Unsure of who is a troll and who isn't?

There are probably those who think I'm a troll. And I've met a few online entities on here that perhaps have a few troll-like tendencies. But ......  Sure, I've never really had much idea who or who isn't a troll myself. I can only say, that just like most people you have to live and learn as you go along. In which case, I probably have a bit more idea than when I was younger. But it's a bit like reds under the bed and rabid right-wingers. They probably want us to believe they're trolls, in much the same way that Superman wants to be viewed as superhuman. But I don't think we really gain anything by buying into their crappy mythology. And our less than lovely political parties all seem to be in a complete tiswas about how much trollism is acceptable to the fickle electorate. Populism and trollism seem to have gone hand-in-hand since Michael put his Foot in it by wearing a supposed Burberry 'donkey jacket' to Remembrance Day at the Cenotaph. I wonder a bit if the term 'android' isn't better. We've had a succession of androids as PM since then. ;-) Androids hired cynically by our crappy newspaper barons. Murdoch and Maxwell are/were undoubtedly trolls. :-)

I actually admire Foot a lot.  I have an excellent biography of him on my shelf.  I also have one volume of his own writing on Aneurin Bevan.  I did wonder if you were trying to troll me by mentioning it but how would you possibly know what i have on my shelves? :)

I might be a tad clairvoyant, but it doesn't ever put any real money in my bank account. Michael was a person worthy of some respect. Something a punk like Murdoch would never be able to figure out. I daresay I might occasionally be termed an amateur bantamweight troll, however. ;-)

I've always had the impression that Hayek was a bit of a knobhead. Loads of oh-so clever ideas, which have really achieved very little.

I'll give you the benefit of the the doubt on this one, As far as I am concerned right now, you ARE a functional human being; albeit that you might function a bit differently from your sadistic detractors.

Personal projects do not have to be monolithic, just stuff that makes you feel comfortable. So I suppose a 'project' could be as simple as a stim. Some of my projects would undoubtedly draw widespread disdain if I were ever open about them with the general public. I'll be open with them when they ever show any interest. if they don't, never mind!. I'm a recluse myself. As I said somewhere else on this forum today, parties (of all types and persuasions) can be intensely lonely places. Forget placing yourself further down the spectrum; I doubt we realistically think of  'up' and 'down' with the spectrum, anyway. People are always capable of rising above deliberate put-downs.

I love to hide from the world.  Bloody world :)

As long as I can hide until I'm drooling and peeing my pants, I don't mind. 

Politics will find you in the end. You cannot escape it's evil grasp. :)

I suspect we're probably in agreement over most issues - I believe that certain services should be nationalised - like railways, health, power, water etc. - but only if they are run efficiently with proper costing and management structure.

My distrust of politics is why I want to move to the countryside and disappear off the radar - it's a simpler life.

Trump definitely qualifies but i think Plastic would oppose this description of him.  So even that's contentious. In politics everything is contentious so  it would be very hard to follow with only a rudimentary knowledge of the subject. 

Well i'm opposed to both the EU and privatization. That's my good faith position. I didn't vote Conservative because they are in opposed to the former but in favour of the latter.  Would have voted leave again in a second referendum.  Wish Cameron had never held the first just because i'm sick of the issue. haha

I don't trust any of them - it takes measurement of their actions to make decisions.

Dare I ask, combining this thread of conversation with the original question posted by the OP. Who is the actual troll in current politics? Genuine question, I don’t follow politics.

I'm very anti-EU - but our politicians love it for their gravy train.

Yes but you seemed to be blaming the EU for privatization.  Which makes me think you were opposed to it?   Are you in favour of it now?

There's nothing wrong with capitalism - it's been the natural way all over the world for thousands of years - the problem is when governments stuck their greedy paws in and skew the market - that's when it all goes wrong.      And I'd disagree with you about our politicians making decisions - they've basically done nothing over the last 30 years except blatant cronyism giving grossly overpaid jobs and contracts to their mates.     Democracy in this country is a pantomime - the Brexit vote proved that with 'Call me Dave's' assertion of immediately leading us out of the EU if we voted that way - even though all his polls and project fear made him certain of a stay vote.

You know who else was an advocate of Privatization and deregulation? Friedrich Hayek who wrote the Road To Serfdom.  The post 1979 Tories are in thrall to markets and capital and continue to be so. If you're expecting patrician centrism from them you may have a bit of a wait.   I think they may turn the UK into a even more Hobbesian lawless place.  Leading Tories are on record as admiring Singapore for example.  I'm not a big fan of the EU and it's institutions but you can't put everything that's happened since our membership down to them.  Our own politicians have taken decisions too.

My projects? You make me sound like a functional human being! haha

No projects here.  I'm probably further down the spectrum than i appear.

I can prattle on for days about politics though. To my admittedly small audience.  Was an activist when younger but it's just too stressful for me to continue with that.  The entire outside world has too many stressors and hurtful experiences for me to abide. So here i am a recluse.  Also very lonely.

Senor said:

This is their big opportunity to do something constructive for a change.

I totally agree - Boris *could* be great - if he takes the right path of 'Make Britain Great Again'.    The EU is a bloated, undemocratic failure - and it's going to financially ruin all the member states as it gets even more corrupt.      It's plan of importing another 139M people from the worst parts of the world 'to dilute opposition to the EU' will end very badly - but their idea is to 'rebuild from the ashes' of the collapsed states.   

The USA is fighting for its life - the Dems are now The Mob (look at links to Al Capone via Saul Alinsky and Hilary) and Trump/Republicans are effectively representing the businesses that are shaken down by the Mob.   You might not like Trump, but the Dems intend to flood the country with illegals  - especially in swing states - to make it a one-party state forever - which will then implode.

Look at California and New York - only 20 years ago were relatively safe and clean - but I wouldn't go there now thanks to the Dems.

California is banning paper cups in restaurants as a priority - but flushing millions of used needles into the sea every day.   Almost every roadside verge now has homeless people living on it.    You will be fined if your dog messes on the pavement - but it's ok for people so dump in supermarket aisles.  

Those states are being driven into the ground for the sake of Democrat votes.

No universal panacea here towards acquiring 'better' obsessions. Just the very general idea that we are always better off self-making the means of our own survival; even though our creativity may not look that efficient and beautiful by other people's fashion-conscious standards. They can shove off, anyway! I suppose that would make me some sort of anarchist by party political standards; but then they would say that, wouldn't they? I'm sure you already have plenty of your own obsessions to work on. But there are others out there who will be prepared to co-operate with your projects; just don't expect their involvement to last for ever. I am very alone really, but I'm so used to it that I try not to spend too much time trying to be a lying 'populist' git just to look good with others.

The big issue here is can the new government get Brexit done in a manner that will not burn all our boats. I'm not yet convinced that Brexit is such a wonderful idea, given that it will inevitably involve sucking up to Trump's failed state. (But I have no options open to do anything about it, so yet again I will just have to sit this government out without any indication that things might eventually take a turn for the better.) So the government now has carte blanche to do its best or its worst. This is their big opportunity to do something constructive for a change. But it was always clear that their intention was to keep lying to the electorate, in the naive hope that no one would ever notice their Cummings-inspired craziness. I doubt they are capable of putting the great back into anything. The empire is long gone, and it was a horrible monstrosity anyway. It is doubtful that we will remain in the UK much longer too. The governing party are now just as ensnared in crass ideology as Labour.

The person on the street might well have very little idea about his/her own long-running descent into serfdom, but I see plenty of evidence that they know they are still continually being lied to on this issue (and many others). For English voters, there was never any real choice involved. I still haven't figured out what the hell Corbyn was trying to do, so it was inevitable really that the Workingtons felt soiled by their extremely poor set of options.

In some ways I'm actually quite glad that as a long-term expat I have been disenfranchised; as I never felt at any point  during the campaign that there was any current party I would be happy to vote for.

I also don't fully buy your argument about global-warming as a scam, as I can see numerous examples of environmental degradation here, every day of the week. But take note that the 'inconvenient truth' came to us from a Democrat; another failed state antagonist.

There's loads of reasons for this.    

It was recognised the the British people would be most resistant to the EU project so we've been systematically lied to since the start - while our politicians (of all types) have done everything possible to destroy all that is British.

I believe Thatcher was an EU lapdog - it was the early years of the 'European Project' and under its rules, all nationalised businesses were to be sold off to each other countries so no country could be independent from its neighbours.    Maggie did as instructed - but no-one else did.   Our industries were decimated and Blair finished it all off with the installation of all the 'ism and 'ist laws to quell dissent and giving away our gold and stealing all the pension funds.

The man on the street is on the 'Journey to Serfdom' - but most haven't realised yet.

It's already a disaster. :

It's already a disaster. :