to be so irritated by people who make no attempt to engage with the world around them

[GrowSomeCress]

It's probably unreasonable of me to find it quite so irritating, but I can't stand it when people don't know/care who the PM is, who the ruling party is, what's generally going on in the news, or know really really basic geographical facts.

I watched a TV programme once where a reporter went around some members of the public showing pictures of well known figures (think Clegg, Cameron, Miliband) and the amount of them who didn't have a clue was worrying, even when they were told the name.

i don't know if its alright. But its accurate.

In fact her nostrils will probably find her arse one day and be united, what a joy that would be

I agree that the news are mostly depressing and I watch very little.

I usually follow newspapers (mostly online) and I am aware of what is going on.

Personally, I think it is fundamental to be aware of what is going on around us, not only in our local environment, as around the globe.

For example, sometimes I wonder how some people were surprised to be caught out in negative equity. The property bubble had been talked about for a few years before it actually burst. It was a matter of time.

And yes, not voting is a lot worse than voting, even if for the wrong one.
Non voters are just bailing out and should not really complain about who ends up in charge.

A majority of non voters aren't "just bailing" out. Whilst I know women have been given the right to vote, which should always have been the case anyway, it doesn't mean they have to nor does anyone else for that matter.

Ok then, what if no-one voted, now that would be interesting.

Freedom of choice is the important thing.

ClippedPhoenix I don't know why you keep insulting me, it is honestly, honestly ridiculous and completely disproportionate.

And I still don't see how it's so wrong for me to say that some people are ignorant but okay for you to make such specific comments about my 'arse' and 'nostrils'.

I wasn't wanting a 'bash', whatever that's supposed to mean.

Being politically aware is a choice, if someone chooses not to be then thats up to them, it doesn't mean they are ignorant.

I do get annoyed when people opt out of knowledge and voting, and then complain....

If you want the right to complain about what's happening in this country, then take the time to educate yourself and vote or have a decent opinion...

beachyhead that's definitely true. It doesn't really tend to bother me if those people are happy with everything, it is annoying if they moan.

about insulting. I was being hypothetical i neither know what your arse looks like nor your nostrils, It was a mere vision of you're stance in looking down at people.

They are ignorant about politics, at least. :)

Of course voting is optional, but it is, nonetheless, a duty as well as a right.

The voice of reason Lueji

The word ignorant may have a definition in a book but we all know why people use it.

I am ignorant of many things. I'd never shout that someone was ignorant in a row, or to a stranger in the street - though I hear about that happening and I find it strange. But I think different people actually do use the word in different cultural circumstances which is maybe why some are offended and others are not.

Its a "duty" now is it? Blimey.

Always glad to help people gain new knowledge. :)

Two of my closest friends have no interest in the news or politics. They regularly surprise me with how little they know.
Each to their own, but I do get annoyed when they hear about something through Facebook and then think they know everything about it.
For example they were very angry about the Philpott case but knew jackshit about what actually happened, they just saw it on FB and because others were outraged then they knew they should be too. When I tried to talk about the case they were like "oh I don't really know what happened just that he's a tosser"

Also, books, particularly dictionaries, give us the common usage of words in our society.

You can prove anything with facts.

Voting is pointless, it's not like there are any great differences between parties, Left/Right, Labour/Tory, Republican/Democrat blah blah blah false dichotomy. Isn't it funny how when the opposition gets in they hardly ever reverse major decisions taken by the previous Government, despite promises to. It's all total bollocks, democracy my arse.

I'd love to live in a corrie/towie bubble and be totally unaware of the crap that goes on, must be a relatively stress free existence. Like a pp said 1 million people marching against the Iraq war did precisely fuck all, so unless there are major major riots or a mass strike/civil disobedience type protest, nothing will change. I can't see that ever happening, there are too many stupid brainwashed idiots who swallow whole the propaganda bombarded at them and blame the poor/immigrants/muslims or whoever is the current whipping boy, never the fuckers actually responsible.

Absolutely, Ifnot.

Factful definitions are not real life.

What's that then, a quotation from Confucious?

Just for once, I haven't RTFT.

My dd, when she was 3 (1997 election) could identify all the major Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet people and the PM and Cheri Blair (she did a fab impression of her).

She is still a rather political person and can't wait for the next council election where she can finally vote.

I think you raise a very interesting point.

How much "should" we "know" about "stuff" ?

A bit of understanding doesn't mean knowing the ins and outs, whys and wherefores of every single [thing]

But, that is the problem.
Because quite a lot of the time it is really helpful if not essential, to in fact, know a lot of the detail.

How else could you be sure you had reached accurate and comprehensive conclusions within the domain of interest if you did not ?

And what "stuff" is most important to know ?
Politics, economics, biology, chemistry, physics, brain surgery, physiotherapy, electrical engineering, psychology, advertising, criminal law, mathematical modelling, parenting ? etc etc etc

And how do you trade off time spent "knowing stuff" and "being productive" ?

Is British politics largely an exercise in massaging politician's egoes and the electorate's minds, and hence not really a "proper" subject ?

I think so. It's one of those subjects where any opinion is never definitively wrong or right and thus fair game for any punter.

And ironically even if you did "know", there's bog all you could do about it, or any methodology employable to demonstrate your accuracy.

"Knowledge" is curiously slippery.

But there is so much information freely available! It is so easy to at least get an overview of things.

As for the shoulder-shrugging, so many truly momentous things in history have happened from very small actions.

Little things we take for granted, such as the right to keep our vote secret, all came from the actions of individuals, which started a movement (Chartism).

Look what happened when Rosa Parks decided she wasn't going to give up her bus seat. I supposed, according to some people on here, she should have just not bothered.

At the very least you should inform yourself about who the current prime minister is
When my mother had a stroke and also again when years later she was being assessed as having alzheimers one of the questions asked by the medics to determine her cognitive function was "Mrs Zebra who is the prime minister?"