The Political Thread

[Hawkmumbler]

Is that your answer? How old are you?

You clearly have no idea what a Strawman is. Fix that.

[The Legendary Shark]

Yes, yes, yes - this is all very interesting (in its way), but what about the current vogue for advocating assassination? Is it okay too call for the murder of a president one doesn't agree with? And how about that president's supporters? And why was calling for Obama's assassination less acceptable than calling for Trump's?

A similar but less drastic phenomena seems to surround Brexit/Remain voters. People who voted one way seem to be regularly reduced to caricatures by those who voted the other way, completely ignoring the inherent complexity of traits comprising every human being in favour of a simplistic cartoon thumbnail.

I find this increasing and accelerating trend towards dehumanization to be deeply worrying. Of course, I am only human and have been swept up by such trends in the past and, although I try to keep an eye on myself, know I'm in constant danger of being swept up again if I'm not careful.

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

[Old Tankie]

You are right TB, Trump wasn't saved by the Electoral College he was elected by it, he knew exactly where to campaign to win.

[NapalmKev]

My Mike two pence would be that it's never right to call for the assassination of anyone. If we believe in free-speech/free-thought then we must also offer the same to those we disagree with.

Cheers

[TordelBack]

Think it goes without saying that calling for assassination is reprehensible, and again plays into the hands of those who would marginalise opposition. That said, both the US and UK have adopted assassination as a core tool of asymmetric war, so an underlying climate of acceptability has been created.

[Tjm86]

I wonder how much social media has to play in this.  Thinking about it, one of the reasons I won't use Facebook is because of issues surrounding cyberbullying that I've had to deal with in the past.  The thing is though, that generation is now becoming adult but continuing that behaviour.  Online discourse seems to be inherently aggressive and adversarial at times in a lot of places.  User names and opinions are dehumanised words on a page rather than humans that we interact with properly. 

Politicians are distant figures that we only really see on the telly.  Granted that has pretty much always been the case but I feel like in the past they didn't quite stage manage their interaction with the great unwashed to the extent they do these days (or perhaps I'm harking back to a fictional halcyon day.  The only politician I ever remember meeting was Nicholas Ridley and I upset him asking for his ID!) so there seems to be an even greater disconnect.

I guess the real question is, has it changed or has it always been like this and the internet has now become the equivalent of the rant in the pub with a far greater audience and even less self control.

Anyway, feel free to disagree and castigate my lack of intelligence, dodgy ethnicity / country of origin / residence, inferior class, mental health, dubious parentage and questionable sexuality in true online fashion.   

[JOE SOAP]

Assassination usually makes things worse, not better. Displacing Trump could result in an even worse option - Mike Pence, for instance.

[Professor Bear]

Five days ago: "YAY PUNCHING NAZIS!"
Today: "Violence has no place in politics."

All swings and roundabouts, innit?

[Hawkmumbler]

Nah, lets keep to punching Nazi's. They fucking deserve it.

[TordelBack]

Punching Nazis is what makes us human.

[Hawkmumbler]

[TordelBack]

Golden.

[The Legendary Shark]

Excellent comments all 'round, thank you!

[NapalmKev]

Violence! To some a way of life, to others utterly abhorrent, but should only ever be a last resort!

Was it ok for the Nazi's to do what they did? Fuck no! Is it ok for me to punch a Nazi because I disagree with them? Fuck no!*

Cheers

*except during War where apparently, by modern standards, everything is far game. Watch out for those landmines.

[Hawkmumbler]

To associate yourself in 2017 with nazisim is to take their actions in the 40's as fair or accountable. It is not. Never will be.

A smack across the jaw isn't even in the same league as condoning genocide. Don't even begin to rationalize or tolerate nazism. Don't do it.