I think what really makes me depressed is that no matter who wins, the win will be attributable to playing fast and loose with the truth, appealing to people's worst emotions, and cheap Internet memes at the level of "Gove looks like a swivel eyed loon in this picture therefore you should vote Remain" and that means we will see more of the same in future and I can't believe that is good.
Greater engagement may be a good thing, but I feel at the moment its just greater engagement with some kind of celebrity mud-slinging match that would be farcical were it not so tragic.
My feeling is that the tone of the thing changed on Jo Cox's murder. Before that, yes, all very superficial, let us laugh at ugly unpopular Gove, make jibes about foolishnesses that David Cameron may or may not have committed as a student, let us wage surreal battle upon the Thames and talk about immigrants and refugees as if they could not actually hear us.
After though... It is a strange and amazing day when Mark's gin-mad aunty Jenny turns up on facebook to make a long post about sovereignty and economics. People keep posting things that I would not quite expect from them...
Perhaps I *am* chaotic neutral, but I am finding it all very fascinating, this process of watching a nation make up its mind deprived of all the usual filters of party politics.
no subject
I think what really makes me depressed is that no matter who wins, the win will be attributable to playing fast and loose with the truth, appealing to people's worst emotions, and cheap Internet memes at the level of "Gove looks like a swivel eyed loon in this picture therefore you should vote Remain" and that means we will see more of the same in future and I can't believe that is good.
Greater engagement may be a good thing, but I feel at the moment its just greater engagement with some kind of celebrity mud-slinging match that would be farcical were it not so tragic.
no subject
After though... It is a strange and amazing day when Mark's gin-mad aunty Jenny turns up on facebook to make a long post about sovereignty and economics. People keep posting things that I would not quite expect from them...
Perhaps I *am* chaotic neutral, but I am finding it all very fascinating, this process of watching a nation make up its mind deprived of all the usual filters of party politics.