The Political Thread

[The Legendary Shark]

They should try hemp-based plastic instead.

[Something Fishy]

Been away from the discussions but my overall take on everything.. Brexit, climate change etc .. we're all fucked.  There's no will to do the right thing and there never will be.   Taken me a long time to accept there really is nothing we can do except our own little things and that they really won't change anything.

[The Legendary Shark]

Nobody can do everything but everybody can do something.

[Professor Bear]

Been away from the discussions but my overall take on everything.. Brexit, climate change etc .. we're all fucked.  There's no will to do the right thing and there never will be.   Taken me a long time to accept there really is nothing we can do except our own little things and that they really won't change anything.

Seems to me if someone didn't want things to change, that's the attitude they'd want people to have.  We like to tell ourselves we're helpless to change things because we mistakenly believe that this also makes us blameless.

If everybody does nothing, we really are fucked.  Yes, it will take more than no longer using plastic straws to repair the damage done to our environment, but that is a start and if you can manage that much, you can do something else.  Work your way up, but don't do nothing, don't just hide away from the problem, if only because the Tories have told us they won't let you.
Today you stop using straws or buying milk from animal sources, but tomorrow you could be driving a van full of explosives into Parliament or whatever the next logical step is after ethical consumerism.  Baby steps.

[IndigoPrime]

or buying milk from animal sources

That one always gets me – people feeling all great about themselves, despite drinking almond milk. Almond milk is a massive fuck-up, from a sustainability and ecosystem standpoint.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

or buying milk from animal sources

That one always gets me – people feeling all great about themselves, despite drinking almond milk. Almond milk is a massive fuck-up, from a sustainability and ecosystem standpoint.

And they're also willing to ignore the ungodly amount of genetic manipulation it takes to give almonds tits

[Professor Bear]

"Ignore"?  That's the one selling point of almond milk, the worst - but most sexy - of all non-dairy products.

Apropos of nothing, almond milk and dairy milk are banned in my local school for allergy-related reasons.  It's getting so you can't even send your kids to school with things that will kill other kids anymore.

[Funt Solo]

Did someone mention milk (and tits)?

[Entirely work safe link.]

[The Legendary Shark]

Tits are brilliant. I love 'em.

[Tjm86]

I don't know, there are times when I really do think that  tits are a bad thing.

[Professor Bear]

Sharky: extra points for thematically-appropriate usage of an image containing milk.
Tjm: minus points for linking to the Express.

"Within twenty-four hours, Change UK racked up more racism scandals than the Brexit Party" - The Hard Center Is Racist.

[Tjm86]

Fair point on the Express front.  That said I do consider both it and the Mail essential occasional viewing.  I do also find time to dip into the RT website.  I would argue that it is dangerous to limit reading to a narrow echo chamber that never challenges or contradicts.  It is also important to know what the lunatic fringe tin-foil-hat-brigade alt-right gammoner right is 'thinking'.

The only thing I have to be careful of is that at times I also mix it up with a visit to the Daily Mash and Rochdale Herald.  When that happens I can sometimes forget when I'm looking at a satirical website.

[Something Fishy]

Been away from the discussions but my overall take on everything.. Brexit, climate change etc .. we're all fucked.  There's no will to do the right thing and there never will be.   Taken me a long time to accept there really is nothing we can do except our own little things and that they really won't change anything.

Seems to me if someone didn't want things to change, that's the attitude they'd want people to have.  We like to tell ourselves we're helpless to change things because we mistakenly believe that this also makes us blameless.

If everybody does nothing, we really are fucked.  Yes, it will take more than no longer using plastic straws to repair the damage done to our environment, but that is a start and if you can manage that much, you can do something else.  Work your way up, but don't do nothing, don't just hide away from the problem, if only because the Tories have told us they won't let you.
Today you stop using straws or buying milk from animal sources, but tomorrow you could be driving a van full of explosives into Parliament or whatever the next logical step is after ethical consumerism.  Baby steps.

Oh I agree, we've gradually changed our behaviour.  Going down to one car, recycling vastly more, buying less shit, keeping clothes until they are worn then passing to the local charity shops wherewearable rather than buying for the sake of it,  eating far less meat (nearly none) , just generally thinking politically about how we might help not harm others and being willing to be taxed for it etc.. sadly we know that a large chunk of people will never give a fuck so our little changes probably mean nothing.  It's all we can do though.

[IndigoPrime]

I would argue that it is dangerous to limit reading to a narrow echo chamber that never challenges or contradicts.

I just can't be doing with the tabloids now. They're full of shit, and don't remotely care about accuracy. They're the UK equivalent of Fox News. The US has shitty TV news; we have better TV news, but really shitty mass-market print news. If I want to be challenged outside of my cosy lefty bubble, I'll read the Times. (The FT is good, too, and fairly impartial. The Telegraph, however, has absolutely fucking lost it since Brexit happened.)

Going down to one car

We have one car. Most people think we're mental. HOW DO YOU COPE? they scream. It can be a PITA at times. (Mrs G will soon have new work hours, which is going to complicate school pick-ups – not least given that our town cleverly placed most of the primary schools at the bottom of a THREE MILE north-to-south catchment area.) But, well, meh.

Reuse is the other one we're trying to get better at. I went a bit Marie Kondo recently. There was no faffing about with 'joy', but I did go through my entire wardrobe, and organise my T-shirts so I could actually see what I had. WAY more than I thought. Yeah, I don't need any new tops this side of the 2020s. But I did find a bunch of stuff to recycle/give away, which is rather fab.

eating far less meat (nearly none)

I wish we could do that. We were barrelling down the vegetarian route a few years ago. Then I got a chronic digestive disorder that eradicated gluten and dairy, and forced a massive reduction in fibre and veg. At the same time, Mrs G got diagnosed with oral allergy syndrome, which is a horrible nightmare when it comes to fresh fruit and veg.

In short: arse.

[Tjm86]

I just can't be doing with the tabloids now. They're full of shit, and don't remotely care about accuracy. They're the UK equivalent of Fox News. The US has shitty TV news; we have better TV news, but really shitty mass-market print news. If I want to be challenged outside of my cosy lefty bubble, I'll read the Times. (The FT is good, too, and fairly impartial. The Telegraph, however, has absolutely fucking lost it since Brexit happened.)

In short: arse.

You won't get any argument from me and normally I find myself having to mentally rinse my brain out afterwards, especially after Nigel "the fish" Farage's latest 'brilliant put down' according to the Express. 

Thing is though, it is helpful to get a sense of why some people are spewing the utter garbage they are.  My parents read both the Mail and the Express although more for the sports coverage and crosswords.  Having said that, my mother did once make the mistake of commenting on the wonderful job Gove was doing as Education Secretary.  It was a damn good job I wasn't drinking anything at the time!  Half hour of detailed dissection of the complete dogs breakfast of a job he was doing, she conceded that she was misinformed. 

So I think it is more a case of knowing what 'facts' some people are operating with in order to be able to counter them with a healthy dose of reality (or just walking away in a lot of cases .... )