Politics talk

It's a long story, but the short version is: Blame Newt Gingrich. He started reshaping the Right a few decades ago. He would encourage Republicans to call their opponents "sick" and "evil." As time went on, this became more and more common, then we got Trump. Now the extreme Right, which was regulated to the fringe, is the norm.

There was a lot that happened in between, such as the rise of Rush Limbaugh and Alex Jones, internet debates, changing demographics, the end of the Fairness Doctrine, Sarah Palin, and so on. But yeah, this was the short version.

It’s still like that for many of my acquaintances. All you need to do is turn off the “news”. The 24 hour news cycle has contributed the division in the US more than any other source, in my opinion. Promoting hate gives them a better chance at more views and clicks. That corresponds to ad revenue.

So turn off the news and suddenly, people aren’t as polarized as the media promotes.

Critical thinking became a label and slur, in addition to being almost extinct.

It's become a regular trope especially in recent times to weaponise language.

Not enough to be defined as left or right anymore.
Left is commie extreme left (according to loudmouthed right-wingers) Right is ultra Conservative apologists(according to slightly less aggressive democratic-esque alternative parties.

And then you get the almost ideal embodiment of those extremes in the form of Trump; Prodi, Le Penn McConnel etc.Who use the language to stir up hate and fear that coalesce the more disenfranchised among us into following the noise believing it to be in support of their cause, when in truth they just want to rig the game in their favour for a while until they get found out

When we discussed politics face to face it was much more civil. It is hard to call someone names when they are there to knock you down when you go overboard. So many tough "keyboard commandos" on social media. Each side has them. They spout their stuff and don't even bother to read the other side. The inflammatory language begats more.

There needs to be less anonymous social political diatribes and more face to face communication.

Critical thinking got lost (on social media).

Social media

TDS

Heated arguments over politics is nothing new. The ironic difference is people are less likely to get in your face during a face to face, than they are via social media.

It's a sad state of affairs and you're not imagining things.

Imagine revolving friend groups, etc over a bunch of people in suits in it for themselves.

You aren't old enough to remember when political conversations were fun and interactive. They haven't been for at least 20 years

I've seen it suggested that the current rise in right wing and extreme right wing politics would be impossible if there were not so few people old enough to have already lived through the consequences of that sort of thinking

I remember back in high school 2004 when message boards were popular, and people would get into heated arguments about George Bush. So you can go back 20 years and see that it's nothing new.

@bobby2905] 😞sadly all sides of the political spectrum ithas suddenly become an hot potato and people seem more anal over personal views and opinions

Time have changed. There are different realities and facts somehow, if you accept that popular opinion

Unfortunately trump is Thanos.