Good post Proth.
When you get a large number of voters that are determined to support or believe proven liars with no real solutions there are two elements at play. One is as you highlight an element that is simply racism, it will be denied by the usual suspects but it is there undoubtedly.
The second, and this leads into the 1st, is social media. This is the 1st real generation of politicians that have had to deal with social media and the magnification of lies and half truths that get pumped out there with far more effect than manifestos, door knocking or party political broadcasts ever could. Add to that the very recent advent of AI and you have a large enough element of the vote either believing nonsense or having their views, in many cases racist views, validated.
I'm afraid that the writing is on the wall and despite the calamities of the last couple of decades and beyond, we are yet to hit rock bottom. I suspect that will come in a much more serious form than we are seeing at the moment. In the last few days we have had groups in the midlands feeling confident enough, albeit not confident enough to show their faces in many cases, to give Nazi salutes in public. This is not a good time, and I know i joke about this with you but leaving the country is a reasonable response for people that can. Unfortunately by doing that it reduces the number of reasonable people that will debate and recognise the lies.
When you get a large number of voters that are determined to support or believe proven liars with no real solutions there are two elements at play. One is as you highlight an element that is simply racism, it will be denied by the usual suspects but it is there undoubtedly.
The second, and this leads into the 1st, is social media. This is the 1st real generation of politicians that have had to deal with social media and the magnification of lies and half truths that get pumped out there with far more effect than manifestos, door knocking or party political broadcasts ever could. Add to that the very recent advent of AI and you have a large enough element of the vote either believing nonsense or having their views, in many cases racist views, validated.
I'm afraid that the writing is on the wall and despite the calamities of the last couple of decades and beyond, we are yet to hit rock bottom. I suspect that will come in a much more serious form than we are seeing at the moment. In the last few days we have had groups in the midlands feeling confident enough, albeit not confident enough to show their faces in many cases, to give Nazi salutes in public. This is not a good time, and I know i joke about this with you but leaving the country is a reasonable response for people that can. Unfortunately by doing that it reduces the number of reasonable people that will debate and recognise the lies.