tom22 Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 Just something I was talking to my mates about at the festival...Glastonbury is completely brilliant, any person will have the time of their life their, music or no music, drugs or no drugs, booze or no booze etc. It's a great leveller, CEOs moshing with toilet cleaners, people coming together from across the world to enjoy five amazing days in Somerset, detached (as much as you can be in 2015) from the rest of the world. So open, so free, so fun...except everywhere you go there's more left wing politics drummed down your throat than you can quite take in. I understand the history of CND and the fact there's always going to be a lefty bias at these kinds of events, but it kind of feels like how I imagine it was in the height of Communist China or Cuba with the one-sided nature of things, particularly in Shangri-La and Leftfield. I don't particularly care one way or the other and certainly don't take offence to any of it, but surely it's completely contradictory to the open nature of an event like this to have it making such uncontested political statements against the democratically elected government with no opportunity for any kind of fair debate? (Bet this will get torn to shreds). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swine_Glasto2014 Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 Conservative are c***s, more bashing the better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frostypaw Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 No fair question, but it might get torn to shredsI've answered this before in a similar way - the trouble with right wing politics is it's about me me me and what I can get what can I doThis is almost entirely at odds with the festival environment where we are all in it and equal together - there's no scrabbling to get better shit for yourself so you can get more than your fellow man - the whole thing is intrinsically a "leftie" or as I prefer to call it "human and caring" eventSo no, you won't see stuff arguing for less restrictions on vendors - because the fact that the profit-hungry mass-market McDonald's and Nandos and Dominos of the world aren't there is a wonderful thingYou won't see stuff arguing for less contribution to helping other, you won't see stuff arguing for forcing people to work for minimum acceptable pay or facing sanctions, you won't see people leaving those who fall in the mud to lie in it laughing at their inability to take care of themselvesSo no, there won't be much right wing, inhumane and selfish stuff at the festival - but it's for a good reason. The festival is a wonderful and loving place precisely because it is the opposite of that.If you want to experience it the other way around go to Latitude and then a few of the Lovebox/Magic Summer type corporate events where it's half sponsored by BMW and PIMMS with VIP sections in the prime viewing areas at each stage and see how a right wing festival feels - then make your own call Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slash's hat Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 Nearly got lynched in the Greenpeace area. This guy thought I had a T-shirt with Nigel farage on it.....it was in fact Sheldon from big bang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swine_Glasto2014 Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 In all seriousness... I would imagine the guys and girls behind Shangri-la are all from the good ole days of the traveller, rave etc scenes, much are the unfairground crew aswell. And watched there life's be destroyed by the Torys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisque Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 I've had some great discussions with pro-CND's at the lock ups, Leftfield & elsewhere, being someone who is joining the Royal Navy who is responsible for our nuclear deterrent, although as METOC in the surface fleet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winslow Leach Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 Nearly got lynched in the Greenpeace area. This guy thought I had a T-shirt with Nigel farage on it.....it was in fact Sheldon from big bang. No, that wasn't a mistake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quark Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 I'd suggest you put on your tin hat and keep your head down Tom. Fundamentally the politics of the festival are left wing, so that's your starting point. It's never claimed (to my knowledge) or been held up as an apolitical platform, so although it is inclusive and welcoming to all that doesn't mean it's going to give a balance of political views. On a more political note I would argue that left wing politics is by its nature more inclusive. The politics of the Tory party are, to a greater or lesser degree, about the benefits to the few rather than the many. So left wing politics is more in keeping with the inclusive nature of the festival. My tuppence worth anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalifire Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 I think the only problem I'd have with the politics at the festival is if it claimed to be balanced. It's a festival rooted firmly on the left. It is what it is. As much as you could spend the weekend without seeing much music, the politics can be avoided as well. Nobody is ramming anything down anybody's throats. Except maybe for a few choice tents at Oxlyers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winslow Leach Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 it kind of feels like how I imagine it was in the height of Communist China Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frostypaw Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 Nobody is ramming anything down anybody's throats. Except maybe for a few choice tents at Oxlyers.No complaints at the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Amazing_Oblong Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 It's a left wing festival. Bit like going on a fishing holiday and complaining that there is too much fishing going on. If you're a right winger at a left wing festival you've made an error somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooderson Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 I was surprised/disheartened to see the poll of attendees who voted in huge numbers for the Tories being bandied about during and after the fest. As a "foreigner" one of the reasons I enjoy attending the fest is to be reminded of the progressive political left in the UK. It's not evident *enough* for me as I've mentioned to people here before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incident Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 I was surprised/disheartened to see the poll of attendees who voted in huge numbers for the Tories being bandied about during and after the fest.To be fair, wasn't that a spoof? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marktea Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 (edited) "everywhere you go there's more left wing politics drummed down your throat than you can quite take in" Two things here Tom: First, don't confuse the catch-all phrase "left wing politics" with the more accurate description of "anything that isn't traditionally thought of as right wing politics". Greenpeace is not just a "left wing" campaign and nor is CND. Sure they campaign on issues that often resonate those on "the left" but there is no reason why a politician on the right can't campaign for the environment or to get rid of our nuclear weapons. It's just that very few do. The same could be said about WaterAid and Oxfam. These are not political movements in the left / right sense, though they do highlight issues that, by their nature (in particular a focus on the effects of injustice and inequality) tend to attract more support on the left. Secondly, and most importantly, what Glastonbury tends to highlight for a few days each year is that there is far more to politics and social campaigning in this country than you might ever imagine over a whole year of simple exposure to our mainstream media. That does not mean that Glastonbury is particularly 'left wing' in terms of the views expressed, but is more of a reflection of how right wing our press and media are all the rest of the time. This does not make Glastonbury the problem, it makes it part of the solution. If you are uncomfortable with messages like these being highlighted for three days in your year then I really would suggest that it's you rather than the festival that should think about a change in outlook. Edited July 10, 2015 by marktea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musky Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BaOvM9jXKg I'm glad you posted this, saves me the bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benc Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 I was surprised/disheartened to see the poll of attendees who voted in huge numbers for the Tories being bandied about during and after the fest. As a "foreigner" one of the reasons I enjoy attending the fest is to be reminded of the progressive political left in the UK. It's not evident *enough* for me as I've mentioned to people here before. hopefully these folk had their view challenged and opinions changed over the course of the festival.. the lefty politics are congruent with (almost) everything about the festival Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Waters Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 I think that the festival is rooted in concepts such as inclusion, valuing diversity, human rights etc so it will therefore always be "left wing". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Waters Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 "everywhere you go there's more left wing politics drummed down your throat than you can quite take in" Two things here Tom: First, don't confuse the catch-all phrase "left wing politics" with the more accurate description of "anything that isn't traditionally thought of as right wing politics". Greenpeace is not just a "left wing" campaign and nor is CND. Sure they campaign on issues that often resonate those on "the left" but there is no reason why a politician on the right can't campaign for the environment or to get rid of our nuclear weapons. It's just that very few do. The same could be said about WaterAid and Oxfam. These are not political movements in the left / right sense, though they do highlight issues that, by their nature (in particular a focus on the effects of injustice and inequality) tend to attract more support on the left. Secondly, and most importantly, what Glastonbury tends to highlight for a few days each year is that there is far more to politics and social campaigning in this country than you might ever imagine over a whole year of simple exposure to our mainstream media. That does not mean that Glastonbury is particularly 'left wing' in terms of the views expressed, but is more of a reflection of how right wing our press and media are all the rest of the time. This does not make Glastonbury the problem, it makes it part of the solution. If you are uncomfortable with messages like these being highlighted for three days in your year then I really would suggest that it's you rather than the festival that should think about a change in outlook. I'm out of up votes but yes this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5co77ie Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 I think you need to look at where the origins of the Festival scene are, who and what opposed the festival scene, and who attended the events and put them together - and situations where those people were beaten up (Beanfields) and the fact Michael gave them shelter and in return they added so much to the Festival over the years. In the 80's events like glastonbury were so anti-establishment people who attended were likely to lose their jobs for threatening the system with their left wing views - certainly I lost a couple of jobs over attending back in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incident Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 hopefully these folk had their view challenged and opinions changed over the course of the festival..the lefty politics are congruent with (almost) everything about the festivalAgain, it wasn't real Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frostypaw Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 I think that the festival is rooted in concepts such as inclusion, valuing diversity, human rights etc so it will therefore always be "left wing".I genuinely can't understand how anyone sleeps at night after aligning themselves to the right-wing, as such.Part of the reason I keep coming back is the joy at being somewhere that being selfish isn't the default setting with everything else considered a bit loopy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5co77ie Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 People have short memories and forget just how much the right wing government tried to derail protest - if you went on a march you were photographed, and blacklisted. If you attended rallies you were added to a list, the undercover police embedded themselves so deeply in organisations they married with their false identities intact - this is the facts that many people seem to have forgotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pecks Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 To be fair, wasn't that a spoof? Yeah it was rubbish, someone's idea of a joke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frostypaw Posted July 10, 2015 Report Share Posted July 10, 2015 Again, it wasn't realBrilliant trolling - but still gave me a little bit of sick in my mouth. What a horror that would be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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