To be completely shocked about someone I used to know

[EWAB]

When my youngest was at primary school I really liked this woman who had kids either side of mine.

She was in the PTA equivalent and was just a nice woman. There was no drama around her.

I remember having a day off and went into the local cafe, and she invited me to sit with her friends. She was funny, warm and witty.

Significantly, she had friends of all ethnicities and her best friend was Asian.

Everybody will relate to being busy but I think if it was a different time in my life or we had kids in same year we would have been mates.

I am absolutely shocked that she is a member of a right wing political party and has a presence in that party, utterly and completely shocked.

I know it’s not illegal but God.

All three of my siblings are Tories, I’m not someone who thinks everyone has to think like me but I am stunned.

Mumsnet hates this, but I have had a physical reaction to the news. I am just Gobsmacked and weirdly let down and I do know that’s a stupid, irrational thing to say.

Where has anyone suggested that there is not such a thing as fascism?

No one has said Hitler and Mussolini were not fascist.

What I asked you, and what you have failed to answer, is what you consider to amount to fascism when it comes to current mainstream UK party politics?

Which party has the same ideals as Hitler or Mussolini?

Their policies are written to appeal to people who don't understand how things actually work.

It's a problem, policies don't have to actually be viable, just superficially appealing.

If people point out the policies won't work, they get accused of being superior. It was the same during the Brexit debates, anyone who mentioned any possible downside was shouted down.

Their policies are written to appeal to people who don't understand how things actually work

Could you be any more patronising?

@qwertyqwertyqwertyqwerty thank you. I thought they where good but obviously too good to be true

Patronizing isn’t really a substantive criticism.

It's like the turkey and Christmas and votes thing.

When people realise that being patronising and self righteous is no way to win hearts and minds we might start being able to have a conversation.

When people stop calling people with opposing political views fascists we might start being able to have a conversation.

You're not from the UK are you?

As I said, If people point out the policies won't work, they get accused of being superior.

I'm sorry if you feel patronised but their policy platform is mostly nonsense.

I don’t want a conversation with the far right.

What is the far right when it comes to UK politics Blossom?

Is it the Tories for you?

OP, your shock to find out the views of the woman you knew is perfectly valid, though I might have used different words.

As for the comparison with fascism, I think it is invalid. Fascists believed in the police instead of reducing them, they could organise public services to be effective, in other words capable at what they wanted to do, evil though it was.

As opposed to reducing the size of the police and being unable to organise very much at all.

As for @lifeturnsonadime I don’t see the need to respond to your request—I was responding to the posters upthread whose names I can’t recall who argued that if they had been called, hyperbolically by unnamed others , fascist for their bin storage or supposed GC beliefs then fascism was an absurd insult rather than a real concern.

I have little interest in having anyone in my life who votes for anything to the right of and including Reform. Their policies are so far from my value set that I would find it difficult to relate to them and this is important to me. I also tend to think that they are all imbeciles... but that's my judgemental cross to bear.

I would be deeply shocked if I discovered that someone I considered to be a friend was a member of such a party.

You're free to vote how you choose. Your vote is your right and your responsibility.

The policy platform of Reform is nonsense.

I'm entitled to my view, and you're entitled to yours.

If you feel patronised, that's your issue.

Yes: i am not from the UK as you can tell from my spelling. I usually state that where relevant. That doesn’t mean Im not quite conversant with British history and politics.

Yes I quite agree.

I’m not white. Some of my Asian family and Asian friends are the most right wing people you would ever meet - a case of pull the ladder up behind you.

Quoting wrong post sorry.

People who feel patronised have chips on their shoulders IMO.

If they were confident in their own opinions, why would they care what someone else thought?

Permanently offended, they need everyone else to validate their opinions.

You were loftily patronising another poster who was then bizarrely grateful to you for imparting your wisdom.

And your post makes no sense at all.

This is actually hilarious.

The people with the chips on their shoulders are those who are so righteous they won't listen to the views of others.

I'm utterly confident in my own opinions. I'm not permanently offended. I just find the tribalism of party politics divisive and would like to have a sensible conversation without hyperbole.

I want to add that there is really nothing new under the sun. It is always absolutely crucial to the survival of the people that certain policies be pursued and, when those policies are challenged or there is social shame attached to the party members then the rule of comity, the bleat of “Im personally quite nice” or the assertion that these are just “minor differences of opinion as to taste” are invoked.

You might want to add some context to this. It's interesting how often people do this to try and make out he was racist.

I'll hazard a guess that you are from the US?

it's ridiculous that you can suggest that you understand the state of UK politics from books. As ridiculous as a person from the UK stating we understand what is going on in the US. We share a language but our cultures are vastly different.

Nothing to do with second houses and the rise of Air B and B?