I haven't rtft, but most of my FB friends are left wing, most are affected by disability in one way or another, most are being screwed over left, right and centre by this Tory government and are scared. They're not scroungers (as Tory propaganda would have us believe), they're decent people struggling to manage under very difficult circumstances, coping with more than the average person can even imagine. They tend to be very vocal about their desire to get a right wing government out, but not because they're NASTY, or aggressive, or workshy, but because it's easy enough to see what the future holds for us if conservatives get in again. Like I said, we're scared.
Plenty of people I know irl are Tory voters and cannot understand the difficulties that the "other side" have, and certainly cannot grasp that people like me and my family don't deserve it in some way; we haven't worked hard enough, we have brought it on ourselves. Many have little comprehension that anyone is susceptible to disability, all it takes is one accident or illness, and there goes your capacity to earn, to keep your children fed. One mental health breakdown and you may be unable (not unwilling, but actually unable) to work for some time, and then not in the capacity that you did before.
Very good post @cloudperson!
Basically, there are outspoken left wing people and outspoken right wing people, and the outspoken ones on both sides are as bad as each other for attacking, being a bit nasty, and for assuming only their viewpoint is the correct one.
Thing is, as the poster above said some people who have always been fortunate enough to never be unemployed or end up disabled and unable to work, can't fathom how difficult it is when this does^ happen to you. It is possible for your life to go wrong and for you to lose everything, and not everyone on benefits is a screaming entitled-to scrounger,
Many people on benefits have not chosen to be there, and would prefer to have a decent salary/good career/no money worries etc etc. The entitled-to brigade that you see on those ghastly channel 5 programmes are not typical of everyone on benefits.
Many people who have spent their life on benefits/handouts, have lived this way because they have not always had the been opportunity to better themselves, or don't think they can have a different life. It's not great that people are/were allowed to have a life on benefits and something did need to be changed, but it was allowed to happen. Should the people who've spent their lives on benefits been totally to blame for doing this?
The Tories have issued some vicious and unkind cuts and rule changes that have affected the most vulnerable, and it's no surprise that they have been labelled the nasty party. Will it be different with Theresa May? Who knows? But I personally would find it very hard to vote for them, knowing how harsh they have been with the most poor and vulnerable in society over the past few years.
The bedroom tax was cruel, and even though I understand that someone alone (or a couple) should not be occupying a 4 bed house, the council should have offered them an alternative; a small bungalow or flat. Of course, there were so little 'small properties' that there was very little to offer, so people were thrown on the streets.
Then tripling university fees was harsh, and so was the benefit cap, as it caused social cleansing. And don't even get me started on the way they have treated the disabled, with those ghastly assessment companies like Capita and ATOS. The most vulnerable and lonely and poor in our society have been shat on from a great height by the Tories, and so it's no wonder some left wing people get a bit snarky.
However, re the OP, many people who support the left do have kind hearts and are considerate and care about other people, but there are some who are as the OP describes; bashing anyone who doesn't agree with them, and calling them thick, bigoted, racist etc, if they don't agree with their left wing views.
Some right wing do hold those (bigoted) views, but not all, and it's wrong to label everyone who wants immigration control and who voted for Brexit as thick bigoted chavs. There are very real and genuine reasons why people want a cap on immigration, and more control over who comes in, and why they wanted to leave the EU. And it's not because they are racist.
Some left wing (some not all,) are very rude and aggressive towards people who don't think like them, and the celebrities (like Lily Allen) are the worst. They preach and attack anyone who doesn't think like them, labelling them all bigoted and thick and narrow minded and cruel.
But I don't any see of these celebrities doing anything except preaching, insulting right wing people, and showing their face occasionally in a war torn country, apologising for how dreadful we all are in the UK for having the temerity to look after ourselves and our people.
I was labour til I die, and have always voted for them, but with the way some of the left have behaved this past year or so, (particularly the 'EU Remainers') along with the fact that Jeremy Corbyn is the leader, I simply cannot vote for them. On the other hand, I simply cannot vote for conservative, after the way they have treated the most vulnerable in society.
So I am flat out stuck on who to vote for now. I do believe though - genuinely - that Jeremy Corbyn has single handedly destroyed the Labour party, and I also believe Theresa May will win the General Election by a large majority.