Religion and Ethics Forum
General Category => Politics & Current Affairs => Topic started by: Harrowby Hall on August 09, 2016, 07:50:51 AM
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Rather than insert this topic into one of the existing threads I thought it more appropriate to start a new one. The existing threads have now descended into orgies of recrimination and nastiness, anyway, so let's hope that will can have a little rational discussion before the inevitable happens.
Did anyone else watch the BBC2 programme on the EU referendum campaign last night?
My overwhelming impression was that it presented the United Kingdom as a country with politicians - on both sides - as being shallow, self-serving, barely competent, lacking strategic vision and venal. A country not at ease with itself and not at ease with the world in the 21st century.
It was conceived by a prime minister for purely party management purposes who lacked the perception that it might not give the result he desired. The remain campaign was run by people who largely ignored the noises coming from the electorate.
The exit campaign tapped into fears expressed by elements of the electorate which they then magnified and distorted, dismissing any rational objection as a lie.
It certainly asked questions about the nature of government in the United Kingdom. My conclusion was that the whole process was flawed, poorly managed and a travesty of "democracy".
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Rather than insert this topic into one of the existing threads I thought it more appropriate to start a new one. The existing threads have now descended into orgies of recrimination and nastiness, anyway, so let's hope that will can have a little rational discussion before the inevitable happens.
Did anyone else watch the BBC2 programme on the EU referendum campaign last night?
My overwhelming impression was that it presented the United Kingdom as a country with politicians - on both sides - as being shallow, self-serving, barely competent, lacking strategic vision and venal. A country not at ease with itself and not at ease with the world in the 21st century.
It was conceived by a prime minister for purely party management purposes who lacked the perception that it might not give the result he desired. The remain campaign was run by people who largely ignored the noises coming from the electorate.
The exit campaign tapped into fears expressed by elements of the electorate which they then magnified and distorted, dismissing any rational objection as a lie.
It certainly asked questions about the nature of government in the United Kingdom. My conclusion was that the whole process was flawed, poorly managed and a travesty of "democracy".
I've been away so I must catch-up on that one - but I'll wager that it doesn't spend too much time investigating the failure of the BBC to take politicians to task when they were repeating obvious lies!
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Will also watch on catch-up.
For those who use podcasts the Guardian 'Long-Reads' series is always worthwhile, where this recent episode on the failings of the 'Remain' camp is well worth a listen (free on ITunes).
Guardian 'long-reads' on remain failings (https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2016/jul/15/how-remain-failed-the-inside-story-of-a-doomed-campaign)
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It's quite depressing really. If the LEAVE Campaign had been selling soap powder the Advertising Standards Authority would have taken them apart! Yet with something so much more important, all the lies and misrepresentations just went unchallenged.
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Dear Harrowby,
Cameron, and I quote.
Whatever you decide I will do my best to deliver
His best, see ya later. >:(
Gonnagle.
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Not a bad programme, although I thought it was curious how it ignored Scotland, but I suppose she was focusing on Leave areas. Some of the Leave voters struck me as very naive - expecting money for the NHS, and really thinking that politicians will now devote time to neglected areas such as Sunderland? Also quite funny in a morbid way that Sunderland has 3% foreign immigrants - wow, they're really over-run.
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Not a bad programme, although I thought it was curious how it ignored Scotland, but I suppose she was focusing on Leave areas. Some of the Leave voters struck me as very naive - expecting money for the NHS, and really thinking that politicians will now devote time to neglected areas such as Sunderland? Also quite funny in a morbid way that Sunderland has 3% foreign immigrants - wow, they're really over-run.
Amazing how the people of Sunderland totally failed to see any connection between EU membership and Nissan - one of the major employers in the area. "Turkeys voting for Christmas"
My wife used to work for the NHS and still has friends who still work there. She was amazed to discover that they were voting for Leave because they actually believed THE BIG LIE - that a large part of that £350m per week would go to the NHS!