Social media was supposed to make politics more accessible. In many ways, it did. But it also opened the door to something much uglier.In this episode of The Honourable & The Hack, Andrew Parsons and Alex Bill pull back the curtain on the darkest side of political life online — the trolls, the pile-ons, the private messages turned public, and the kind of personal attacks that go far beyond disagreement. Andrew opens up about the moment social media stopped being a tool for connection and started becoming something far more toxic.Among the most disturbing examples is the appalling post that said Andrew’s wife “deserved” her serious illness because of political decisions he had made. It was not criticism. It was cruelty. And for Andrew and Alex, it stands as one of the clearest examples of how political discourse on social media has crossed the line from public debate into something deeply personal, vicious, and dehumanizing.The conversation explores what it feels like to watch attacks like that spread online, to see cruel posts gain traction, and to notice former friends, acquaintances, and even family members showing up in the likes and comments under content that never should have been tolerated in the first place. Andrew talks about how, after a certain point, he stopped responding altogether — not because people disagreed with him, but because the tone had shifted into something far darker.Andrew reflects on how Facebook once gave him a direct and effective way to connect with constituents across a large rural district, especially during emergencies, in ways politicians of earlier generations never had. But after the 2016 budget, things changed. The trolls came out in force. Private messages were screenshotted and posted publicly. Public anger aimed at government became more personal, more vicious, and more public. Then came COVID, when things got even worse and online behaviour became even more extreme.The episode also looks at the broader impact of this culture on politics itself. Andrew explains that when he moved from opposition into government, he consciously tried to shift away from the usual attack politics and take a more measured, more responsible approach. Alex argues that today’s Newfoundland and Labrador government still shows signs of carrying its opposition guerrilla tactics into office — that the edge is still there, and the blades never really got put away. That leads to a bigger question: whether parties eventually learn that permanent attack mode has a shelf life.They also discuss why the abuse often seems even worse for women in politics, how words like crook get thrown around so casually on social media, and how platforms like Facebook and Twitter have blurred the line between political criticism, mob behaviour, and outright dehumanization. It is a theme that has come up before on The Honourable & The Hack, with guests like David Cochrane also reflecting on how social media has changed public life, damaged political discourse, and pushed parts of it into deeply troubling territory.This is a candid, revealing, and at times disturbing conversation about trolling, online abuse, political discourse, social media, and the collapse of basic human decency in public life.Mailbag: honourableandthehack@gmail.comStay Connected:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHonourableandTheHackSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7LkQE67ItNWoKWlcBbhQmyApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-honourable-and-the-hack/id1864962121Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and their guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any employer, organization, or institution. This content is intended for discussion and commentary and should not be considered professional, legal, or political advice. Some discussion in this episode includes speculation and forward-looking commentary based on publicly available information and personal experience.
