‘Nobody who cares about democracy, decency and safety could argue that antagonistic, spiteful protests [...]outside Leo Varadkar’s home are normal or acceptable.’ Photograph: Niall Carson/PA
Nobody who cares about democracy, decency and safety could argue that antagonistic, spiteful protests – in some cases involving people who spout homophobic and racist abuse – outside Leo Varadkar’s home are normal or acceptable. They are ugly and rotten. But they are not necessarily a consequence of general and genuinely held criticisms of the Tánaiste or his government’s policies.
When it comes to the slide in the standard of discourse , we have to be smart about discerning what is a genuine red flag, and what is a reflection – however fun-house-mirrored – of a slice of authentic public sentiment. All of this, of course, is underscored by how social media’s algorithms push people towards polarisation. Last week, Twitter admitted that it amplifies more tweets from right-wing politicians and news outlets.
The irony of a 'feminist' writing this lol