I can’t stand intolerant people

I was linked to a post on Political Scrapbook this week, a blog which seems to mostly cover UK politics from the sort of left–wing perspective that makes you want to pat in on the head and pinch its cheek. The post in question highlighted the genocide–worthy activities of the York University Young Conservatives (YUYC), a bunch of incredibly distasteful foetuses who have taken to the Tory stereotype like a particularly fascist duck to a pond full of army uniforms. There were the usual arse–faced drunk Facebook photographs, of course. But mixed in with these were some unbelievable ‘hilarious’ posters offering a buffet of horrible, insulting slogans like a Cadbury’s selection box of human faeces.

The worst of the lot is the photo of George Osbourne holding the Budget aloft with “They See Me Cuttin’, They Hatin’” written underneath, although the one with Cameron laughing at people who will have to pay for their own education is pretty bad. You might be happy for these people to express their political views as an exercise in Freedom of Expression, but you’re forgetting that your opinion is incorrect while mine is quite the opposite. So be quiet and let me tell you a thing or two.

Frankly, I could take or leave Political Scrapbook. I’ve flicked through, and as they state themselves, it’s mostly gossip and rumour. Finger–pointing, that kind of thing. The sort of character–building stuff that trains up student politicians to become the self–cleaning cat’s arsehole they’ve dreamed of being since their A-Level Politics lessons. But I don’t mind it because, on the whole, it’s just poking fun at silly things. If you remove the silly things from the world of internet opinion–sharing, you’re left with MySpace. And nobody wants that.

But the YUYC group pisses me off a little more because it’s just creating a closed–off social group, and then shitting on those who aren’t within the circle. I don’t do politics because it bores me witless and because there are few genuine debates nowadays, but no matter what sphere of human smuggery you try to engage in, be it academia, government or otherwise, there are always those eager to divide people up and emphasise difference.

My position works because I don’t differentiate – I have a badge with words on to that effect; I simply hate everyone. The alternative is to try to like everyone. Elizabeth Lesser is a cofounder of America’s Omega Institute, dedicated to adult education. She gave a TED talk about the benefit of taking someone you disagree with to lunch. It’s a good talk, you should watch it, but the take–home message was that divisions generally don’t help people. We end up in the state we are politically – a state where we don’t want to discuss the issues, and instead governments fight on public image, pandering to large demographics, and bullshit.

Now for all you care, I think Elizabeth Lesser is a hack. Because my position is that you can all go fuck yourselves. More to the point, I’d rather tear apart and devour the chargrilled carcasses of the YUYC than take them out to lunch and understand them. But that doesn’t mean you should. So be sure not to let us ever get as hate–filled and feckless as York University, and be sure to invite the Tories the next time you make dinner plans.