I've noticed something recently that I find really troubling. When I'm talking politics with someone (or even a group of someones), him/her/they will say something that is extremely right or extremely left, and then they will continue as if they assume I completely agree with them even when I may not. By the time I craft a response to counter their extreme statement, the conversation has morphed into a right- or left-bashing tirade and I feel my response would fall on deaf ears so don't say anything. Additionally, if this is a group conversation, the entire group will generally chime in to support the political group bashing, as if no one has independant thought of their own (GroupThink/Mob mentality at its worst).
Unless I know someone well, I rarely assume a person's political leanings. I also think it's relatively unhealthy and unproductive to blame ALL of the problems in a large organization or government on one person. I think that's very rarely the case. I also think that the only way a new leader would be able to get anything done in politics today is if they were able to say (and back up with action), "I personally believe ___________ on issues X, Y, and Z. However, because not everyone agrees with me, I'm willing to find middle ground on this and work with others to find the most agreeable solution for everyone involved." Everything is so polarized today that if we don't cooperate on issues, nothing will get solved.
So what is it with me? Do I have a tendency to find and have conversations with political junkie nut-jobs? Do I pick friends who really do have these extreme political leanings or are they just devoid of independant thought? Are there no more open-minded people out there? Or does no one care what I think or say? Or all of the above?
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3 comments:
I hear you.
I think the "If you're not with us you're against us." went a long way to divide us. Coming from the "uniter and not the divider". (There I go again,..)
I think talk radio has done a lot to polarize people along political lines. That's why I admired what Elizabath Edwards said when she called in and confronted Ann Coulter. Radio programs, like Rush, And Coulter that just ridicule the opposition, divide people along lines and detract from a reasonable discussion of the issues.
I ski at a small town in North Idaho. They only have one AM radio station that has talk other than Christian, which has it's own political agenda. They get a 3 hour diet each day of Rush. So I listended to it. It is a 3 hour diet every day of how stupid the democrats are. And it goes beyond that. The propoganda is punctuated by "funny" musical clips. One of them that I heard was about Obama. It was sung to the song Puff the Magic Dragon, but it went "Puff the Magic Negro" A refrence to black roles in movies where a black character will resolve issues for white people. Of course nobody ever gets this because it's never explained.
Three hours a day of this propoganda in North Idaho is going to have an impact on the people who live there. They are ripe for it anyway. It isn't something that is going to bring people together. It promotes hatred racisim and divides us.
I have very good friends that I can't even talk politics with now. They think I'm just an idiot because some of my political views are on the left. Some of my views.
Ms. Coulter, like Bill O'Rielly, is one of those polarizing, mean people. I really don't like her at all. What's really sad is she doesn't understand that she's being bigoted and hurtful when she has the potential to stimulate intelligent political debate.
I don't agree. These people know exactly what they are doing. Don't kid yourself to think they don't. They are brainwashing all that they can in the process at the most disgusting levels.
It's totally political and controlled by wealthy nework owners. What else would explain the consistent political agenda? It's nothing more than right wing republican propoganda that plays on racisim bigotry and hatred.
It's pretty clear if you take an honest look at it.
I can assure you that this non stop propoganda on the radio plays well here in eastern Washington and north Idaho. It is very well received to say the very least.
Coulter had the nerve to accuse Elizibeth Edwards of profiting off of the situation on the Edwards website. Edwards is dieing of cancer. I doubt very seriously that she is interested in profit except to expose these scoundrels and fight back against them and the propoganda radio juggernaught. You can watch the confrontation at the Huffington post. There is a video clip there. It's pathetic.
Of course they do everything they can to cut funding for NPR. The one republican I voted for in the last general election, herself voted to cut funding for NPR here in this state. NPR has a program inwhich you get to ask questions to people you elect. One caller pointed out that the only venue people have to ask elected officials questions was on NPR. She responded by saying "education" was more important. Perhaps she is refering to AM talk radio. Education in the form of Rush.
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