2014-01-08

The 'Get over it' crew, version 2.0

I wonder if the various pro-OBA commentators on the Gazette and Bernews realize how shrill they sound when they try to shout down anything that dares challenge the current ruling government's policies?

Case in point: the government's about-turn on a pre-election promise to plan a referendum on legislated gambling. A group of people are not happy with the choice, and want to petition against that move. Suddenly, they are being lambasted by a vociferous pro-OBA support base.

Haven't they learned anything from when a pro-PLP support base used to rake them over the coals for daring to talk bad about the previous government's policies? At all?

The issue is *not* about pro- or anti-gambling. It's about breaking election promises. It's about turning a biased referendum question into a "take our ball and go home" moment and not following through on pledges. It's about going an entire year of hemming and hawing and then going in a completely different direction, shocking the public.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

While I agree with you in this case, your wider point really irks me. People are quick to draw parallels between the pro-OBA and pro-PLP crows. The parallel only has substance if you deny the white-collar rape/pillage of Bermuda committed by the PLP. Blind OBA supporters are a blessing.

Tryangle said...

Can't agree with you on blind supporters, of any political stripe, being considered a blessing, unless it serves to highlight the actual process of being a blind supporter. I'd rather see measured and thoughtful debate and discussion on individual policies, decisions and even parties, than terms like 'sheeple', 'kool aid' and 'get over it' bandied about to put down opposing viewpoints.

Don't get me wrong, there are some online voices which are engaged in pure ill-schemed demogaugery and should be ignored as such.

Perhaps I need to illustrate more clearly how the inverse situation turned many people off online commentating, during the heyday of the Prog Minds blog, which was before the time of Bernews and other newsmedia supporting article commentaries. The full 180 going on nowadays is nearly as bad.

Tryangle said...

And just to follow up, proof again:

The first two posted comments include terms like "constant attention seekers", "bunch of former political losers" and "Get a life losers!!"

Surely we can reply in a more mature fashion than that, even if we disagree with the item up for discussion?