Divide and conquer.If you keep people fragmented, disunited, or distracted by internal conflict, it’s much easier to control or dominate them.

[Shegotanology]

Empires and rulers throughout history have used this tactic to weaken opposition by setting groups against each other, preventing a united front. If people are fighting each other, they often don’t focus on the root causes of their problems, or the structures that perpetuate them. If people are arguing about flags, statues, or what someone said on social media, they’re not talking about tax avoidance, corruption, or how wealth is concentrated at the top.
Does anyone have ideas on how unity can be built? At the moment, you're either a Marxist or a Nazi with nothing in between.

yes remember also how the nazis and the soviets overthrew them and started from fresh but nothing changed after that - new rich who just fleeced off the old rich...I recently read an article about a German guy who died here, was married with a British lady and has British kids and grandkids. He left a suitcase with some documents, revealing he was from a Jewish billionaire's family. His great grandfather businesses and houses were sold for pennies into semi legal sales to so called well meaning Germans whose relatives live in them to this very day. His grandson visited the houses where the German relatives said that it was all legal

Riches often change hands....depending on which side you happen to be....this is why I never get pre-occupied with riches or politics

Yes, when speaking or posting about politics, focus on the common ground and on things that unite. Topics like children, animals and fair use of resources.

Also talk far more about the need to promote Politics, debating and linear, honest British history as subjects in schools, as opposed to topics that suit government policy. It's too late for many parents, but perhaps our children will be less ignorant and better informed.

Much like narcissists, they triangulate as a divide and conquer tactic. Works too.

Of course it is. You have one group fighting another group just on here. 🙄While everyone is doing that, no one is blaming politicians.

Hardly.

I remember seeing this cartoon a few years ago, it was 3 men sitting around a table with a plate of cookies in front of them, one guy had a huge pile of cookies, one guy had one cookie and the other guy had an empty plate. The guy with the pile says to the guy with one “Watch out mate, he’s after your cookie”. It’s always been “divide and conquer”. Nothing has changed, there will always be some people who fall for it.

@Statesider I wonder why it's so easy, for people to blame those who have nothing, for their misfortune?

I suppose those with power often redirect frustration toward those with the least ability to fight back. It’s easier to blame the poor or immigrants than to question systemic inequality, corporate greed, or governmental failure.It's hardto confront the uncomfortable truths about inequality.

Divide and conquer, always been in the playbook. What troubles is why our own government is complicit in it.

The country is being wrecked by greed and no one is trying to stop it. Housing has become a major issue all over the country and many communities are facing a surge in HMOs with local councils failing to regulate to prevent it. Family homes lost in favour of multiple occupancy residence. And we wonder why Farage is surging in popularity when elected councils are failing in their duty to serve the community. Article 4 needs to be implemented nationwide as a matter of urgency, like yesterday, or face the wrath of the electorate in 4 years. Landlords buying up family homes to turn them into HMOs for immigrants is never going to be popular and will blight communities for decades come.

Healthcare, another big one. Millions can't afford dentistry or get an NHS dentist. The government has a 10 year plan but to be frank that doesn't cut it from my perspective. It could be fixed today by simply paying dentists for what needs doing....the cost can be raised via taxation or cuts....but this needs to be resolved now not tomorrow.

This is just a couple but two of many that Farage will use to gain the keys to number 10.

It's obvious from my perspective that Reform are going to win unless the government is brave enough to tackle these issues.

I'm a LABOUR voter who won't vote for Farage but I will guarantee you one thing unless the government gets a grip then Reform are going into number 10

Whichever side of the divide you're on, hate never solved any problems; it just causes more.

Honestly, from this post from you, you are part of the problem that is creating disunity.

I'll tell you what creates more harmonious relationships and societies. Curiosity. Genuine curiousity about other people's opinions and why they hold them. Listening carefully and without judgement to what people say, so that you are listening to truly understand them, their experiences and their perspectives. And listening to find the common ground between them and you, so that you can build from there.

Instead, you have decided that these people are inexplicably utterly wrong, their opinions have no merit and you are scrabbling around to explain how they see the world so wrongly.

Be the change you want to see. Go out with geunine judgement free curiousity and listening. And remember, listening means being prepared to have your mind changed by what the other person says. Don't go out waiting to find out why they are wrong. Go out being prepared to openly and honestly understand their experiences and views from their perspectives, and be prepared to change your opinions.

@someepeoplearenice Who are "these people" that you're referring to?

I'm talking about hate on both sides of the divide.

The ones you are refering to in your short post that I quoted.

@someepeoplearenice People who blame others for having nothing? Surely that is what is being used to divide and conquer? It's one of the biggest issues facing this country today. People on both sides of the political spectrum should be able to find a common ground. Even when people disagree strongly, most share some core values.

Again you are demonstrating a lack of curiosity. You have already decided what you think.

You can't find common ground if you have already decided 'that lot' over there are wrong, and 'this lot' are doing 'that' and its for ' these' reasons.

Curiousity and openess are needed to overcome division. There is no point parading the virtue of finding the common ground if you lack the curiousity and openess to be able to do that.

@someepeoplearenice I've never said that I'm immune to this rhetoric, only that there must be another way?

Encourage curiosity in yourself, in your children if you have any, in your friends. Encourage your schools to hire ' Not the easy way' to come in. They teach kids how to have conversations with people they think they disagree with. Be the change.

I may be wrong, but I am guessing you would describe your politics as on the left. I used to be too. Now homeless. I have got so tired, for decades now, of hearing left voting people complain about how ' division' is being caused by those ' blaming immigrants'. Actually people have had genuine and legitimate concerns. And whenever they tried to talk about them they were called stupid and racist. And that led to Brexit, and Reform and here we are. And still the left have learnt nothing and still have this narrative of people being divided and blaming immigrants. Learnt nothing. Nothing at all. Because the left just aren't listening. Farage has not created concerns, he has tapped into concerns people already had. Doing that is what led to Trump's victory too. Farage and Trump are not sinister characters in this regard. They are just very good at doing what is needed to do well in a democracy. That is, listening to what voters say is troubling them, say it troubles you too, and then say you will do something about it.

@someepeoplearenice I'm neither left or right. Just sick of all the hate on both sides. I've not had an easy life either. I had my first child very young, was made homeless by my SD and lived in a bedsit with my newborn. Plaid Cymru has just won in my area, which has left many people angry.

When I lived in my bedsit, I was what a lot of people called a scrounger. I eventually received an education in the early 1990s by attending night classes. I ended up working for people with disabilities.
I'm scared about what is happening now. My DD is half Jamaican and has faced a rise in discrimination even though she was born here, so was her DD and GD.

I'm sorry to hear about the racism your daughter is facing.

I do suspect one of the causes behind this rise is because people's legitimate concerns about high levels of immigration have been ignored for decades. Not just ignored but they were shamed and insulted for expressing their experiences. Then add onto that the fact that many key parts of the fabric of our society are not seen to be working (housing, nhs etc) and there's a perfect storm of discontent.

@someepeoplearenice We are living in scary times. I'm not really concerned about myself. There's not much that could happen to me that's not already happened. I'm more concerned about people like my DD.

its all well and good to say ‘listen’ and people have ‘legitimate concerns’ but quite honestly when I’ve listened to them it’s the same right wing nonsense. They are convinced immigrants get put in 5 star hotels and are given cars, mobile phones and first choice in housing above any other ‘indigenous’ person with legitimate needs. It’s all based on rhetoric not fact and what they’ve heard Nigel or the bloke down the pub saying. Honestly I’m waiting with baited breath to hear the ‘legitimate concerns’ that are actually legitimate.

The truth is that there are of course problems with immigration, like there are problems with most parts of society but the point is that we are trained to blame the person ‘below’ us for the perceived unfairness of our situation whilst we doff our cap to the ones above us who are making sure we stay as un united as possible. It’s a win win for them.

@someepeoplearenice You've been on my mind today. Hope you are OK.