Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Politics as Personal

I found myself today thinking about the use of Twitter for making political points, especially when aimed at individuals. This was the result of three seperate things: a blog by my brother, Dan Hodges' articles supporting Boris over Ken and Louise Mensch favouriting some of the tweets she receives attacking her that have crossed a line inton misogyny.

Firstly I have to admit to having been quite rude about and to politicians on Twitter. I like to think I've never crossed the line into dumb abuse but I'd be a hypocrite not to recognise my own role in this limited though it is.

Secondly it made me think about how personally I take politics and accordingly how one reacts when someone you disagree with is pontificating in a public forum, e.g. the House of Commons, Question Time etc and how easy it is to throw up an instant, rude judgement. I suppose it is part of the fun of Twitter particularly. After all it is incredibly difficult to have a serious debate on a political issue in 140 characters.

I do take politics seriously - probably too seriously for some people. I also admit to having the blinkers of an old-schoolish leftie with a visceral hatred of the Conservative Party. I'm aware that this makes it hard for me ever to see the positives in any arguement or policy put forward by a Tory, even when it might actually make sense (which is rarely obviously) and I'm aware that it makes me look for excuses for bad arguements, bad policies or bad behaviour by Labour politicians. It's dangerously tribal and to repeat words I used in a tweet earlier today I'm starting to believe that political parties whilst making elections simpler to manage and allowing MPs from all backgrounds to be elected - should they miraculously be able to get themselves in between all the public school Oxbridge mob - they are damaging for democracy.

I also have built up a layer of cynicism about politicians that leads me to think of them - or a lot of them - as one body of careerist, ego-scoffing parasites who demands things of the people that they rule that they themselves seem incapable of doing: where are the cuts to MPs pensions, demands for performance related pay, less holidays etc for them. Plus there's the artificial civility that means you can't call a politician a liar to his face, even when he or she is demonstrably lying but that a speech at the dispatch box can contain lie after lie and no one bats an eyelid. The Speaker won't tolerate rudeness but seems happy to tolerate repeated lies or spin.

That attitude means it is easy to think 'oh that's just a politician, I pay their wages and if I want to be rude to them then that's my democratic right.' But that's not going to help win an argument and it isn't going to help us free political debate and discourse from the lowest common denominator levels to which it has sunk now.

Social media should open up a channel for us to debate those who disagree with us in a civilised, intelligent manner and not just be an excuse for partisan abuse and tribal short-sightedness. It won't be easy and it means politicians themselves who use social media should do so in a less tribal manner to. After all feeding the prejudices of your own party is easy but it could be something truly beneficial to democracy.

The question is can we do it?