Politics or No Politics?

[Roch]

Is it the difference between being stressed and frustrated or happy and life-focussed? Does anyone not bother with the World or UK politics.  Nothing ever goes the way I want it to.  I have no control over it.  Should I turn my back on it and shut my mind off to keep myself sane? Arguing with people online is futile.

[Steve_uk]

Is it the difference between being stressed and frustrated or happy and life-focussed? Does anyone not bother with the World or UK politics.  Nothing ever goes the way I want it to.  I have no control over it.  Should I turn my back on it and shut my mind off to keep myself sane? Arguing with people online is futile.

The way Labour's National Executive Committee blocked Andy Burnham's candidature for the Gorton and Denton by-election says more about the party nowadays in regards to being out of touch with grass roots adherents. It's the same with the Conservatives, who have an A List of vetted candidates should you wish to hold office in that party, substantial wealth and the right marriage also prerequisites for advancement.

Dare I venture to suggest that Reform is more representative of the working class now than any of the mainstream parties, hence its lead in the opinion polls? I would also give a modicum of respect to Zack Polanski, who at least has set out his stall and is benefitting from the disillusionment of the two main parties, which have governed the country for the past hundred years.

[Cambridgecutie]

Is it the difference between being stressed and frustrated or happy and life-focussed? Does anyone not bother with the World or UK politics.  Nothing ever goes the way I want it to.  I have no control over it.  Should I turn my back on it and shut my mind off to keep myself sane? Arguing with people online is futile.

There are some 8.29 billion people on planet earth.  Many different view points, conflicts of interests etc.  Nothing/no one is perfect.  Arguing with people online is futile but debating isn't as it can open your mind up to different points of view, possibilities etc. 

If everything went the way you wanted it to and you had total control over world events I bet there would be a lot of people out there who would not be happy with you. 

Take capitalism v socialsim, I can see advantages and disadvantages to both.  I tend to take the middle ground with most things as I find it easy to see advantages and disadvantages.

[Roch]

I'm afraid things have turned too dark on the world stage. As for the UK, I've never seen it so polarised and I've never seen so many people fuelled with hate.  Both sides are ridiculous in my opinion. But those on the right have gone off the scale. I don't know whether Iran can manage to take a US carrier down - but if it is attacked, I hope it can.  Because that will cause Trump to be impeached. Not that I am any fan of democrats - but this president is unhinged.  I'm glad Starmer is trying to build relations with China. They are the only other super power, and we cannot afford to put all our eggs in the basket of an unhinged and unreliable US. I feel like switching off all forms of MSM and social media in the hope that when I come back, a miracle has happened and everything is much better.  I'm really p*ssed off that Starmer didn't make the migrants issue top priority from day 1. If he had addressed it properly, the right would currently be less rabid. I'm disgusted that Gaza was allowed to happen. I have no faith in any world government now. We are going to end up extinct if something doesn't happen quickly to make peoples and nations work together instead of again each other.  For the many and not the few was a great slogan. Sadly in the world it is meaningless.

[David1819]

Is it the difference between being stressed and frustrated or happy and life-focussed? Does anyone not bother with the World or UK politics.  Nothing ever goes the way I want it to.  I have no control over it.  Should I turn my back on it and shut my mind off to keep myself sane? Arguing with people online is futile.

This I recommend.

[Roch]

This I recommend.

This is increasingly dawning upon me.  I have a project I would like to start, which I hope in future will become an income stream. My way of shutting off is like accepting defeat.  Not that I was active in trying to achieve something. But I expect people will know what I mean.  I know people who purposely don't follow any news. Though I think this is partly because they have previously decided it's beyond their comprehension in a brain capacity sense. Others have probably reached the same conclusion as me.

[Cambridgecutie]

I'm afraid things have turned too dark on the world stage. As for the UK, I've never seen it so polarised and I've never seen so many people fuelled with hate.  Both sides are ridiculous in my opinion. But those on the right have gone off the scale. I don't know whether Iran can manage to take a US carrier down - but if it is attacked, I hope it can.  Because that will cause Trump to be impeached. Not that I am any fan of democrats - but this president is unhinged.  I'm glad Starmer is trying to build relations with China. They are the only other super power, and we cannot afford to put all our eggs in the basket of an unhinged and unreliable US. I feel like switching off all forms of MSM and social media in the hope that when I come back, a miracle has happened and everything is much better.  I'm really p*ssed off that Starmer didn't make the migrants issue top priority from day 1. If he had addressed it properly, the right would currently be less rabid. I'm disgusted that Gaza was allowed to happen. I have no faith in any world government now. We are going to end up extinct if something doesn't happen quickly to make peoples and nations work together instead of again each other.  For the many and not the few was a great slogan. Sadly in the world it is meaningless.

But was the world really a better place 25, 50, 75, 100 years ago?  Depends how you measure it I guess. 

I believe views are more polarized on SM and in the media in general.  If you met the same people face-to-face in a coffee shop/pub you might not find the polarization you perceive.  The only SM I do is here.  My go to news sources are BBC and C4.  I do listen to YouTube vids about various subjects but I never comment on them. 

Is DT really all bad?  I am not sure what to make of him.  He is a business (real estate)/sales man not a statesman.   

I don't understand the whole China spying thing but maybe that is my naivety.  I have met several UK based Chinese people and found them very pleasant. 

[Roch]

But was the world really a better place 25, 50, 75, 100 years ago?  Depends how you measure it I guess. 

I believe views are more polarized on SM and in the media in general.  If you met the same people face-to-face in a coffee shop/pub you might not find the polarization you perceive.  The only SM I do is here.  My go to news sources are BBC and C4.  I do listen to YouTube vids about various subjects but I never comment on them. 

Is DT really all bad?  I am not sure what to make of him.  He is a business (real estate)/sales man not a statesman.   

I don't understand the whole China spying thing but maybe that is my naivety.  I have met several UK based Chinese people and found them very pleasant.

Hope they weren't secretly Tong of the Black Scorpion.

[David1819]

This is increasingly dawning upon me.  I have a project I would like to start, which I hope in future will become an income stream. My way of shutting off is like accepting defeat.  Not that I was active in trying to achieve something. But I expect people will know what I mean.  I know people who purposely don't follow any news. Though I think this is partly because they have previously decided it's beyond their comprehension in a brain capacity sense. Others have probably reached the same conclusion as me.

That sounds interesting. What kind of project?

[Roch]

That sounds interesting. What kind of project?

Nothing that will earn big bucks.  More about trying to develop a skill into online business via a platform. I've been researching different subscription media platforms on and off for about a year. I am going to go with the unpaid version of Beehiiv initially, and try to learn the trade from there so to speak. Bit of affiliate marketing involved.  Not sure about discoverability online though.  Could be difficult.  I had looked at Substack, Medium, Ghost, KIT etc.   

[Steve_uk]

Nothing that will earn big bucks.  More about trying to develop a skill into online business via a platform. I've been researching different subscription media platforms on and off for about a year. I am going to go with the unpaid version of Beehiiv initially, and try to learn the trade from there so to speak. Bit of affiliate marketing involved.  Not sure about discoverability online though.  Could be difficult. I had looked at Substack, Medium, Ghost, KIT etc.

Matthew Goodwin is on Substack, along with Joshua Rozenberg and Melanie Phillips. I wouldn't pay to read them.

[Roch]

Matthew Goodwin is on Substack, along with Joshua Rozenberg and Melanie Phillips. I wouldn't pay to read them.

Of the three, Rosenberg has wrote some good articles.  I can't stand Goodwin.

[Steve_uk]

Of the three, Rosenberg has wrote some good articles.  I can't stand Goodwin.

He's the candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election next month.

[Roch]

He's the candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election next month.

Yes, I saw that. 

[Cambridgecutie]

I quite like Rachel Reeves but I do wish she would either lose at least a stone in weight or wear slightly longer jackets and trousers.