to think society has lost the ability to allow opposing views anymore

[allmixedup12]

there is no space left in the UK/US for opposing views anymore and any kind of debate feels totally polarizing. It seems the public has been dumbed down to understand black and white are the only two colours - i feel uncomfortable raising doubts anymore in public for the fear of being attacked

Brexit vs EU love
Trump vs Democrats
Covid vs Deniers/doubters
BLM vs I'm not racist, and no one else is either
Russia/China bad - UK/US good
NATO is innocent - Putin is Satan (neither is true)
woke vs not woke?
BBC vs RT
Indyref vs Union
Islamophobes vs Liberals

Insane how difficult it has become to voice opposing opinions without being attacked personally as a fascist/racist/insensitive/crazy

@Aerielview

Totally agree op. And some of the replies so far on this just illustrate your point!

Doesn't OP prove her own point - she has very fixed views on a limited supply of info (mainly one supplier!) - what she is criticising others of.

Yes, there is no need for someone to call you a Putin apologist for opening a discussion. If you vote Conservative then you're tory scum, thick and uneducated for voting Brexit, and the list goes on whether you're got Covid vaccine or not and whether NATO provoked Russia.

I totally agree and, in my circle of friends and acquaintances, it's worse in people under 35.
There are some friends I spend time with where I'm walking on eggshells the whole time because there are SO many topics that have to be off limits.

@cuno

That being said, someone got fired at my work before for droning on about conspiracy theories in front of our service users, like Qanon and cabal shit. It was so wholly inappropriate and batshit.

To be fair the term service users should be platform's, cancelled and banned

That John Pilger article was quoted at me the eve of the invasion, I was say it’s been shown to be complete crap from events since. I think even the person who quoted it at me would me accept that now. It’s funny how people who take contrarian views castigate others for only listening to one view and then do the same themselves (I saw it a lot with anti vaxxers).
Anyway, work is not a place for really expressing your innermost views. During covid when I wasn’t quite as pro restriction as the party line was , I just kept quiet in work although most of the people I met outside of work (v limited numbers though it being lockdown) were more relaxed (in retrospect I think it’s because everyone in work wfh ie could be more cautious. I was taught when young to avoid sex and politics when chatting with acquaintances, and I think that wise!
At least you can express your Pilger views without the threat of 15 years in prison…

I totally agree with this. The way universities have gone is frightening. Those kids who vote and campaign for the conservatives are extremely brave. Agree or disagree but do it gracefully.

I might disagree with everything you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. Or something like that!!

YANBU. It’s gone mad!

I agree, I've posted alternative views on here and people get angry that I'm not 'listening' my thoughts 'won't be changed' I'm 'thick' etc, failing to see that I just have a difference of opinion and that is OK.

However as a counter there are so many voices on the Internet that are posted as having authority/the truth compared to MSM. With the idea MSM is only for sheep and those on the Internet are 'prophets '

Yes it’s a very polarising time.

It started pre SM I think but it is to do the mass media.

I’ve not gone through all the responses but I totally agree with OP. Especially the extreme hatred for the other side, the name calling, telling them they should die just for having different views. I used to have a labour colleague who kept saying all tories are scums and must die (during universal credit roll out), she was otherwise just a normal person but openly saying someone must die because of their political views? Esp in England where most people are pretty centrist anyway, that is scary.

Try living under Putin you're not allowed a different view at all there, the opposition is poisoned, people protesting against the war are imprisoned. Strange argument to me OP.

[quote allmixedup12]@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation No i am not for war nor do i know putin/russia well enough to have a real opinion, yet. I do think when incredibly ethical and high quality independent journalists write something, it is worth reading and thinking about than following like sheep[/quote]
John Pilger is neither an ethical nor high quality journalist.

@allmixedup12 a couple of things that you may not be aware of 1st Russia is part of Nato so how would the Ukraine joining Russia in Nato be a reason for war?
2nd when you use terms such as sheep/sheepole you are the problem and are actively both othering and ridiculing anyone who disagrees with you

This is just yet another way of trying to pad out Putin apologies isn’t it? There’s enough of it, we’ve all seen it.

I’m usually very strong with my words about nuanced understanding of the world, I believe in debate, free thinking and I hate tribal thinking.

That’s however got nothing to do with invading a sovereign nation, shelling civilians or attempting to oppress your own population into submission.

I mean Hitler had some good points, did wonders for the economy and employment, really good at bringing people together. Your argument is like saying ‘because the Spanish flu wasn’t always handled well we should also consider if his was a good leader.’

Some things are really wrong, have the balls to own an opinion on them- and if you aren’t sure get a bit more educated.

Best example of this is any pro-life comment on mumsnet... They get absolutely pummelled to the extent that I think pro-life people on here have just given up voicing their views altogether. I certainly have. Although usually these comments get deleted as even the admins can't cope with a view that offends their sensibilities to that extent.

And when I say pummelled, I don't mean legitimate debate. I mean threatening language and insults.

I was interested until you got all conspiracy theorist.

Whatever is happening behind the scenes in Ukraine doesn’t warrant a war so I think that is why people are very against it and calling Putin a madman. In that respect it is very black and white. I think on platforms like this it appears there are very opposing views but the reality is different. I have several friends that haven’t been vaccinated, they are just waiting a while. I don’t consider them anti-vaxxers and they are not spouting loads of extremists nonsense, they are quietly going about their business. Some issues certainly polarise people but there are lots of folk voicing the grey areas too. I think mainstream media and SM has a lot to do with how it appears everyone seems ‘divided’ but that’s just not the case.

Also relying on one journalistic view of day, John Pilger, means you are relying on only one view that also might not be the whole truth. Read widely round the subject, he might not have all the truth either.

[quote allmixedup12]@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation No i am not for war nor do i know putin/russia well enough to have a real opinion, yet. I do think when incredibly ethical and high quality independent journalists write something, it is worth reading and thinking about than following like sheep[/quote]
You really just used "sheep" in your post? I think I know what we are dealing with now.

Let's be clear that not all sides/views/opinions are created equal. Some are patently obviously wrong and go against known facts and science. I have no patience with those and will not respect things that aren't based in reality.

Of course some things are more nuanced, but you used "sheep", so I'm out.

In my experience, limited as it is, people these days just don't like being challenged or critiqued.

Very recently, a woman wrote a book, it got slammed and critiqued. She then claimed the experience have her complex post traumatic stress... Very doubtful.

It's like the world has become toddlers where saying 'no' or 'thats not very good' is met with tantrums and claims of mental damage etc.
There was a time that if you were rubbish at something or made something crap you wouldn't get asspatted and told it was great, you'd get eye rolls and told to try harder.

Russia is not in NATO!!

my reading up on the topic from credible sources has made me very very skeptical of mainstream media coverage of the war and i am starting to understand that the reality may be something completely different from what is fed on TV
It always is. The only interest of the media is sensationalism and money. It makes me laugh when people argue politics and all the energy spent on hating individuals when our countries are governed by one central party, the media.

I wonder when populations will finally wake up to this.

And Ukraine joining NATO is one of the reasons for the war. There’s nothing wrong with stating that but Pilger is definitely an unreliable source.

There's a great psychotherapist on Instagram who gives out a few truths about this

https://instagram.com/seerutkchawla?utmmedium=copyy_link