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Martin Horsford's avatar

Yo Mariella, what a vibrant telling and instructive article, embracing all the elements that increasingly have confronted us over the past decade or more, yet so succinctly described, thank you ! (a near neighbour !)

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Wendy Varley's avatar

True! I was just thinking about all the positive things I’ve witnessed in the past few days. Friends and relatives signing up to be blood donors. People running a really fun school fair at my granddaughter’s primary school. Random conversations with strangers. I’ve been drafting something about that for tomorrow.

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Ali gilbert's avatar

Totally agree and well-written, thank you for articulating how I feel, including your thoughts regarding the weather! Who'd have thought we'd be finding sunshine a little exasperating!

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Sally Bradley's avatar

Brilliant piece Mariella. Totally agree with your comments. We need a more feminine perspective on things now more than ever - some care, consideration, hope and positivity.

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Rosalind's avatar

You're so right! there is a diet of bad news and even worse news in the media right now, all over the world (I'm in Mexico) and it can't all be blamed on people's love of morbidity, or the "nota roja". It's all so damn depressing. What we all read/listen/watch every day is enough to raise tempers and cause rows amongst the closest of friends. Politics is definitely off the table at lunch parties nowadays, and even in the book club...

Thank you for your brilliant article.

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Nrucellai's avatar

Thank you Mariella for so brilliantly articulating what we are all thinking. Or trying not to think about.

So well put and relevant to literally everyone!

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Danny Abrahams's avatar

So well put . I feel saturated with grief and anxiety at the state of the country and world and no light at the end of tunnel . In fact no end to the tunnel of misery either .

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Catherine Scudamore's avatar

Thank you Mariella - we are indeed in interesting times. You are spot on that the outcome of this type of continual negative coverage is either anxiety or apathy. We see it most clearly in young people. I am just as concerned by the editorial decisions that determine the important news and events that do NOT get covered or shared. For example we never see on mainstream media the hundreds of thousands of people who regularly go to London and march in protest for Palestine. I’m confident that if people knew how many people regularly turned up it would give many others the confidence to join the protests. The government would then need to listen and take action. I think this is true for many other issues as well. Maybe what we are starting to see is that our free press isn’t so free and our western belief in the foundations of our advanced civilisation and moral superiority is an illusion.

I’m so enjoying following you in this period of your life, demonstrating the surge of energy and focus that we get in this later chapter of life.

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Ernie Boxall's avatar

More reliable than the BBC and Sky News? Suggest some. Google Gazans protest against Hamas and then watch Sky News Gazans Thank America.

Syria? More reliable than the Trump hating 'Independent'?

You don't mean Trust you... Do you?

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Mariella Frostrup's avatar

Posh restaurants in Gaza?

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Ernie Boxall's avatar

Thank you for replying and accepting that my sources are reporting the demise of Hamas bullshit and the Syrian appreciation for PRESIDENT TRUMP and America. Remember, none of this happened when the PRESIDENT was in his first term, and now in his second. It all happened under your boy obama.

Now look at https://youtu.be/ImyAyOtwd30?feature=shared.

This was taken a year ago. Posh hotels and restaurants in Gaza, clean streets, people in the streets walking normally...until the Israelis strike a hotel with tunnels under it.

A year after the WAR began...does this look like occupation?

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Ernie Boxall's avatar

I notice that you didn't care much for the families in Israel. But then you've never been there when they're being attacked.

You mentioned Ukraine. One of the most corrupt countries in the world apparently. And a country being denied peace by 0NATO and American war hawks along with Zelinsky who, it is reported, will be thrown out by the people left in the country when the war ends.

Then we come back to the Middle East where, apparently, President Trump is being praised but Gazan youngsters who have been breaking into warehouses full of food...and eating in quite posh restaurants.

And being praised by Syrians.

Did you mention that?

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Mariella Frostrup's avatar

Thank you for your comment but in many ways your world view reflects exactly what I’m talking about. I’m not sure where you get your news but I’d definitely recommend you find more reliable sources.

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Ian Burdon's avatar

I know this is a cliché, but I've stopped watching TV news, listening to Radio news or reading newspapers. I keep up with what's happening where I live (Edinburgh) and things that might affect family overseas, but I've dropped out of the *daily* news cycle. Weekly or monthly updates are more than enough.

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