How do you engage in politics, healthily?

[west didsblue]

I think affirmative action/campaigning is more healthy because even if you don't get anywhere there is a level of empowerment in getting at least heard.
The problem with social media (politics forum on here largely a good example) is that it doesn't stimulate debate so much as polarisation and a bunker mentality. Sadly this generally ends with said bunker mentality and mud-slinging. The internet/social media has resulted in the extreme 5% at either end of each debate portraying themselves as the voice of reason, while the remaining 90% drift away due to the mental health issues of the keyboard obsessives (imho).

Back to commenting on the mental health of people who you don't agree with I see.

 

[joe123]

so far most of the responses are not 'how to engage with politics healthily', but 'be more healthy by avoiding it altogether'! Interesting.

I think our system is largely responsible for the unhealthy polarisation, us v them, attitudes that make it difficult to engage with politics in a healthy manner. Compounded by politicians who routinely lie their arses off.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

Let me give you an example of what politics is, these days:

In the last 4 weeks, 1 at the start of the month and 1, yesterday, I happened to speak to people on politics face to face. The first happened to catch my comments on the state of the country and she asked me about my views on BloJo. She responded that she 'liked him' because he was funny,, relatable and dropped in long words, so he's very well educated and knows what he's talking about.

I was, truly, astonished! Having asked what he's actually done, she cited Brexit and COVID! Weirdly, she agreed that the country was in a mess, but he needed time to put it right. She finished off by saying she couldn't have voted Corbyn because he was "slimy" and "pompous"! I said, so you'd rather vote a guy who's laughing and dragging the country down, for comedic value, rather than a guy who wanted the right things, but didn't quite 'fit the mould'.

Yes, she said. I walked away at that point.

Second, was yesterday about Obama. After watching a comedy special were the comedian wished Obama was still running the country, I scoffed and my friend asked why I did that as she thought Obama did an amazing job. I asked what he did that was of any benefit and she couldn't name anything, but that he was 'cool' as a pres. I dropped knowledge on her about his Pres and she was still in his corner.

Her BJ for me at the end of the night, almost wasn't worth it, I tell ya...

*edit, my point being, not enough of the average voter seems to know enough about the politician outside what the media sells them.

First person was obviously a moron, not worth thinking about. I used to live with someone who wanted to vote SNP whilst living in the border city of.... Bristol.

Yes, spot on with that bit. But something puzzles me...

Why are you wasting valuable time and money talking politics with a prostitute?

:)

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

Back to commenting on the mental health of people who you don't agree with I see.

His stats can't be accurate as he hasn't accounted for the trolls.

 

[Bigga]

First person was obviously a moron, not worth thinking about. I used to live with someone who wanted to vote SNP whilst living in the border city of.... Bristol.

Yes, spot on with that bit. But something puzzles me...

Why are you wasting valuable time and money talking politics with a prostitute?

:)

Prostitutes?

Time and a half on New year's Day??

No thanks...

 

[PragueBlue]

It seems to me that in-person political conversations can often be quite healthy and engaging.

Never really bother online though as it only seems to bring the extremists from both sides to the fore.

I find it a similar situation on other topics such as religion too.

 

[inbetween]

The big problem nowadays is it’s all at the superficial level, it’s rare that a debate or a discussion really gets to a level of people wanting to truly understand why someone else has a different opinion or outlook. I’ve always found that that’s where the most interesting conversations actually are though and where the most value is. Brexit is a prime example where I don’t think either side actually listened properly.

In personal relationships, I tend to not discuss politics at all. I was brought up on no political discussion in the house and looking back now, I see a lot of merit in that.

That's precisely the problem. We all say let's have a debate but it isn't about having a debate, it's only about proving a point and who's right. If your view is an alternative one then it's discarded instantly and the other only attempts to discredit you.

There will be some out there who walked into the polling booth on referendum day and flipped a coin to decide how to vote. There will be some on here who vote Tory purely because they can't bring themselves to vote for anything that's red.

All of these are completely legitimate however some people just cannot accept that and they cannot understand why people are allowed to do anything that is different to them. It's why they want PR and it's why they eventually call everyone else stupid. It's aim though is to undermine democracy and to establish a one view moral superiority that supposedly trumps everything else.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Back to commenting on the mental health of people who you don't agree with I see.

And the ones I do! x

 

[meltonblue]

That's precisely the problem. We all say let's have a debate but it isn't about having a debate, it's only about proving a point and who's right. If your view is an alternative one then it's discarded instantly and the other only attempts to discredit you.

There will be some out there who walked into the polling booth on referendum day and flipped a coin to decide how to vote. There will be some on here who vote Tory purely because they can't bring themselves to vote for anything that's red.

All of these are completely legitimate however some people just cannot accept that and they cannot understand why people are allowed to do anything that is different to them. It's why they want PR and it's why they eventually call everyone else stupid. It's aim though is to undermine democracy and to establish a one view moral superiority that supposedly trumps everything else.

Agree with all of that apart from I do want PR, mainly as it ensures more voices are listened to rather than less. I don’t want it solely so that my views can be better represented in parliament, but so someone with a completely different perspective can have that too.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Agree with all of that apart from I do want PR, mainly as it ensures more voices are listened to rather than less. I don’t want it solely so that my views can be better represented in parliament, but so someone with a completely different perspective can have that too.

Agreed. Our current electoral system is borderline corrupt, with the two main party's happy to maintain the status quo and just tweak electoral boundaries to their advantage while in office to further negate the chance of change. It's very hard to put an intelligent argument against pr