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Universal Credit 2: The Failures Continue

This is my second article on my experiences as a self employed person on a low income on the government’s abysmal Universal Credit (UC) ‘social security’ programme. When writing my first article, it was even a surprise to me just how many examples of incompetence I had experienced in only around 7 months as a claimant. Perhaps, then, I shouldn’t be surprised that in the following 6 months I’ve experienced so much more incompetence that it justifies writing a second article. The main issues I have faced are due to the process of transferring from the ‘Live Service’ which I was on in Sheffield, to the new and improved ‘Full Service’ here in Oldham. Additionally, as I’ve been self employed for over a year, I have been introduced to a new kind of sanction called the ‘Minimum Income Floor’ (MIF). Transferring from the ‘Live Service’ to the ‘Full Service’ A few days before moving house in September, I had a mandatory work coach meeting at the Job Centre. I used it to explain that ...
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Political Trolling


(Article originally written in 2015)


The extreme level of anger and derision directed at the Greens in comment boards on YouTube, news websites, etc., seems disproportionate to the size and influence of them as a party. It’s almost as if the establishment feels threatened by them and is getting out its fangs in an attempt to crush them before they get close to power.
This is particularly interesting when one considers that, according to the Lord Ashcroft poll above (a poll ran by a Tory peer), “The Greens still top the list as the only party which more say they would be happy to see in government (48%) than say they would be unhappy (44%).”. If the anti-Green trolls are honest, that would mean that a population who are generally positively inclined towards the Greens still feels the need to troll them en-masse and viciously.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TYHhE7sgmg On this video (now removed) about Natalie Bennet’s much overblown so-called ‘car-crash’ interview (in which she demonstrated a level of human imperfection not considered acceptable for a politician) the trolls were out in force:
“This complete nuclear meltdown of the Greens makes me personally so happy… Guardianistas daily… berate me for wanting to support UKIP, yet are quite content to defend this tongue-tied harridan and her psychotic policies. The worst of which being the Green party’s commitment to the abolition of the armed forces, abolition of border controls and the decriminalisation of joining terrorist groups such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda. As much as I completely despise the LibLabCon, Greens should be eaten, not elected.“

“Yeah let’s give every immigrant a free house, let’s stop working so we have more free time to hug trees. Let’s get rid of the army,navy and airforce because we don’t need them, kick out the queen and put her on benefits, while we are at it give everybody a million pound to.”

“Ffs the green party the party for retards!  I’ve known 2 yr olds with more common sense then her. Let her and her crack head mates get on with it because no with half a brain will vote for her and her party. She makes Miliband look clever. Vote ukip!!!”
“Yes there is something big in politics but it’s not the greens ya dumb bitch it’s UKIP.”
“get back to aussie land you idiot, marxist bitch”

“If you support communism and thusly the Green party, you are worse than the Nazi party at the height of their warcrimes. Communism has killed more than every political ideology, religion and movement combined and only in the last 100 or so years. If you support the Greens you support the death of 180 million people”

“Just imagine if these were in charge of this country, Britain would turn into a 3rd world country and war zone over night.“
These are not extreme examples, but representative of the comments you can see on practically any popular video regarding the Greens. There are noticeable patterns to these comments:
  1. they will point out the policies that are the most out of line with reactionary thinking: reduced military, open borders, wind turbines, percieved policies (that don’t exist) on membership of terrorist organisations, opposition to the monarchy, etc.
  2. The comments frequently make the claim that the Greens are simultaneously communists, fascists, and nazis, as well as claiming that they are anti-Semitic (based on Green opposition to Israeli government policy)
  3. They talk about how Britain and our way of life will be destroyed if they ever get anywhere near power.
  4. They resort to vicious insults of Green Party members and politicians, often with a sexist and racist slant regarding Natalie Bennet
  5. Finally, and most interestingly, they support UKIP.

The amount of trolls who support UKIP also seems disproportionate to their size and influence as a party. Around 15% of people say they want to vote for them - most of whom are over 60, so it seems odd how well represented UKIP are in online trolling. Perhaps over-60 UKIP voters are taking up online trolling in their droves, or maybe the few younger people who do support the party are just extremely zealous to make up for their lack of numbers.
According to the above Lord Ashcroft poll, “a majority of all voters (57%) said they would be unhappy to see [UKIP] in government”, so again it seems odd that so many people are so visibly supporting them online.
One could be forgiven for thinking UKIP or wealthy individuals who support them were paying people who aren’t necessarily supporters to try and discredit their opponents.
This is not an unheard of phenomenon: it is possible to find examples, at least from the USA, of similar techniques being used by other establishment interests including telecommunications companies, governments, and right-wing libertarian ideas:
http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/trolls-paid-by-a-telecom-lobbying-firm-keep-commenting-on-my-net-neutrality-articles-80
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/04/pro-russia-trolls-ukraine-guardian-online
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2014/11/internet_trolls_pose_a_threat_internet_commentators_shouldn_t_be_anonymous.html
http://www.alternet.org/story/149197/are_right-wing_libertarian_internet_trolls_getting_paid_to_dumb_down_online_conversations
http://21stcenturywire.com/2014/03/01/paid-govt-and-corporate-internet-trolls-are-real/
Edward Snowden revealed that GCHQ used these techniques in order to artificially shape public debate and discredit opponents. This is outrageously undemocratic and we need to start to do something to fight back against it. We need to work together: whenever you see someone trolling an anti-establishment individual or group, call them out, defeat their arguments, and take back the public sphere.

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