Political equality @ Glasto...

[tom22]

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".

 

Completely get all of the above, and as I say I'm not fussed one way or the other. I just find it odd how inclusivity is at the heart of so much of Glasto, yet so much is so narrow about the spectrum of opinions you see and can have. In our group of 6 for example, I know votes in May went for at least 3 different political parties. That's our choice, it doesn't make me like/respect them or anyone else more or less. However how it can be right for things like the below to be completely fine with no other side of the argument are what I'm referring to. Where's the huge mural mocking Ed Miliband?

 

[philipsteak]

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.

 

 

To be fair, wasn't that a spoof?

 

It was, yeah

 

http://thenextweb.com/twitter/2015/06/29/too-much-of-a-tall-s-tory/

[5co77ie]

Completely get all of the above, and as I say I'm not fussed one way or the other. I just find it odd how inclusivity is at the heart of so much of Glasto, yet so much is so narrow about the spectrum of opinions you see and can have. In our group of 6 for example, I know votes in May went for at least 3 different political parties. That's our choice, it doesn't make me like/respect them or anyone else more or less. However how it can be right for things like the below to be completely fine with no other side of the argument are what I'm referring to. Where's the huge mural mocking Ed Miliband?

 

did you see what photos that mural was made of? You do realise austerity is part of an ideology don't you?

 

you do know who makes Shangri-La? You do realise they and or their kids/parents had the shit kicked out of them, were arrested and persecuted by Thatcher's private army don't you? If you don't like it - go somewhere else.

Edited July 10, 2015 by 5co77ie

[PabloCoke]

The only good Tory is a dead Tory.

[jackarmy]

Completely get all of the above, and as I say I'm not fussed one way or the other. I just find it odd how inclusivity is at the heart of so much of Glasto, yet so much is so narrow about the spectrum of opinions you see and can have. In our group of 6 for example, I know votes in May went for at least 3 different political parties. That's our choice, it doesn't make me like/respect them or anyone else more or less. However how it can be right for things like the below to be completely fine with no other side of the argument are what I'm referring to. Where's the huge mural mocking Ed Miliband?

 

 

Why should there be? As has been mentioned - Glastonbury never sets itself up as apolitical.

 

If a few Tories get upset by something like that, then great!

[pecks]

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).

 

Nothing is really rammed down your throat though is it? I'm pretty left-wing but I'm all about the music at Glastonbury. No-one rammed anything down my throat I can assure you!

 

Also, what's all this stuff about "no opportunity for any kind of fair debate"? Where did you get that from? 

 

Ultimately the festival, I think, reflects the politics of the organisers. Much as the headliners reflect their taste in music. If you don't like it (either for that matter), no-one is forcing you to buy a ticket. 

[Swine_Glasto2014]

Completely get all of the above, and as I say I'm not fussed one way or the other. I just find it odd how inclusivity is at the heart of so much of Glasto, yet so much is so narrow about the spectrum of opinions you see and can have. In our group of 6 for example, I know votes in May went for at least 3 different political parties. That's our choice, it doesn't make me like/respect them or anyone else more or less. However how it can be right for things like the below to be completely fine with no other side of the argument are what I'm referring to. Where's the huge mural mocking Ed Miliband?

Ed Miliband has not ran the country and isn't a c**t.

Simple as that

[frostypaw]

Completely get all of the above, and as I say I'm not fussed one way or the other. I just find it odd how inclusivity is at the heart of so much of Glasto, yet so much is so narrow about the spectrum of opinions you see and can have. In our group of 6 for example, I know votes in May went for at least 3 different political parties. That's our choice, it doesn't make me like/respect them or anyone else more or less. However how it can be right for things like the below to be completely fine with no other side of the argument are what I'm referring to. Where's the huge mural mocking Ed Miliband?

 

Well they are the only party in power at the moment, and Ed Milliband is in no position to be fucking the country's poor until they see stars

I think this might seem a little one-sided if you've only been coming for a short while - back pre-Tory government it was Labour getting it. You should have seen the vitriol against Bliar and the war.... spectacular stuff

[Swine_Glasto2014]

If Shangri-la was 'ramming thingd down ones throat' don't go there again.

I'm all for politic bashing wether it be green, red, blue, purple or yellow. All as bad as eachother

[jiffy]

I fully respect the history and background of the festival, and enjoy the values that are promoted in my time spent there. That said, I think they can still be achieved without the 'bashing' of people with political opinions who don't fit their mould. Looking around Shangri-la, I see slight hypocrisy when the messages are so anti tory/UKIP for doing the same (observation not agreeing). Basically, I think more is achieved through a more neutral platform while promoting the values and single issues. While this year was my second, I was slightly overwhelmed this time round by the negativity in said areas while experiencing quite the opposite the year before. (18yo for context)

 

All that said, I didn't for the life of me mention I'm a city trader...

[PabloCoke]

Include everyone even the warmongers and people who happily see children go hungry include all the racists and ukkippers let's include them all hey?

Everyone is welcome to have a good time together that's the ethos that itself excludes the hateful hard hearted cynts that make up the British right. You can't include people who want exclude everyone else.

[russycarps]

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).

 

 

why would the festival give a voice to people who hate it and everything it stands for?

 

What an absolutely baffling post.

[pecks]

tbf I'd forgotten about Shangri-la. it was late. but yeah, those people (and their parents, families etc) have seen the hard end of Tory policies, quite literally, so they can do what they want in my book. 

[Winslow Leach]

Where is the huge mural mocking Alan Titchmarsh?

[Winslow Leach]

Where is the huge mural mocking Max Headroom?

[Winslow Leach]

Where is the huge mural mocking Simon Mayo?

[Winslow Leach]

(I'll stop now)

[Jakeyboy1986]

What right wing elements/legacies would you like to see? Perhaps a festival food bank? Massive camping areas and amenities for the 1% while the 99% sleep on top of each other and shit in a shallow hole? An immigrant deportation zone where anyone speaking a different language can be loudly shamed for ruining our country and then ejected by a cattle prod wielding Nigel Farage? Maybe a few statues of David Cameron recognising all his efforts in preserving the quality of life for the rich while demonising the poor?

[Swine_Glasto2014]

tbf I'd forgotten about Shangri-la. it was late. but yeah, those people (and their parents, families etc) have seen the hard end of Tory policies, quite literally, so they can do what they want in my book.

Exactly..

Everyone knows what too expect in the SE corner, boundaries are pushed and bent.

[5co77ie]

Where is the huge mural mocking Alan Titchmarsh?

[GlastoSimon]

Ironic this, because Glastonbury actually gives me hope that there is a political alternative. 360 days of the year we experience bias, right-wing press day in, day out. People are genuinely manipulated to supporting certain ideologies, believing certain things, and for 5 days a year we're able to get away from this news coverage. For five days a year I perhaps think that not everybody supports the views of the papers, it gives me hope. It's far from Red vs Blue as well, as others have said I'm sure people at the fest mocked Blair around the time of the Iraq war. Morons are morons. 

 

As for the Cameron mural, some could say the same about the constant criticism of Miliband's 'appearance'. Where was the Daily Mail's front page taking the piss out of Cameron or Osbourne? Where was the Daily Express' pisstake of Farage?

Edited July 10, 2015 by GlastoSimon

[frostypaw]

I fully respect the history and background of the festival, and enjoy the values that are promoted in my time spent there. That said, I think they can still be achieved without the 'bashing' of people with political opinions who don't fit their mould. Looking around Shangri-la, I see slight hypocrisy when the messages are so anti tory/UKIP for doing the same (observation not agreeing). Basically, I think more is achieved through a more neutral platform while promoting the values and single issues. While this year was my second, I was slightly overwhelmed this time round by the negativity in said areas while experiencing quite the opposite the year before. (18yo for context)

 

All that said, I didn't for the life of me mention I'm a city trader...

OK so you're a city trader so I would imagine you have very little experience of what life might be like for someone on the bottom rungs?

Could it be said you're not in the position to say what those people can/cannot feel/say about the position they've been put in?

Sometimes rather than going "OI I can think what I want" it might be helpful for people to ask "Why is there such a strong reaction to this? Is there something I am not getting about these people's situations?"

I am oft reminded by Tories of one of their own - who spent years decrying the amount of public money wasted on legal aid - said if you really had the issue you'd find the money to fight it.

He ended up bankrupt because he tried to fight a legal case on his own and ended up utterly shafted.

The Tory mentality/standpoint is only sustainable as long as you are in an ensured position of power - once you're the person in need you'll realise they are the biggest bunch of c**ts in the world who will happily smear you into a bloody mess on a balance sheet as long as it keeps the life they think they deserve protected. It's easy to ignore who you're treading on when you can't see below the clouds

[frostypaw]

What right wing elements/legacies would you like to see? Perhaps a festival food bank? Massive camping areas and amenities for the 1% while the 99% sleep on top of each other and shit in a shallow hole? An immigrant deportation zone where anyone speaking a different language can be loudly shamed for ruining our country and then ejected by a cattle prod wielding Nigel Farage? Maybe a few statues of David Cameron recognising all his efforts in preserving the quality of life for the rich while demonising the poor?

Cracking calibre of new members after this year's festival welcome to the party

[russycarps]

I fully respect the history and background of the festival, and enjoy the values that are promoted in my time spent there. That said, I think they can still be achieved without the 'bashing' of people with political opinions who don't fit their mould. Looking around Shangri-la, I see slight hypocrisy when the messages are so anti tory/UKIP for doing the same (observation not agreeing). Basically, I think more is achieved through a more neutral platform while promoting the values and single issues. While this year was my second, I was slightly overwhelmed this time round by the negativity in said areas while experiencing quite the opposite the year before. (18yo for context)

 

All that said, I didn't for the life of me mention I'm a city trader...

 

 

 

city trader at the age of 18? Righto.

[5co77ie]

What right wing elements/legacies would you like to see? Perhaps a festival food bank? Massive camping areas and amenities for the 1% while the 99% sleep on top of each other and shit in a shallow hole? An immigrant deportation zone where anyone speaking a different language can be loudly shamed for ruining our country and then ejected by a cattle prod wielding Nigel Farage? Maybe a few statues of David Cameron recognising all his efforts in preserving the quality of life for the rich while demonising the poor?

top post - you applied for a space in next year's Shangri-La areas yet? all those would go down well.

Edited July 10, 2015 by 5co77ie