Absolutely spot on, thank you. I try to be very careful when reading newspaper headlines and watching and listening to the media. In fact I don’t trust newspapers or the media. I try to follow people who tell the truth no matter how difficult it is to hear. What we see here is a mirror of what is happening in America and it’s frightening! In my 77 years I have not witnessed so much lying and obfuscation as we see today. Thank goodness for yourself and the likes of Carole Cadwalladr!
The old adage of don’t believe everything you read in the newspapers is so true still. Also don’t believe everything you see on tv or online. Especially if the source is GB News, Daily Mail and Express, The Sun, Telegraph,Times and all the others.
Of course by far the biggest outlet for lies and misinformation is Reform Uk and Farage along with Tice and their lemmings
Over and over again I see this deep "concern" about sexual harassment or assault on women but ONLY if the person accused of assault is a foreigner. I always ask, how many demonstrations have you organised when a local man has been accused of harassing a teenage girl, or worse? Do you picket his house and demand he move out? Answer comes there none.
I grew up in a declining Northern town, entirely white, where certain men would groom young teenage girls, using local pubs. They were given no trouble, as long as they didn't pick the "wrong" girls, from the respectable working class families. There was zero protection for teenage girls seen as "easy" eg the vulnerable. And we all had to put up with sexual harassment growing up there, and were expected to smile about it.
I bet half these concerned citizens in Epping have sex pests and real sex offenders in their family and close friendship groups.
You're absolutely right. If this was about keeping children safe, the same people would have picketed the Catholic Church, the Church of England, children's homes, and countless other organisations where institutionalised child abuse occurred, and occurs.
Oh it sounds so simple and easy when you put it into writing but when I am faced with a few people with a friend of a friend who knows someone who knows of a person who immigrated to the uk and is living high on the hog of the bountiful benefits 🙄 they seem to have an answer to all reason and I worry that far from helping I have cemented their beliefs more firmly. Not saying I give up - just need to keep the wisdom of bear close to hand. Thanks as ever for the eloquence.🙂
The very real problem here Bear is the surprising news that even the amoebic low life are learning to adapt, perhaps even (one can but pray) 'feeling' the impact of being called out for what they are - racist, xenophobic, homophobic scum. Perhaps those barbs might be getting through?
Once again though, and by now you'll be sick of my stance, we sit and pass judgement from upon high without any form of empathy whatsoever. Many of these people will have genuine concerns. Many will not possess the wherewithal to investigate objectively and draw grown up conclusions, many will simply be frightened by what they see and experience and blame the poor sods served up to them (by the real parasites) as 'responsible' for them having no jobs, no prospects, no benefits and no health service.
This, imho, must always remain a long term campaign of education and uncovering of the dishonest avarice sitting at its heart. Hopefully just as they have begun to respond to the barbs and language aimed at them they might eventually respond to a form of drip fed factual education as to the true root causes of their combined plights. Lets face it, time is on the side of the educators here as the thieving grifting scum who are the true crooks are going nowhere soon with our current setup!
I’m trying to understand or reimagine how we can create that conduit which funnels our ‘concern’, ‘anger’ upwards so that a meaningful dialogue can be effected.
The manipulative language used by the far right is really worrying, and it's clear it's being used at every opportunity to ramp up hatred of asylum seekers and others who 'aren't in our club/aren't like us'. It's how every right wing dictatorship starts: by 'othering' a certain group of people. The question is, how can people be persuaded to listen to the truth? It's not working well right now.
It’s quite clear Farage and Reform don’t possess any original thoughts. It’s ALL coming from the Trump playbook. Where’s their personal credibility if they have to resort to that for their manifesto.
It's disheartening when these posts come from people in your circle who still refuse to listen. I am just debunking 30pLee with his headlines today. Thanks, Bear, as ever, for being the sensible adult in the room that saves us from the pit that is X.
Odd that Reform are talking about cracking down on crime and building more prisons when I suspect it will be largely their supporters who will fill those jails. I mean, you don’t get a lot of Greens committing violent crimes or rioting at immigration centres.
Beautifully said ! If only ‘concerned’ people would read such a piece and take it on board. The battle to make yourself heard in a world where so many take what they see and hear on social media as gospel feels like a constant one. I feel you may be preaching to the converted here on Substack.
Absolutely spot on, thank you. I try to be very careful when reading newspaper headlines and watching and listening to the media. In fact I don’t trust newspapers or the media. I try to follow people who tell the truth no matter how difficult it is to hear. What we see here is a mirror of what is happening in America and it’s frightening! In my 77 years I have not witnessed so much lying and obfuscation as we see today. Thank goodness for yourself and the likes of Carole Cadwalladr!
The old adage of don’t believe everything you read in the newspapers is so true still. Also don’t believe everything you see on tv or online. Especially if the source is GB News, Daily Mail and Express, The Sun, Telegraph,Times and all the others.
Of course by far the biggest outlet for lies and misinformation is Reform Uk and Farage along with Tice and their lemmings
Over and over again I see this deep "concern" about sexual harassment or assault on women but ONLY if the person accused of assault is a foreigner. I always ask, how many demonstrations have you organised when a local man has been accused of harassing a teenage girl, or worse? Do you picket his house and demand he move out? Answer comes there none.
I grew up in a declining Northern town, entirely white, where certain men would groom young teenage girls, using local pubs. They were given no trouble, as long as they didn't pick the "wrong" girls, from the respectable working class families. There was zero protection for teenage girls seen as "easy" eg the vulnerable. And we all had to put up with sexual harassment growing up there, and were expected to smile about it.
I bet half these concerned citizens in Epping have sex pests and real sex offenders in their family and close friendship groups.
You're absolutely right. If this was about keeping children safe, the same people would have picketed the Catholic Church, the Church of England, children's homes, and countless other organisations where institutionalised child abuse occurred, and occurs.
But, they don't. And we all know why they don't.
Oh it sounds so simple and easy when you put it into writing but when I am faced with a few people with a friend of a friend who knows someone who knows of a person who immigrated to the uk and is living high on the hog of the bountiful benefits 🙄 they seem to have an answer to all reason and I worry that far from helping I have cemented their beliefs more firmly. Not saying I give up - just need to keep the wisdom of bear close to hand. Thanks as ever for the eloquence.🙂
The very real problem here Bear is the surprising news that even the amoebic low life are learning to adapt, perhaps even (one can but pray) 'feeling' the impact of being called out for what they are - racist, xenophobic, homophobic scum. Perhaps those barbs might be getting through?
Once again though, and by now you'll be sick of my stance, we sit and pass judgement from upon high without any form of empathy whatsoever. Many of these people will have genuine concerns. Many will not possess the wherewithal to investigate objectively and draw grown up conclusions, many will simply be frightened by what they see and experience and blame the poor sods served up to them (by the real parasites) as 'responsible' for them having no jobs, no prospects, no benefits and no health service.
This, imho, must always remain a long term campaign of education and uncovering of the dishonest avarice sitting at its heart. Hopefully just as they have begun to respond to the barbs and language aimed at them they might eventually respond to a form of drip fed factual education as to the true root causes of their combined plights. Lets face it, time is on the side of the educators here as the thieving grifting scum who are the true crooks are going nowhere soon with our current setup!
I’m trying to understand or reimagine how we can create that conduit which funnels our ‘concern’, ‘anger’ upwards so that a meaningful dialogue can be effected.
The manipulative language used by the far right is really worrying, and it's clear it's being used at every opportunity to ramp up hatred of asylum seekers and others who 'aren't in our club/aren't like us'. It's how every right wing dictatorship starts: by 'othering' a certain group of people. The question is, how can people be persuaded to listen to the truth? It's not working well right now.
It’s quite clear Farage and Reform don’t possess any original thoughts. It’s ALL coming from the Trump playbook. Where’s their personal credibility if they have to resort to that for their manifesto.
It's disheartening when these posts come from people in your circle who still refuse to listen. I am just debunking 30pLee with his headlines today. Thanks, Bear, as ever, for being the sensible adult in the room that saves us from the pit that is X.
👏👏👏👏
Odd that Reform are talking about cracking down on crime and building more prisons when I suspect it will be largely their supporters who will fill those jails. I mean, you don’t get a lot of Greens committing violent crimes or rioting at immigration centres.
As ever spot on- especially the weasel words from pub landlords and slippery Reform
Bang on the money, Sir.
Spot on.
Excellent article👏🏼👍🏼
Beautifully said ! If only ‘concerned’ people would read such a piece and take it on board. The battle to make yourself heard in a world where so many take what they see and hear on social media as gospel feels like a constant one. I feel you may be preaching to the converted here on Substack.