EU referendum, brexit and the aftermath

That's not true. The medium doesn't dictate the content. The targetted campaign in the US was negative, but that's not the only option.

Wishful thinking on your part im afraid.

There was an opinion piece on cracked.com about how political memes do the whole political discussions/voting a disservice as they put complex real world choices as easy soundbites.

Targeted marketing is also a lower form of information as you are trying to "sell" a party in easy soundbites, which is a whole world away from televised debates. Think buzzfeed headlines...

I think there's a real risk that it's going to simplify politics (in people's heads) and cement the horrid One party VS the other party system even more :/

Could be wrong like.

Related on two levels

cracked.com?

'top 5 memes destroying democracy'?

This reminds me of discussions in the 90s about TV advertising.

There is a feedback loop (which leads to some fucking crazy ideas gaining validation) but there is a/ more info than ever before (no excuse for being mislead) and b/ no going back.

A and b are both valid, but unfortunately many voting discussions are related to c: Emotions.

Leave won on c, not on a. Can add exploit c more? I'm not sure.

http://www.cracked.com/blog/how-dumbass-memes-turned-into-modern-propaganda

Scroll down to 2013 bit. Purely opinion but interesting I thought.

Now it's all not the end of the world but it would just be unfortunate if targeted ads / Facebook political add would only heighten divisions. Fptp is already a cluster.

No doubt a million good opinion pieces are written about that right now in science and technology magazines :)

I think I need more coffee as I don't get the two levels bit :)

Good observatie comic otherwise.

Second level was that whilst I agree with it, it could be interpreted as

put complex real world choices as easy soundbites

Leave won on c, not on a. Can add exploit c more? I'm not sure.

I am welling up with c.

;_;

how-dumbass-­memes-turned-into-modern-propaganda

Some truth, conclusion is bollocks because ... if I had an internet of fancy memes and showed you some that are cringe, would you think all memes are cringe?

https://youtu.be/TFqTDvg2pn4

I'm attending an international scientific congress in Berlin right now, and the U.K. (particularly England, Scotland seems to not be targeted) is certainly the butt of many jokes. Fair enough I say.

No longer shackled by the political correctness of it's EU partners, the now sovereign British Lion can once again let it's roar be heard across the seven seas.

Or maybe not.

From the Economist:
" On June 22nd ... the UN weighed in on a dispute between Britain and Mauritius over the Chagos islands ... Only four members of the EU voted with Britain; ... usually reliable allies France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain [abstained] ... In an inauspicious sign for “Empire 2.0”, the nickname British officials use for their plan to forge closer links with the Commonwealth, the vast majority of Britain’s former colonies backed Mauritius or abstained."

Indeed:

Why is the lion associated with Britain? Have there ever been Lions here?

Asking for a friend.

There is no evidence of lions 🦁 ever having inhabitated the British Isles. There were lions in Europe but mainly Southern Europe.

My guess is that lions were chosen for convenience, as no-one would have feared Richard the Badgerheart or the British and Irish badgers.

the british certainly enjoyed shooting lions in Africa. I'm sure many still do.

Back in the day, like bare years ago, kings and queens would show off their power and wealth by bringing lions to England to show what billy big bollocks they were in the royal menageries. Combine that with the fact everybody knows lions are double hard bastards, it was a potent combo.

From there, they were associated with regality, nobility and strength and I suppose at some point, a particularly weak jawed crown muppet decided to use the emblem to project strength that he or she didn't have.

lions are lazy cunts that sit around licking their balls and eating left over springboks all day. it's the lionesses who are the ones that go out and do all the hard murdering graft.

and none of this explains the unicorns.

good point. At least Australia has the kangaroo and the emu, animals that actually exist on the land and you can you know, shoot and eat and stuff.

And wallabies of course.

My guess is that lions were chosen for convenience, as no-one would have feared Richard the Badgerheart or the British and Irish badgers.

Then they are fools and @mashton has the scars to prove it.

I thought we had giant prehistoric lions but not for like 10,000 years?

The Dutch national symbol is also a lion, which also makes no sense... inherited from the house of Nassau of the 1200s.

I guess everybody likes cool big animals instead of otters/beavers/herrings... ;)

At least lions really exist.

I thought those 'lions' were really 'leopards'?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_(heraldry)