Political extremes discussion: I'm sick of hearing how polarized we are

[Jack V Savage]

This. In much of the media, in Hollywood, in academia, and hell, even in restaurants, there is effectively a blacklist against anyone right of center.

There's always been a good deal of friction between differing political and cultural viewpoints. But we could still be on the same bowling team or whatever. However, a moral absoluteness and intolerance is increasingly characterizing our politics The people pushing that more than anyone is the progressive wing of the Dems.

It actually goes back to the end of segregation, which spawned the "religious right," which put a partisan spin on religion and the Southern strategy, which pushed Southern conservatives into the GOP.

 

[Bacco]

The biggest lie is that to not be left/right alligned you need to be "center", a moderate figure

Center does'nt solve shit, most of times it just avoid conflict
We don't live in a moderate world

One can have strong opinions depending on argument without need o be alligned, i for sure i'm not

Problem is these days (or ever was like that?) seems like if you're an X side guy, you have to defend X side crap no matter what.
I seen people defend the worst crap to stick to the team.
I'm nauseated by that way of thinking, but it's easy so i can see why sheeps like it

 

[Long Dark Blues]

we're very polarized today. however....

several political leaders were shot in 1968.

we had a F'ing civil war.

some of our founders had a duel to the death.

so no....not the MOST polarized we've ever been.

This.

 

[Satsui Ryu]

we're very polarized today. however....

several political leaders were shot in 1968.

we had a F'ing civil war.

some of our founders had a duel to the death.

so no....not the MOST polarized we've ever been.

Never mind the fact most of the country isn't the WR and the vast majority of the country doesn't give a shot about politics.

Also LOL at secession. I don't think that would go over the way some people think it would.

 

[WhiteMousse]

The biggest lie is that to not be left/right alligned you need to be "center", a moderate figure

Center does'nt solve shit, most of times it just avoid conflict
We don't live in a moderate world

One can have strong opinions depending on argument without need o be alligned, i for sure i'm not

Problem is these days (or ever was like that?) seems like if you're an X side guy, you have to defend X side crap no matter what.
I seen people defend the worst crap to stick to the team.
I'm nauseated by that way of thinking, but it's easy so i can see why sheeps like it

Ya I like this. I usually call myself center but that's, as you mentioned, a bit of a misnomer. Center implies general fence-sitting or indifference. I feel strongly about almost everything, but I don't think I'd be welcome in extremist groups of any sort.

I feel very strongly about climate change. If I had convergence with typical politics, you would be able to, from that point, predict what I believe about everything else with a frightening degree of accuracy. One can't, and I suppose I take a little pride in that.

 

[58miles]

This. In much of the media, in Hollywood, in academia, and hell, even in restaurants, there is effectively a blacklist against anyone right of center.

There's always been a good deal of friction between differing political and cultural viewpoints. But we could still be on the same bowling team or whatever. However, a moral absoluteness and intolerance is increasingly characterizing our politics The people pushing that more than anyone is the progressive wing of the Dems.

However, if your point is that most Americans are far more tolerant of one another and more tolerant of diverging opinions than our political elite, I'd agree.

That's nonsense the political extremes we find ourselves today is a large part a result of the rise of political shock jocks like Rush Limbaugh, Morton Downey jr and all out warfare politics of personal destruction politicians like Newt Gingrich. Political strategists like Lee Atwater and Mark Luntz and 24hr news didn't help the situation. Ideologically Democrats and Republican, Liberals and Conservatives were much closer ideologically before the factors I just mentioned came into effect.

 

[Ripskater]

I don't think there can be any compromise. We just have to fight this out by voting. Conservatives will not compromise with socialism/Marxism, Islam, and the lgbtq+ agenda and the social justice movement demonizing males.

 

[luckyshot]

This thread shows something else that's and interesting trend, too:

Ask a question, and you generally get 15 quick, from the hip responses before the first well reasoned response ( @JonnyRingo84 itt ) of more than one sentence.

While the people who are actually thinking about what to say are... thinking about what to say... the robot/parrots are blurting out the first exclamation that comes to mind.

That warps the perception of the general public.

It seems like there are more robot/parrots than thoughtful people because the robot/parrots almost always get in first (and second, third, fourth, and fifth...)

That's bound to make us seem more divided.

 

[JonnyRingo84]

I think most people have a shallow grasp of how polarized America has always been.

yea in some ways i think this has been one of our strengths lol. or rather, its brought about some strength.

• in tulsa 1921, people dropped dynamite from private planes on black neighborhoods (the most dramatic of dozens of similar instances)

• anarchist bombings through the early 20th century in major cities (terrorism)

• prohibition gang wars (al capone anyone)

• the "gangs of new york" movie was full of likely exaggerations, but WAS based in some truth.

• communist witch hunts.

• the civil war

• the "indian wars" which in any other country we'd label ethnic cleansing (though to be fair, there were a handful of tribes who would have happily gone to the east coast and cleansed the colonies, unprovoked

• several issues that i forgot to add, or do not know about myself

as you point out, none of this is new. i do think the TYPE of division we see now is pretty new.

 

[JonnyRingo84]

Never mind the fact most of the country isn't the WR and the vast majority of the country doesn't give a shot about politics.

i think most adults care enough to at least give their two cents on social media. which makes the problem worse in many ways.

Also LOL at secession. I don't think that would go over the way some people think it would.

im not sure what you mean by this.

 

[Ripskater]

The people pushing that more than anyone is the progressive wing of the Dems.

"You can't eat in peace and your votes are now hate crimes" This is the left. And it's often been on full display since Trump was campaigning before the 2016 election.

 

[Ripskater]

Because you're brainwashed. You spend too much time on social media. It's so easy to convince isolated people that everyone is at war with each other. If only people like you tried forming conclusions on their own instead of relying on emotionally based "perception is reality" horseshit. The reality is that divisions are being emphasized likely because that is part of a greater strategy. People like you had their opponents spoon fed to them, and cannot see how you've been manipulated this whole time.

You just proved my point for me.

 

[n...not crazy]

Well I have to hold my tongue at parties, whereas even 10 years ago I didn't. You can't even say "The President" in a non-condescending manner without hearing a group groan. Like if I said "Someday my kid could be president!" GROAN

You can be sick of hearing it all you want, but the internet gave a voice to every adolescent, blogger, fool, and drunk which was not a good thing. Society is infected.

 

[MusterX]

You can be sick of hearing it all you want, but the internet gave a voice to every adolescent, blogger, fool, and drunk which was not a good thing. Society is infected.

Too late, the genie is out of the bottle and social media is like a cancerous tumor on society. People think Trump is bad, let me tell you, this guy is worse.

 

[Satsui Ryu]

i think most adults care enough to at least give their two cents on social media. which makes the problem worse in many ways.

Keep in mind voter turnout still hangs around an abysmal 35%. And for social media most people are subjected to politics rather than participate. Most ignore, but some get sucked in. Politics seems to be the realm of people who are not quite all there hence why it comes off as so extreme.

im not sure what you mean by this.

I see secession as going one of two ways. Take Texas for example. If it seceded and was an actual free place I see the many sects of conservatives cannibalizing each other when they don't have a common enemy since they are so fundamentalist. They are so tribal that their smaller differences would become huge over time. Plus you have to factor in the free thinkers, contrarians, or the "undesirables" who are already there that would cause issues.

Or to avoid all that and absolutely ensure the vision of society that would drive something as extreme as secession I see it becoming not a state for freedom, but a fascist state.

 

[MusterX]

I see secession as going one of two ways. Take Texas for example. If it seceded and was an actual free place I see the many sects of conservatives cannibalizing each other when they don't have a common enemy since they are so fundamentalist. They are so tribal that their smaller differences would become huge over time. Plus you have to factor in the free thinkers, contrarians, or the "undesirables" who are already there that would cause issues.

Or to avoid all that and absolutely ensure the vision of society that would drive something as extreme as secession I see it becoming not a state for freedom, but a fascist state.

One thing you have to realize about America is that states don't get to engage in secession. The Federal government will not allow it. They will mobilize the military, move in, and take down the local state government and end it overnight. There is no leaving the Union. The only state that could even attempt it would probably be Texas because of all the military bases and natural resources it has plus Texas is the only state that was once a country but even with Texas, it would never be allowed. The Fed will stop any state who attempts to leave and if that means a lot of bloodshed then so be it, there is no leaving.

 

[G-19]

we're very polarized today. however....

several political leaders were shot in 1968.

we had a F'ing civil war.

some of our founders had a duel to the death.

so no....not the MOST polarized we've ever been.

Great post!

 

[Shoemaker]

I was just thinking yesterday, I was such a huge Obama fan that I don't know the names of his kids

Jaden and Blanket?

 

[Satsui Ryu]

One thing you have to realize about America is that states don't get to engage in secession. The Federal government will not allow it. They will mobilize the military, move in, and take down the local state government and end it overnight. There is no leaving the Union. The only state that could even attempt it would probably be Texas because of all the military bases and natural resources it has plus Texas is the only state that was once a country but even with Texas, it would never be allowed. The Fed will stop any state who attempts to leave and if that means a lot of bloodshed then so be it, there is no leaving.

There's that too. It will never happen.

 

[n...not crazy]

we're very polarized today. however....

several political leaders were shot in 1968.

we had a F'ing civil war.

some of our founders had a duel to the death.

so no....not the MOST polarized we've ever been.

Secret Service is better now
The Revolution? Civil War? Ok, you got us on that one.
It does appear that we're at Vietnam levels. But idk I wasn't alive yet.

One thing is for sure, it's a new and different type of fucked up that we're experiencing. Thanks a lot Sherdog