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The shrill and the stupid

As the Daily Telegraph continues to take its expenses scoop into the territory of flogging a dead horse, I can hardly be alone in being very disturbed by the visceral and irrational nature of much of the commentary in the blogosphere on this issue.

Almost literally, many bloggers have become part of a hanging mob. The level of hatred and vituperation against politics and politicians has reached a level of shrillness that is frankly sickening.

The kind of angry, mostly male, blogger who can literally call for politicians to be strung up- and to mean it- is becoming part of a vile and anti democratic stench that this whole sorry affair has created.

This kind of irrational, emotive drivel is what feeds Fascism.

I am very glad indeed that I am not in the UK at the moment, the atmosphere must be thoroughly poisonous. Frankly I have been sad and disappointed by what has been going on in Parliament, but the point is now to think rationally about reform and reconstruction. Continuing to tear down the democratic institutions is a very dangerous road indeed.

The way that the Telegraph is handling this story- milking it out with innuendo and inaccuracy- is deeply irresponsible.

But then again responsibility is not a word I have associated with the sinister Barclay brothers who are the proprietors of that newspaper and who presumably authorised the purchase of the stolen files, even after other newspapers are said to have declined.

Enough is enough.

Comments

Tristan said…
Behind the drivel is a valid concern.

We have a political elite which rules us and which controls and ever increasing part of our life.

Our system of elections is merely an exercise in giving a veneer of legitimacy to the ruling classes.

People are sensing this, but don't see it fully, hence the talk of stringing politicians up.

I don't see how it leads to fascism until you get someone saying they have all the answers and people fool themselves into believing it, but fascism is just an extension of the current situation rather than a sea change.
Very well said Cicero!

And no, you're not alone in your increasing concern.

Hope you're having a productive time abroad.
Agreed - we have had no coherent response to the question "if you don't like the current political system, what do you want?". I do really fear that if something fascist came along and worked quickly we could get it over us.

As for Tristran, usual libertarian crap. The reality is government doesn't control us - real control has long gone over to big business, they're the ones deciding how our society works. The extent to which the government has becoming an increasingly small player in how our society is has been striking just in my lifetime. Unless, by "political elite" you do mean the big media moguls, chairs of major companies etc. Whose expenses and wages are vastly more than MPs' of course, and how convenient it is for them that the current MPs' expenss row has led us to forget how angry we were at Sir Fred et al.
Newmania said…
Other papers declined


Ha ha ha oh do be serious CS.Otherwise I agree with your sentiments except where you imply that women are less vengeful than men.
Men may blog more but when it comes to personal vindictiveness girlies are the acknowledged champs .

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