The current bitterly divided state of the United States should be a warning to us. In reality the policies of the Democrats and the Republicans have not been all that far apart: both are deeply in hock to billionaire backers and corporate donors, and both support mildly differing forms of the status quo. Yet Trump has managed to whip up real hatred in his support base against 'liberals', to the point where there are real fears of further large scale armed terrorist acts. To my mind, politics is or should be primarily about where we stand regarding the huge economic inequalities in our society and what we are going to do about it, not about often trivial differences in social attitudes. If we want to avoid following the terrible example of the United States, we need to avoid falling into the 'culture wars' trap, which has been invented as a diversion from the real issues. Using abusive terms like 'woke' and 'virtue signalling', straight out of the Daily Mail playbook, to attack people with whom one disagrees on social issues is a tactic intended to create deep divisions. Of course there are people who go over the top to the point of silliness in their support for their chosen cause, just as there are extreme conservatives who are opposed to all social change. Both can fairly be criticised, but there is no need for the abuse and name-calling, or we will end up down the same road as the USA.
In my view you were doing ok until your last paragraph. I view "wokes" as one of the problems. Being extreme sometimes and very left leaning they tend to look down on ordinary people with much disdain and regard them as either stupid or uneducated. I will continue to use the term "woke" in an abusive context as and when I feel like it.
Maybe they don’t look down on anyone other than those who choose to deliberately abuse them with terms such as “woke”
Certainly not mine, or anybody else I know in this country. I have never seen the term anywhere but the Daily Mail.
Interesting. I didn’t know the origin of the term and have only ever seen it used in an abusive way, either in the (more) right wing media or, sadly, on here. I guess that means there are some who might be proud to be labelled “woke”. But it seems that it is more often used in an abusive way (e.g. à la @andypandy) to attempt to provoke a reaction.
Woke has been used regularly in Westminster during the last 12 months. I watch BBC parliament occasionally if you want my source.
My points were that 'culture wars' are a diversion from the real issues, and that using political insults to demonise people you disagree with has led to a disastrous situation in the USA, and we should not go down that road. Your point was that you would "continue to use the term "woke" in an abusive context as and when I feel like it", which is precisely the attitude I think we should avoid. Surely we can disagree on issues without name-calling and abuse?
Even if you totally disagree,ahh right don’t disagree with anything especially that which you disagree with? Free speech isn’t what it was,well not if the leftist liberals have their own way,I believe you’re entering dangerous territory there. Have a look at Hard Talk (BBC) with the Alan Dershowitz interview,it may give you some perspective.
“The kneeling thing”,have to be careful there as there are more sensitive folk here that may insinuate that’s racist,or at least casually racist. Be careful,they all tend to misconstrue and take offence very easily and for god’s sake don’t mention woke.