To think you shouldn't insult someone just because they voted differently to you?

[ibitemythumbatyou]

It feels like a lot of you would feel more at home in a dictatorship.

I've seen people being called stupid, selfish etc just because they decided to vote differently

I don't care who anyone voted for. I do care that we are a nation that allows everyone to vote for who they want without the threat of violence.

No it's not. That's exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about, trying to shut down debate and criticism.

It's a valid point. The holocaust didn't happen on day one of the Nazi's rule. Stalin's purges didn't start the day after the October Revolution. But things like that always start with this sort of behaviour, intimidating political opponents, making them afraid to share their views, damaging their employment prospects if they wouldn't toe the party line, making their views illegal. And all the stuff that happened after that could have been prevented if people stood up and protested against it. Rather than doing what a lot of people on this thread are doing, saying it's acceptable to abuse people who oppose you politically as long as they don't agree with them. It's fucking dangerous. It's the start of a road that leads to scary places.

Lots of people don't understand it Jasper but it's kind of beside the point.

I wouldn't blame upset and frustrated people for locking themselves in their bedrooms and punching fuck out of a pillow.

But hanging around the internet to spit bile and venom, from the safety of their own keypads, says a lot more about them than they probably care to admit.

There's been a massive push to get people out voting, so I'm really hoping turnout is high

Kew
I agree with everything you have said.

Surely the question for Labour supporters is why didn't the message they had get across to or resonate with the British public. The Tories and UKIP won almost 50% of the vote in the UK and over 50% of the vote in England. Either there is a hell of a lot of "selfish bastards" in the country or something else is going on.

Labour supporters need to stop throwing around insults and look at what went wrong. If they waste their time demonising and stereotyping those who didn't vote for them instead of listening to those people, they aren't going to win those votes back!

YANBU, I will out myself as a Labour voter, a big lefty I know that many people out there both on MN and in RL would strongly disagree with my views and I theirs, but I respect that people have the right to their opinion.

I feel disheartened by the results this morning but insulting those that voted differently is not the way for labour to recover, both the party it's self and it's supporters need to listen to the message that the country as a whole still does not trust Labour, now is the time for reflection not for slinging about insults.

However the insults aren't totally one sided and there is a lot to be said for being gracious in victory.

Would just like to point out that not everyone deeply unhappy with the result of today's vote is a Labour supporter.

And I haven't called anyone names. But I am really distraught at the outcome of the vote, and it's my right to say so.

YANBU

I've been shocked at the vitriol, ignorance, and aggression on MN yesterday and today.

You are well within your rights to dislike the result. It is perfectly reasonable to say that you are gutted that the Tories won and you don't think that they are the best government for this country.

What is grim is the " Tories are arseholes that want to send everyone to the workhouse" or "Labour supporters are bad losers who hate all rich people" stereotypes and worse which are being slung around.

Chavs completely agree.

I voted Labour this year, voted Conservative on the last election. To be quite honest, I don't think enough of any of the parties to feel strongly that they got in or lost. They're all as bad/good as each other.

I would have very much liked a party - even a new one - to say "We're for proportional representation and that is our policy for everything" - and I would have voted for them like a shot.

I'm sorry that some people are sad about the result, I understand that. It's a terrible thing (I think) that we have parties that are either so ineffective that people don't care - or so universally bullish and cruel that people are in fear of them. They're ALL like that imo.

Namecalling each other for whom we voted for is ridiculously divisive and extremely unfair.

YANBU OP - thank you for starting this thread

I have seen many posts on here today and across Facebook by Lab/Lib supporters. I totally understand why they must be feeling pissed off, disappointed or even afraid of what the future holds but to dismiss Tory voters as 'dim' or 'selfish twats' is just pathetic.

DH and I have adopted some nicknames for each other today based on the comments we have seen on our news feeds.

I am his 'smug, selfish, toffee-nosed little Tory'
He is my 'arrogant Tory, posh twat wanker'

I am at this thread.

So describing something dangerous that is already happening to disabled people is "scaremongering" and "dishonest".

But describing people as selfish is the slippery slope to Nazism.

This country is going a scary place. But inability to express a political opinion isn't it. (And I'm not a Labour supporter, so don't even bother with the "sour grapery".)

Kewcumber I wholeheartedly agree with you and I said pretty much the same thing on another thread.

And a round of applause for the OP too.

Yes the Tories have won the election. So it's not going to happen. But that doesn't change the fact that an awful lot of Labour voters think it's okay to abuse someone whose views differ from their own.

In fact, under a Labour government they tried to prosecute Nick Griffin (whose views I think are abhorrent BTW) for talking about the Northern sex gangs. No matter how awful Griffin is, it's disturbing that he was almost jailed for telling the truth about something which didn't fit in with Labour's agenda. That was going down the road of jailing political opponents because they've said something you don't like.

YANBU.

Calling people names is only likely to alienate them. It's not going to convert them to your point of view.

How do you feel about the Communications data Bill aermonger?

LOADS OF PEOPLE INCLUDING PRETTY MUCH ALL NEWSPAPERS SUPPORT THE TORIES

Erm yeah, because of Murdoch? I'll agree with you on most of the other things you said but you do realise that all the papers supporting the Tories are Murdoch-owned papers?

YABU, and massively so. There is a huge difference between being called selfish for how you voted, and being prevented from voting. It's hysterical and silly to try and pretend the two are the same.

Well perhaps I didn't explain myself well enough. I don't believe anyone was preventing from voting or there was a threat of violence.

I meant I'm glad I live in a country where we have the freedom to vote without the consequences of violence. That everyone has a choice and by exercising that right I don't think they should be insulted.

If you voted in a way other people believe is selfish, you at least should have the courage of your convictions and stand up for your reasons, rather than demand that no one is allowed to criticise your political choices (criticising personal choices is another matter, and that would be bullying, but politics is about debate ffs).

Eh?

Where have I said no one can criticise my (or anyone elses) political choices?

I have absolutely no problem with anyone debating and putting forward pros and cons or rebuking the other side. It's interesting and raises points that some people might have not considered previously.

However if for example it was a debate on abortion, as someone who is "pro-choise" my argument would never be - all people who are pro-life are stupid and wankers.

How is that a debate?!

Name calling and insults as a form of debating makes you look extremely childish and uneducated.

Apart from the telegraph, the mail and the evening standard

....yeah right, because you should definitely take the advice of the Daily Mail and the Standard.

I concede the Telegraph, but basing your vote on who the papers support is questionable to say the very least. It's like me supporting Labour because the Guardian do.

This country is going a scary place. But inability to express a political opinion isn't it. (And I'm not a Labour supporter, so don't even bother with the "sour grapery".)

Everyone can express a political opinion and people have the right to be disappointed with the results. Of course they do, and I'm not sure that anyone has said otherwise.

I'm just saying that to me calling people wankers, stupid, selfish is not a political opinion.

I love the fact I live in a country where you are not forced into voting for a certain party. However with all the shaming and the childish insults I feel some people would prefer living under a dictatorship.

Ooh. Getting the Mong insults in there, how tasteful. And reflects exactly what I'm saying about lefties feeling it's okay to insult people who disagree with them. Thanks for making my point for me.

I think it's probably necessary because the way we communicate has changed and we need to update our laws to reflect that.

It was a spelling error OBVIOUSLY.