To think there is some kind of weird push towards the far right?

[Checkcheckout]

I’m the first to admit that I am not the best informed - I prefer to keep my life stress free and simple as much as possible, and don’t have a TV, don’t read papers, and only listen to the radio when I’m driving (which is quite often). For my own mental health I prefer to live in my own little bubble.

But even with my limited exposure to media, I’ve noticed on Radio 2, both on the news and Jeremy Vine’s show, Reform are being given so much air time considering their paltry amount of MPs, the polls are being discussed regularly even though we’re years from an election. More than once listening to the radio I’ve thought the way they’re talking makes it sound like Reform winning the next election is a done deal, and thought to myself that this is how self fulfilling prophecies happen.

My algorithms on FB are seriously messed up. Despite having never been remotely interested in anything in the least bit right wing, all of a sudden I’m getting endless posts from knuckle dragging ‘patriot’ groups that I don’t even follow, with really horrendous and openly racist comments, thousands of them, which somehow FB are allowing to remain even though any kind of hate speech has always been censored on there. Why are these posts suddenly being allowed and pushed in my face?

Alongside this there seems to be a new story pretty much every day about the latest scandal involving Labour (again reported by the BBC), ok these things aren’t great although compared to the Tories’ rap list from their last spell in government, are fairly small fry really. It seems like there’s an active push for people to rebel away from the left just as the far right are gaining momentum.

Has anyone else noticed this or am I talking shite?

Genuine question: why? Like, what policies of theirs do you support and believe in?

Because they are telling you they will stop the boats? Because Farrage messed Brexit up immigration numbers were higher than ever and even though Farrage screwed the country with Brexit and they will not stop immigration all they will do is make the country a million times worst but Farrage doesn't care he has a German passport. Have you even read their policies? What do you think about them wanting to remove your human rights?

In short answer, yes, at least on FB. I'm suddenly getting a lot of right wing posts with very angry, racist commentators. It's made me feel a bit sick and I've started using FB less.

Yes, what ever happened to fairness, objectivity, and responsibility in journalism. I mean I know there are a minority of journalists still with the agenda of reporting on the truth than journalism as entertainment but it's hard to spot them these days!

Could I ask why? (Not being snarky BTW just interested).

OP I am noticing the same with FB, the algorithm is giving me more and more US-style right-wing content. All the tech billionaires are supporting Trump now, so Musk, Zuckerberg et al are allowing a lot of Cambridge Analytica-style tweaking of their platforms.

This makes complete sense. I'm so left wing I'm at the end of the continuum and I'm still seeing the racists and fascist posts daily despite zero engagement.

It's easy to get your algorithm back to where it's safe for you, just watch a couple of videos within your comfort zone and AI will do the rest, it's very likely you watched a video and that triggered the AI.

Nothing is being forced upon you.

Exactly. Between the racism and the sheer number of adverts, it's massively reduced my usage.

Everyone in the world should watch this video and then delete their Meta accounts.

https://www.ted.com/talks/carole_cadwalladr_facebook_s_role_in_brexit_and_the_threat_to_democracy

If anyone is to blame, it's Blair. An evil man in many respects.

Well they are competing with the media giants, they need to attract viewings figures to justify the licence. They are currently trying to win back the exodus to GB news for example!

Absolutely. It is now well known that Lukashenko orchestrated steady influx of migrants from Iraq, Syria etc

Believe me or not, I don’t mind. I have a good working knowledge of the triangular relationship between politics, media, and public opinion, because my degree involved studying this. That was almost 10 years ago. I’ve felt politically homeless for some time, and that combined with personal mental health struggles has meant that I’ve disengaged myself from the news and politics as much as possible, whereas I used to be a lot more interested. I don’t go seeking out what’s going on in current affairs nowadays, but it’s impossible to avoid it all.

We haven't had the left in power for donkeys years! We've had a year of centre right labour under starmer and 14 years of right/centre right tories!

This👆
Not only Meta. Most definitely Twitter too. Its everywhere

You missed the question, how do you feel about Reform wanting to remove your human rights?

I didn't mention immigration in my post!

Nothing is being forced upon you.

You are being very very naive

Exodus? Where are these extra people coming from? I feel a lot of the polling and statistics and numbers for these things are completely false. Who, other than the terminally unemployed men, is tuning in to GB News? Who has time? They don't have the concentration span to watch it for any length of time!

GB News is regularly winning in the ratings....

I agree with you. He fundamentally changed the way we’re governed, unfortunately. Real power doesn’t lie with those elected. Look at the enormous number of quangos and non-democratic organisations that make the decisions that affect us all. There’s a reason none of this can be fixed.

Labour found it easy to snipe from the sidelines, but now they’re in power, trying to pull all the levers and finding out none of them actually work.

Does anyone remember the leadership contest between Sunak and Truss (lettuce woman)?

The media focused exclusively on Truss. I had no skin in the game because I hate the Tories, but even I could see that the huge focus on Truss was very biased. After the initial first couple of days, Sunak disappeared from ALL the media reports/programming.

I hate being mugged off by MSM. I wish more people paid attention to how they manipulate us.

What I find frustrating is the Left's ability to blame anyone and anything, other than themselves, for the step to the Right.

SM aside there are a plethora of reasons, the Left just don't want to hear them, let alone give them any credence.

Yes to this. Also Progressivism is basically the establishment now, and its become the establishment in a country which feels poorer every day, where people feel poorer every day. So its getting the kicking establishments always get in those circumstances. Secondly immigration is genuinely very very high (I say this as immigrant) and the asylum system is clearly unsustainable in its present form (I say this as someone who would like Europe to continue making provision for people seeking asylum - I just recognise the current system is on its last legs). Combine those two factors with people's every day lived experience of insecure expensive housing and over-stretched public services and its really really not surprising that we have the politics we do. Last of all Progressives have picked the "women can have penises too you know" hill to die on, which just generates endless ridiculous stories - my current favourite is the one from some Lancashire local paper about a "woman" done for exposing "her penis" to a children in a playground.

I don't want a Reform Government. I've never voted right in my life and don't intend to start. I would really just like to be able to vote for the left again, rather than just sitting it out.

No, you're being paranoid. My FB reels are full of positivity, surfing and good news. When you get something on your feed you don't agree with, block it, eventually the AI get's the message.