech is in no way being silenced, we have laws covering reporting of trials)
The response? Usually just further insults.
With my writing you would assume I’m biased here. Well no. The people whose ‘side’ I am on are often equally as bad. Over-use of the term ‘Nazi’, accusations of racism (sometimes appropriate, but used too generally), terms like ‘gammon’ being thrown about, digs about spelling and grammar (I will admit to this myself in the past, but I do agree it de-values any argument if it is using text-speak and ignores basic grammar rules, or typed with caps lock on. It is still low hanging fruit.). The worst I’ve seen is the over-use of what-aboutery, where it is basically people using examples of similar ‘crimes’ from either side happening. Invariably, no one discusses the subject at hand at all. I’ve always hated people sharing ‘memes’ and basing their opinions on them – 9 times out of 10, they are simply lies. It isn’t just a right -wing trait, most recently I saw something floating around stating Fox News reported anti-Trump protests in London as only having 500 people in attendance. A simple glance at their site’s news reports shows they reported at as ‘tens of thousands’. That’s right, I just stuck up for Fox News as well. I feel unclean.
So, I’m proposing something to anyone reading this, be it left-wing or right-wing. Try going a month without sharing anything you haven’t fact-checked beforehand. If you discuss any subject, don’t use a derogatory insult towards the other side (if they do it, point it out, but don’t respond in kind). If discussing crime or fraud, don’t try to counter with an example of their ‘side’ doing the same thing – keep on subject. Don’t simply dismiss a source – read it, even if it is something you don’t consider an erudite source. If you disagree with what the article states, find something to debunk it. Avoid over-used statements that make it easy to ignore your argument. And most importantly, as much as you can (it is sometimes impossible) don’t over use the terms right-wing and left-wing, they are very wide ranging political spectrums, not insults.
I think a lot of people are worried these days about what is going on around them. It is easy to fantasise about some conspiracy where a Machiavellian ‘elite’ deliberately pits people against each other to divide and conquer. I suspect its more likely a by-product of genuine incompetence. Remember as a child, you assumed all adults knew everything? Then you get older and realise you’re clueless and winging it? Its possible the people ‘in charge’ are just the same. If people can share information in civil discourse, it would be easier for a compromise to be reached.
Tokyo Cowboy 