My parents have become insufferable.

What about racism towards whites?

You make no sense. But at least your posts are consistent, I'll give you that.

Absolutely - see my post a couple of posts back - the anti EU lobby were also busy stuffing leaflets through the door in ethnic dominated areas in their own language stating it would be easier for them to get relatives in etc - how cynical and hypocritical can you get just to get people onside -.the answer is ‘very’

graph here

Graph showing net migration after we left the EU officially.

Have you ever reflected on the fact that Brexit caused massive increases in immigration? And Brexit was pushed by Farage and the Tories?

I did try to engage in respectful and constructive dialogue with you upthread. I spent a whole long post or more doing it. But you conveniently chose to ignore that.... 🙄

And yes, I will always make moral judgements and have strong opinions about racist behaviour.

You can be perfectly for very controlled immigration and be neither ‘a leftist’ or a constant disciple of GB News and to the right - I’m not a mega lefty, but am centre left economically - one reason I was pro EU is that it meant we had access to lots of hard working people from all over Europe who often came for a few years and did jobs that others didn’t necessarily want to do for whatever reason without needing to allow not particularly skilled immigration from outside the EU due to necessity -call that racist if you like, but it wasa fact- and it worked both ways too - those voting to end were incredibly naive in my opinion that the gvt wouldn’t seek to disguise the fact that we suddenly were very short of staff in certain occupations and hence lighten conditions for coming here ( plus family of course) that’s why it boils my piss that people like Braverman and Jenrick act as if they are horrified by immigration when they were part of the gvt that exacerbated the issue -same with the previous arrangements we had with France as part of the EU - what short memory’s some people have. I lived in Copenhagen for several years, liberal in spirit but very tight on immigration from non EU countries- and they policed it well too - problem with UK is we were a couldn’t be arsed country under the Tory’s , Tory’s couldnt be bothered to resource this aspect as were too busy selling you anti EU rhetoric and austerity that suddenly wasn’t there when it came to wasting billions and billions on Brexit or funding their donors and mates on covid related stuff etc

It is really sad that, in the final years of the lives of many of our parents, they have chosen (and absent some serious disease causing cognitive decline, it is a choice) to fixate bitterly on this negative stuff rather than enjoying time with family and discussing pleasant, uncontroversial topics.

In many cases (certainly in the case of my father) it’s the right wing views combined with essentially total lack of interest in us and especially in his only grandson. My parents are devout Catholics and I strongly suspect an algorithm has led them from “ordinary” Catholic content, down a rabbit hole of the far right. The crazy videos he sent our family chat over lockdown (when we were all struggling) contained anti semitic messages and all sorts. It was so upsetting and polarising.

Nothing like the fun-loving man I knew when I was younger. As others have said: we are grieving these effectively lost years caused by our parents’ brainwashing.

So many posters on this thread just dismissing this very real experience so many have experienced.

None so blind as they who will not see.

So the fact you can’t engage in respectful and constructive dialogue with me, preferring to hurl judgement and insults, may point towards a part at least of the difficulties you have with your parents. I ‘m trying to suggest that you be more reflective about the moral judgements and assumptions you make about them. Perhaps not doing more but doing differently. 🤔

I love that absolutely none of the my-parents-are-brainwashed-by-GB-News brigade ever reflect that they too are being brainwashed by their preferred media. Most of the opinions you now find so 'radical' and offensive were perfectly mainstream 20-odd years ago. Your parents are saying the things virtually everyone, including the left, said back then - and with good reason. The left used to be vehemently against immigration because it disproportionately impacted the working class and lead to wage stagnation. Yet here you are, convinced that's not the case, and calling everyone who disagrees with you racist bigots. What radicalised you?

I think you and the other poster and her mother forgot who the war was fought against.

You might all as well have gone joined the Nazi party if you want a right wing world FFS.

I spent ages composing a long, reasonable reply to you above which you've failed to acknowledge or respond to, because all you want to do is ignore the parents' abusive, miserable behaviour and deflect it back to the kids as if they do sweet FA (evidence to the contrary is all through this thread).

Yet the children are the problem for being upset and not wanting to hear racist whinging?

Victim blaming or what.

"Children should pander to their racist parents and try to engage with them, ask them about medication, take them out on day trips". How patronising and assumptive.

Let alone ignoring all the evidence that is in this thread telling you what people have done to try to support their parents and move them on, I guess evidence is not good enough when you're ingrained in your assumptions.

Your messages above complaining about how society used to be all (white) and cohesive were tacitly racist. Like so many others on this thread. It's shameful.

The suggestion that people should continue to endlessly be around and pander to abusive people is in itself an abusive idea.

Flying monkey, so many of them on this thread.

I’m a centre left voter- and I’m not particularly woke either , nor am I light touch on immigration- these things are indeed an issue , and as you say not just here, however equally an issue but always glossed over is the amount of disproportionate coverage - a great manyarseholes out there are white as snow British born and often very much support the party/s focussed on immigrants - tons of abusive absolute thick yobs of the kind who think it’s a bit of a laugh to pop date rape drugs in drinks, coerce or thump the wife, pop and see prostitutes, screw the system whilst working on the side, cut you up on the motorway whilst off their heads - see mumsnet for details- most of the arses talked about on here will be white British - my real beef isn’t denying the fact that there is an issue with plenty of immigrants who have no real reason to be here, it’s the amount of focus on this issue by certain politicians and press ( with an agenda)!whilst rarely mentioning the amount of feral underclass we have out there - very often British white - as if the remainder of the non ethnic population are all good family people treating women and girls with respect - they aren’t - reason they don’t do it is they know full well a lot of support from Reform or Restore comes from arses who do indeed fall into this category of tossers- if you take these out the voting equation you are maybe left with about 10% Daily Mail and garden centre outraged of Tunbridge wells types and that’s not enough for them .

I’m a bit surprised at some of the responses. OP’s parents are only in their sixties and people are suggesting that she checks if their medication is suiting them and suggesting that she enrols them in activities.
They aren’t old, they should be independent adults unless they have the misfortune to have developed an early illness.
They are choosing to watch GB news etc, they aren’t a captive audience.
I understand why OP is upset that they have changed and finds them insufferable.
I am 74 and have never seen GB news. I do watch the daily politics on BBC which is people with varying opinions discussing things. I try to understand where people are coming from but find extreme views worrying.
I don’t think people should be telling their parents what to do, you wouldn’t like it the other way round and they are independent adults the same as you.
I do think it’s okay to tell them that you don’t agree and hearing about it every time you see them is resulting in you not enjoying their company, so it’s best not to talk about it.
One thing I would say is that physical energy drops for a lot of people so don’t judge a day spent pottering and reading etc.
Discussing ailments all the time is extremely boring.
Don’t fragilise them, tell them what you think and if they continue it cut the conversation short or go home. If they are rude about someone’s appearance tell them they’re being rude and unkind. They will argue back but will probably reduce the behaviour.

Okay @skygroundsky , you say your parents are racist, but you've also accused me , very outspokenly, of being racist, which is, quite honestly, absolute garbage.
You've given me a list of how long-suffering as a Dd you are. At the same time, you've steam rollered my attempts at discussion. You are 100% right, I'm 100% wrong.
You haven't altered my perception that none of you moaners mention the real time challenges the DPs are dealing with.
Really, you seem just like the parents you complain of, stuck in your own head, not engaging with the outside world, repeating endlessly your obsessions.

So what age group are we typically talking about? Do they typically have physical/mental health challenges?

My sons partner would agree with you. The young girls who work for her mostly students have had issues in their city. When the shop closes She's had to call a taxi for them door to door on the companies dime a number of times. Luckily her company are amenable to this.

She's 25 not retired, doesn't need to watch TV, they're living it.

And what did i write about my mother?

My parents were like this when they worked as well but it was kept in check by the other demands of life. They were also (not coincidentally) functional alcoholics. A massive load of luxury travel and cruising made the drinking problems gradually worse and worse, culminating in awful incidents with ambulances called to spark out parent on floor who would then come round and kick/racially abuse the paramedics. Amazingly, they have pulled back from that now in late eighties and are much more pleasant to be around. There's a tonne of baggage though of course from issues that have festered since before I was born.

Is there any chance alcohol or painkiller addiction could be making things worse? I think it's very common. Not that it can help you do anything about it...

Grow up. You don't have to be a tommy supporter to know things are not right here with illegals. Its not just the UK, all over Europe and even as far as Australia people are waking up and actually realising that its not ok. Maybe you stay somewhere where you are not affected by groups of illegal men who hang around. I've been followed twice. Once i had to go into a pub and wait for my husband to come pick me up when i was walking to get my train. Never mind the actual cost of keeping them and the impact on our infrastructure. And what about all the legals from Pakistan who raped thousands and thousands of vulnerable white girls to keep their stock 'pure'? They openly call white women sluts. Are you a lefty apologiser for them? Do you agree with them? Should we british white women rein ourselves in? They are taking our autonomy from us because they do not see us a equals. I do not want to live in my country of freedom with men who think i'm nothing but a hole. That have to be given a leaflet saying 'do not rape'. I no longer go out by myself at night in my beloved city because they are everywhere. That's not right wing news, that's experience.
Also, we cannot afford to look after the people we've got but yet thousands keep arriving. We have enough of our own problems without importing more right now.

My parents are the same and getting worse. It's GB news and Daily Mail and their Facebook algorithm fans the flames as they keep getting fed AI videos and fake posts.
Agree with PP saying they need to keep busy. I can see how small their world has become.

It could be the equivalent of the bored teenager during the summer holidays being groomed or radicalised because they spend too long online. We hear so much about the damage to young people's MH but I think the 24/7 news culture is possibly just as harming for retired people. The other thing is that people often say the mask slips a bit when people get older, or they stop using a filter. They are expressing their true feelings now not just the socially acceptable version. To me they seem far too young for this, I would think this phenomenon is more elderly people in mid 70s and 80s.

I don't think arguing or debating achieves anything but you could make it clear that you don't want to hear their opinion on certain things, an agree to disagree arrangement so to speak. At least visits and phone calls will be less stressful for you.

Interesting thread. I’ve skimmed through it. I’m in my 70s, I am gobsmacked that people my age and younger watch the tv all day!
I honestly don’t think gb news per se is the problem, it’s screen time, turning their brains (and bodies) to mush, dulling their faculties. I wonder what opinion these people have on screen time for children?

I can unpick it. As a person who works with older people in their homes.

For most retired people, income falls on retirement. So you’re going to be watching free TV if you’ve got any sense.

Im sure you as a person are physically active, socially engaged etc. But lots and lots of retired people aren’t, or their version of social engagement is less than when they were working. There is a lot of time in the day in which they watch a LOT of TV.

GB News is right there, bundled into the free TV channels. It’s actually easier to find than the BBC News on most channel finders. I doubt that’s accidental, given how red hot focused the media and tech billionaires are on breaking up the BBC and cutting it off at the knees.

I think anyone who believes that they are not influenced by what media channels they have in their homes, even if in the background, is very naive about humans.