Brexit

[TheOstrich]

We have been a divided country for a long time; Brexit has just shone a light on some of those divisions.

Precisely. At least we are being more honest about how we see this country now.

Whether that is ultimately healthy or more dangerous for society remains to be seen ....

[Workingman]

We have been a divided country for a long time; Brexit has just shone a light on some of those divisions.

Ah yes, Brexit, the force for good.

It certainly has allowed the people to challenge the elites' claim that multi-culti was all fine and dandy, but we always did that. Now it is being listened to, and that is a good thing.

However, it has also released the dark side of our society where opposing views are simply trashed and not debated. It is becoming a 'my dad is bigger than your dad' or 'we can shout louder than you' sort of thing, and I share Ossie's concerns about where it will end up.

[cromwell]

However, it has also released the dark side of our society where opposing views are simply trashed and not debated.

That is true, but that is what we've come to and it has been building for years.

We have essentially a political elite who are more or less unrepresentative of the population. They do not see themselves as the representatives of the people, but as the rulers of the people; and they have not been listening to ordinary people for years. Their atitude has been "We are going to do it whether they like it or not, and they can get used to it afterwards". Examples being mass immigration and joining the EEC.

Eventually, this has led to where we are now. Intolerance of the views of others. Why should we listen to them, when they haven't been listening to us for years? It's an attitude that has spread.

Add as well the higher education system, which seems to instruct young people in what is acceptable to think, rather than encouraging them to think for themselves, and you end up with absolutism; with people who think that only their views can possibly be right and anyone who disagrees is a Racist / Daily Mail reader / Fascist / Bigot / Homophobe / Xenophobe or whatever.

[AliasAggers]

Add as well the higher education system, which seems to instruct young people in what is acceptable to think, rather than encouraging them to think for themselves, and you end up with absolutism; with people who think that only their views can possibly be right and anyone who disagrees is a Racist / Daily Mail reader / Fascist / Bigot / Homophobe / Xenophobe or whatever.

Cromwell: You have summed up well what has gone wrong in this country over recent years,
and I agree with all that you say. However, I can't see any way that things can be changed,
unless it be brought about by some cataclysmic event that I dread to put a name to.

[Workingman]

Add as well the higher education system........

Be careful not to let standard education off the hook. Inculcation rather than education has been in place for many years, certainly in PSHE, Citizenship and Sex education. There are certain 'norms' promoted within these subjects and any pupil challenging them runs the risk of being 'tagged' no matter how well formed their differing views are.