Let's Get Political!

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Time for a genuine outsider to appeal to the disaffected? Like that comedian in Italy(?).

We can’t keep on regurgitating the old Tory/Labour parties.

[Flashheart]

What the picture that was confirmed by the hospital?  

The one that a stream of bots have waged a war against after sending johnson out to talk about it failed.  And sending Hancock failed despite making up a story about an army of paid labour activists ending with a tory being punched was proved not to be the dead cat to get out of it.  Reported as fact then inconvenient stuff like the truth and video of the event proved to be wrong.

But its ok as the big players in the media have repeated it after being told by tory sources it had happened giving it a lovely sheen of veracity.  Obviously it would be stupid to actually check before sending stuff out.  I mean I rewrite stuff several times before sending it, major journalists don't feel they need to.

The one the nurse who was not a nurse has said was not true and she's been hacked?

'I was hacked. I am not a nurse and I certainly don’t know anyone in Leeds,” the woman told the Guardian. “I’ve had to delete everything as I have had death threats to myself and my children.”

The depths that are being plumbed in this election is truly horrific.  And in these last 2 days nothing can be held to account as their isn't time, so carte blanche for the lies, smears and libel chaps.  If its proved that we've been lying grasping venal cunts after the election it doesnt matter, we'll get a slap on the wrist and a fine but its worth it, we can brazen it out.

This is an interesting thread about the trolls and the bots kicking in

https://twitter.com/marcowenjones/status/1204183081009262592

But even then Ive no idea if any of it is true or right.  It appeals to my opinions but I don't know whats truth anymore.  Lets face it thats been the whole point of social media war on reality.

It's so so depressing.  Im fairly sure that at some point people sought positions in government to help people and improve society.  Thats all gone.  Lets just keep pumping the world for our own means until it disappears into nothingness.  We wont be alive to see it.

Im off for a little cry for a couple of days.

It's horrible.

You should always expect a little 'bending of the truth' from politicians on all sides, but this campaign has been something else.  

It's insidious. Dystopian, even. And a lot of people just don't care.

[pauld]

Time for a genuine outsider to appeal to the disaffected? Like that comedian in Italy(?).

We can’t keep on regurgitating the old Tory/Labour parties.

We can't, but turning to populist quick fixes isn't the answer. That comedian in Italy put a far right govt in power. The equivalent "populist alternative to old style parties" is precisely the offer of Farage Ltd. If Farage is the answer, you're not asking the right question

[pauld]

It's horrible.

You should always expect a little 'bending of the truth' from politicians on all sides, but this campaign has been something else. 

It's insidious. Dystopian, even. And a lot of people just don't care.

Quite. If truth no longer holds any value, then politicians cannot be held to account. And democracy is dead.

[Reg Smeeton]

Time for a genuine outsider to appeal to the disaffected? Like that comedian in Italy(?).

We can’t keep on regurgitating the old Tory/Labour parties.

Electoral reform would be a good idea.  At the last election Farage was an outsider who gained many votes, but little representation, that was wrong and it's wrongness has meant that the Tories have now occupied that terrain, by purging their party of more moderate voices.

[Arriba]

Electoral reform would be a good idea.  At the last election Farage was an outsider who gained many votes, but little representation, that was wrong and it's wrongness has meant that the Tories have now occupied that terrain, by purging their party of more moderate voices.

I'd certainly like to see more proportional representation and a change in how it works here. The greens in particular would surge in popularity I would think.

[Peter Venkman]

I'd certainly like to see more proportional representation and a change in how it works here. The greens in particular would surge in popularity I would think.

Has anyone actually calculated how the last election would have ended up with PR?

If we had PR then I would not have had to cast a tactical vote.

[Arriba]

Has anyone actually calculated how the last election would have ended up with PR?

If we had PR then I would not have had to cast a tactical vote.

I've not seen it but don't think it would be accurate as people would alter their votes like you say, not vote tactically. I would vote green if we had proportional representation. Others would alter their choices too.

[Peter Venkman]

Very true.

[Wobbly Bob]

Has anyone actually calculated how the last election would have ended up with PR?

If we had PR then I would not have had to cast a tactical vote.

Following the 2017 election.
https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/how-would-parliament-look-under-proportional-representation

Based on this from the Electoral Reform Society.
https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/latest-news-and-research/publications/the-2017-general-election-report/

[Peter Venkman]

Interesting.

I personally prefer the STV system.

[pauld]

Interesting.

I personally prefer the STV system.

Sexually Transmitted Voting? Could catch on

[horlock07]

Sexually Transmitted Voting? Could catch on

Nah Scottish TV voting?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Swindon Town voting, surely. Reg for President. Free beer, Oxfordshire to be physically cut out from the mainland and towed out to sea.

[Mister Lorenzo]

The problem I see is that Momentum still hold the reins of power within Labour, and so I can't see the party moving back to centre ground any time soon, even if Labour were to take an absolute hammering on Thursday. (which they won't imho), starting a new party - at least one that survives beyond the initial swell of public support - is very difficult indeed.

I do despair of the quality of politicians we have these days. Very few of any intellect or with the courage to stand up for what is right. All the parties are crap at the moment. They all lie, they all twist, and they all get outraged when one of the others pulls off a stunt of some kind, only then to repeat their own variation of that stunt themselves shortly after. Not one of them is truly worthy of our votes. I'll certainly be holding my nose on Thursday when I cast my ballot. - and vote I will, because to not vote and then complain about what happens next would be utterly hypocritical.

So my choices are mendacity vs (mendacity + economic oblivion) vs (mendacity + desperation) vs (mendacity + delusional.) In Scotland I'd have an extra choice of (Mendacity + more mendacity + incompetence + bigotry.)

It has been said that we get the politicians we deserve, and I fear that that statement has never been truer than it is today. We are never going to improve our politics until we can attract decent people, from all walks of life, of all political viewpoints to offer themselves up for election. And then we have to be willing to vote for them, even if they don't indulge in the bribery and soundbite fest that characterises election campaigning today.
We have to listen to what people actually say on complex issues, rather than insisting that everything be encapsulated in a short soundbite - soundbites that are all too frequently wilfully misinterpreted by the other side.

We also have to call out the dirty tricks and lies when we see them on ALL sides.

Lastly and perhaps most importantly of all, we need to call out the media, both print, social and broadcast to do its job better.
The media plays a central role in the decline of modern politics imho. What was once a source of information , largely reliable in the eyes of many, is now dumbed down beyond all recognition, fundamentally biased and unable to see anything beyond their own opinions. 21st century media is too keen to speculate and make up the story itself rather than investigate properly and report the facts.

The media has become toxic and corrosive to our democracy and it needs to shape up. Frankly we need to clone Andrew Neil and put him everywhere, in the face of every politician, but in the absence of that, it's surely not too much to ask for a more serious, professional approach, and less silly grandstanding and 'have you stopped beating your wife yet' style questions.