MNHQ, I would be interested to hear your views on the level of vitriol & personal abuse that has been posted today (08/05/2015)

[magimedi]

I am amazed that no one from HQ has intervened on any of the (very many) political threads that have descended into name calling & personal abuse.

Selfishcuntydupe has summed up everything I want to say with this post:

"Yes - the hatred, the bile, the vitriol at people who simply put a cross in a different box. And the baby killing nonsensical hyperbole posted across this site. It's hysterical. Utterly, hysterical.

And no,the Tories here can never win because whatever they post, no matter how sane and objective , it will be used against them to accuse them of being a smug rich, bastard or as evidence that they are heartless.

No one predicted the election outcome because good, decent people stayed silent and quietly voted to avoid the bile , the bullying and the abuse they were seeing heaped upon those who did speak up.

MN admin - I would advise you to look very very closely at what some of your members are saying and how they are behaving or it may bite you on the arse too. This is an amazing website but some of the posts today are shameful."


I know that this site is moderated with a very light hand, but I think you have failed by not intervening today.

Not even an from you.

[JulyKit]

It's called AIBU, Sparkling.

[Sparklingbrook]

July. I thought AIBU was 'Petty Gripes'.

[DaysAreWhereWeLive]

A Conservative vote is the 'I'm alright Jack' vote and, well, there are millions of families who are not alright, and who were desperately hoping for some sign of humanity and concern from the rest of society today.

That that didn't happen is utterly hard to swallow, and I'm buggered if I'll be quiet about it.

[MargoReadbetter]

Why are the Tory voters not out celebrating the triumph of greed over decency for another 5 years? Why start goady threads on MN?

[ChristianGreyIsAJackass]

I think I am going to have to hida MN for a bit, i amabsolutely astounded at the level of hatred and crap!

The independant report linked to above says 'looking to' it isn't even 24 hours since the polls closed, there is nobody in parliament at the minute, nobody deciding anything of this nature, this story was lined up well before a vote was cast. Nothing has changed, decision wise, since yesterday.

Bloody bandwagons!

[LadyStark]

Mintyy - happy to.

For me it's about the economy, I run a small a business and I believe a strong economy is good for everyone. I want good social policies but we need the money to pay for them.

I would prefer to see policies that support people into the workplace and the employment figures over the last five years were part of the reason I swung Tory this time. For me it's the give a man a fish vs teach a man to fish argument.

I didn't feel that Labour made a credible case on these issues. Everyone would have had to make difficult decisions over the last five years and would have needed to do so for the next five.

Unfortunately the people who rely on the state will always be disproportionately impacted by cuts, that's just basic maths, you can't reduce money from those you don't give it to.

[ChristianGreyIsAJackass]

Terrible typos sorry

[ChristianGreyIsAJackass]

LadyStark, i absolutely agree

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

The last few weeks have been full of personal attacks though. I've been called names whilst calmly and politely trying to discuss UKIP policies with people who've said they're going to vote for them. Some downright offensive things about Ed Miliband were allowed to stand for days and may even still be there.
I agree there's no need for name calling but if the Conservative voters ignore the Labour wound licking threads rather than sticking their heads in to tell people to suck it up then things would be a lot calmer.

[MargoReadbetter]

ChristianGray... fancy you, with a name like that, on a thread about insults.

[TheOneWiththeNicestSmile]

Gordon Brown was said to be scaremongering about Sure Start being rolled back and of course the coalition didn't do anything of the kind did exactly that.

So what odds on Ed's 'scaremongering' turning out to be exactly what happens

[SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed]

I think Tory voters have to understand that a lot of people are scared about what is in store for them. And it's not just a different opinion, it's a government that has the potential to make life even more difficult for people who are already vulnerable and struggling.

[morage]

Yes, people are scared. That is why emotions are so high.

[ChristianGreyIsAJackass]

But Saskia, there is no indication that Labour could have done it much differently, they may have wanted to, but if the money isn't there it isn't there!

[ChristianGreyIsAJackass]

Margo, you are quite correct, it is a namechange i used ages ago and not my regular posting name, i changed it for a potentially 'outing' comment recently.

My apologies, he is probably lovely...

[ChristianGreyIsAJackass]

and of course fictional

[butterflyballs]

When the op states that "good decent people stayed silent and just quietly voted" it seems to be some sort of attack on people who have voiced opinion. Not everyone who voices opinion has done it in a form of personal attack and there have been a lot of goady fuckers about today.

[Hassled]

I've largely stayed away today because I am very disappointed and because I knew I couldn't cope with any gloating. I'm sorry that there has been personal abuse - however gutted I am, I still understand how a democracy works. People shouldn't lose sight of how lucky we are.

[LadyStark]

Any government has the potential to make life more difficult for people who rely on state services - again, that's just how it works.

How do you think Labour would have cut the same amount without any impact on services/levels of payment? I actually haven't heard a proper answer to this question.

[JasperDamerel]

But the money isn't actually not there. Countries which borrowed money to avoid austerity have faster growing economies, with more successful small businesses than the UK which has done pretty badly in comparison.

[Pagwatch]

Its all pretty crap and self defeating tbh.

I have voted labour all my life. I voted lib dem this time as it is, or rather was, the only viable alternative in my constituency.

Coming on MN to argue with right wingers is one thing but the sweeping generalisations made about 'thick, ignorant, racist' Tories just stops any attempt to engage with voters who are making a choice without strong ideological views - which many are.

The irony of those who bemoan the divide and rule politics stigmatising all people who contemplate voting Tory is terrible.
If you name call and label and treat people as if they are beyond contempt you will not change their minds. You just make them feel isolated and marginalised. It's pretty tragic.
Playing out the very division we keep claiming to loath.

[morage]

LadyStark - I don't know. I am just scared of what now happens to disabled people like myself.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

Totally agree with you OP. A dark, disappointing day on MN. A lot of posters I won't be able to forget about in a hurry.

[LadyStark]

Like Greece? That's working out really well.

Every economy has it's own quirks and comparative studies are actually not that effective. And in this instance it is a straw man.

Labour didn't say they'd borrow more money, they accepted the premise of cuts.

[Baddz]

People are scared, and angry.
They fear they will lose their jobs, their homes and that their dc will go hungry.
They fear the sell off of the NHS and social housing.
There is lots to be scared of, IMHO.