Has Brexit ruined Gransnet?

Better add dystopian to my list!

I think I’m lucky in that Brexit, if and when it happens, will most likely not affect me, or my family at all. No one can be totally sure, but it seems the most likely outcome. Nor have our family been split by being on opposing sides, we have both remainers and leavers, but family relationships remain good. I feel sympathy for those whose families have been ripped asunder due to differing beliefs, and even more sorry for those who are unable to plan for the future due to the current impasse.

As for Gransnet, I expect that eventually the political threads will simmer down, and other political subjects will even be discussed. As others have said, those grans who don’t wish to contribute to Bexit threads, or find them distasteful, can choose to read and comment on the many other threads on Gransnet.

It has made it very boring. The majority of the threads seem to be clones of each other, regardless of what their original, Brexit USP was.

Every thread seems to have the same people saying the same things again interminably. I do look at them on occasion and throw the odd squib, but mostly, Yawn.

Somehow we managed before we joined the EU. Whatever happens we'll cope after we either leave or we don't. Equally, GN was an interesting site before all this erupted. Remember Durhamjen? Boy oh boy we had some ding ding battles on the politics threads before she left.

There have always been political threads on Gransnet, they are just different now as Brexit has taken over. Personally, I don't always read them and rarely comment but do believe they are more tolerant than discussions/arguments elsewhere.

Before the referendum was even dreamt up by Mr Cameron, I wonder how many people posted on a daily basis on gransnet (or mumsnet or in the media, in general), all about how they loved the EU, how they loved paying £50 million a day etc, into their coffers because it was worth it to have your country told what to do all the time by another organisation!!

Hospitals have shut, schools have been full, businesses have collapsed, house prices have risen and so on over the last 46 years while we have been in the EU. In fact, the EU has actively encouraged businesses to leave our shores by giving grants ( Ford in Eastleigh, for example, moved to Turkey- not even an EU country!!!!).

It probably didn't even enter most people's minds to talk about how great it was to be in the EU since 1973 when we joined the Common Market. Now, all of a sudden, it's the best thing since sliced bread and we can't live without it. Well, we can.

Maybe, maybe not.
But the current wave of trolls (elsewhere) has me not even wanting to look in. ???

How many posted on a daily basis how awful life was in the EU before the referendum?
We have had much better variety of food, wine, cleaner beaches, better employment and parental rights, safety standards, higher standard of living all round in the last 40 years.our own national governments have sold off industries, mucked about with the education system and health services, the EU didn’t tell us what to do with 96% of laws - sorry DM readers- domestic policy down to us.

I just don't recognise the UK of the 70's as the land of golden opportunities that some posters 'remember'. The economies of most developed countries experienced, if not stagnation, the lowest growth rate since the 30's. Only Asian dynamos such as South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore showed rapid economic growth which paled into insignificance beside Japan's.

We had the oil crisis leading to power cuts (3 day weeks), strikes and Margaret Thatcher battling the unions. The UK was not doing well.

GN is a sounding board for so many different opinions, they are bound to be conflicting and things get heated. It's a pity that the same old rhetoric gets trotted out though but at least GN provides an opportunity to challenge it.

This is what frustrates me so much about the whole sorry mess! Whether we were broadly for it against the EU before the referendum raised its ugly head, it really wasn't that much of an issue. If you had been asked what your top 5 concerns were, I bet very few of us would have mentioned the EU at all. It has all been stirred up by Tory transfers for their own benefit.
NIw, sadly it has turned into a major issue that will affect us all (maddyone I take it you and your family don't live in the UK or Europe if you think it won't affect you?)
Has Brexit ruined Gransnet? No. A lot of us have become much more interested in politics (the only good thing to come out of it). I am proud of the amount of reasoned debate on this site (occasional heated exceptions!). Many younger people lump the older generation together as all Leavers with no concern for the future; they would only have to look here to be proved wrong!

Yes.

It's probably the biggest change, and challenge, this country has faced since the war. It would be very odd if there wasn't a great deal of discussion about it.

Every thread seems to have the same people saying the same things again interminably. I do look at them on occasion and throw the odd squib, but mostly, Yawn

Yes, in total agreement M0nica

I have tried to stay off the political threads, mainly as the same people tend rehash old arguments. (I failed tonight)

I know who the most vehement Remainers are. Same with Leave posters. It now looks as though Parliament is doing all in its power to quash Brexit and to be honest, it makes me wonder why I and millions of others bothered to vote at all. All parties said they would respect the result of the referendum.

Look what's happened?

There is not much more to say about it, but I think the lovely parts of Gransnet are still intact. There are hundreds of regular posters dispensing their warmth, wisdom, wit , and thoughts, as well as propping up those who need friendship and someone to care during troubled times.

Brexit hasn't changed good people, nor will it.

I tip my hat to those Gransnetters who don't bother to get involved with the political threads. There seems to be little point debating Brexit any longer.

Saying Brexit has ruined Gransnet is like saying roads kill people. (“Killer road claims two more victims”)
No, they don’t. People kill people on roads.
Brexit hasn’t ruined Gransnet.
If Gransnet has been ruined, it’s because of lack of tolerance, inability to debate issues without making personal criticisms, and no one bothering to start threads about any other subjects than Brexit, or to respond to them on the odd occasion when others do.

And that’s not an oblique reference to any particular posters, just a general observation.

In what way would Brexit ruin Gransnet?
It's debated under the news and politics section which no-one is forced to take part in... just look at all the other subjects - some really interesting - available which completely outweigh the single news/politics.
Gransnet is so much more than Btexit.
So, no it isn't ruined!

Anyone would think there were just two groups of posters - those posting on the Brexit threads and those posting on the other threads. Not that it would matter if that were the case but it’s not. There are plenty of threads started on other topics and advice, sympathy, information etc dispensed as appropriate. Anyway it doesn’t matter - people can and do avoid the Brexit threads, others join in with gusto ( of various kinds). It doesn’t matter.

Never look at the politics threads, too much of that on tv, radio and in the papers. I come on GN for a bit of light relief!

I do not think Brexit 'ruins' GN, it just takes longer to pan through all the Brexit undergrowth to find the interesting threads and as, quizqueen's post shows, it has even managed to insert a tendril into this thread.

Aren't old people meant to keep repeating themselves

GrandmaKT, my family and I certainly do live in the UK. My husband and I are retired, leaving the EU will not affect us. I have every confidence that our pensions will continue to be paid. I have every confidence that we will continue to travel abroad regularly, just as we do now. I have every confidence that we will continue to buy a wide variety of food and goods just as we do now.
My daughter is a doctor, I have every confidence that she will continue to be employed, we need doctors. My son is a barrister, he has assured me that after initial worries, there will continue to be plenty of work. My other son is a Chartered Accountant and Financial Director. There is no threat to his job. I
As I said, we will not be affected. Others may very well be affected.

Incidentally, some people must think that in 40+ years since we joined the EU, that there would have been no progress at all in Britain, whilst the rest of the world moved on and developed. What utter nonsense, of course Britain would have continued to grow and develop whether in or out of the EU over such a long period.

maddyone I suppose if you ony vote because you think about your own family and how they will be affected I suppose that is up to you. Personally I have a social conscience which means that how others will be affected matters to me as well. Any recession will impact most on the poorest in our society who are already suffering. As for how Britain would have managed in the last 40 years, well our Arts, Culture and Heritage sectors would not have developed as they have. Look at the films you watch, the historic buiidings and the art galleries you visit and you will find EU funding there. Not to mention the impact the EU City of Culture funding had on our poorest cities.
Brexit hasn't ruined GN but it will ruin the UK.

Another example of "to hell with you, Jack. I'm alright!"

So when the price of food and other commodities rises, it's clear that your family will not need to change their lifestyles maddyone. So that makes it alright for everyone else does it?

Please don't insult us with the catalogue of your children's high-earning careers and tell us everything is going to be alright.

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