Has anyone here read Ezra Klein’s book “Why We’re Polarized?”

[RalphTheCow]

It is pretty good IMNSHo. He makes the point that the the media is focused on identity politics. I guess there must be an identity “Let’s fix this shit” that we should unite on.

 

[GettyRoad]

BLM's identity politics and the hate all white men agenda caused the reactionary right, which was dead for a while, to resurge.

Plain and simple.

 

[Indus]

It is pretty good IMNSHo. He makes the point that the the media is focused on identity politics. I guess there must be an identity “Let’s fix this shit” that we should unite on.

We're polarized into Never Trumpers and Trumpanzees. I don't think we can ever come back from that.

We're literally 2 different species at this point that don't like to intermarry and like our differences!

 

[Moonbeam]

We're polarized into Never Trumpers and Trumpanzees. I don't think we can ever come back from that.

We're literally 2 different species at this point that don't like to intermarry and like our differences!

My guess is that you see this with the same clarity that you see immigration. We don't have two spe3cies at all. We have a huge number of people who seek a cult environment because they are sick. Nobody wants to know what their disease is, least of all them, but certainly you as I see it.

 

[Indus]

My guess is that you see this with the same clarity that you see immigration. We don't have two spe3cies at all. We have a huge number of people who seek a cult environment because they are sick. Nobody wants to know what their disease is, least of all them, but certainly you as I see it.

I'm a realist. You're the idealist but idealists don't populate this earth with a majority!

When the fuck over the last 40 years has America made ideal choices?

 

[VashHT]

BLM's identity politics and the hate all white men agenda caused the reactionary right, which was dead for a while, to resurge.

Plain and simple.

Definitely not true, been happening since before trump or BLM.

 

[Pohemi]

Definitely not true, been happening since before trump or BLM.

C'mon now, don't question his every-post "everyone hates white men and that's why they are the way they are" idiotic justifications and qualifications. Despite it rarely if ever being true.

It's always about race forever more with him.

Plain and simple.

Yes, yes you are. What's new?

 

[HomerJS]

BLM's identity politics and the hate all white men agenda caused the reactionary right, which was dead for a while, to resurge.

Plain and simple.

You just lied again. Earning your rubles?

 

[HomerJS]

Identity politics was first practiced in the days when slaves were brought into the country.

Anyone care to dispute?

 

[Jaskalas]

He makes the point that the the media is focused on identity politics. I guess there must be an identity “Let’s fix this shit” that we should unite on.

The trials of fighting the Civil War, and then both World Wars are what forged the USA's identity. The direction we educated our people towards. For a time.
These days it is just chaos. Education without direction, without purpose, without unity.

So free to do what humans do best, we divide ourselves. You can blame the tools we use to do it (media), but ultimately it is just human nature overpowering our now weakened institutions. With division already sown, you cannot put it back together. One side must conquer the other.

 

[fskimospy]

BLM's identity politics and the hate all white men agenda caused the reactionary right, which was dead for a while, to resurge.

Plain and simple.

The reactionary right came from Obama being elected. This is obvious to anyone with a brain.

 

[brycejones]

The reactionary right came from Obama being elected. This is obvious to anyone with a brain.

Sorry gettyroad’s dev couldn’t be bother to make the bit any deeper than it is.

 

[fskimospy]

Also it’s funny that people say ‘identity politics made white people do X’.

That’s identity politics for white people!

 

[Indus]

The reactionary right came from Obama being elected. This is obvious to anyone with a brain.

It's funny that was 2008 when they lost their minds.

16 years later.. they still haven't accepted that and are firmly against any notion of a peaceful co-existence in America.. and oh they have a bigger SCOTUS majority than they did then!

 

[fskimospy]

It's funny that was 2008 when they lost their minds.

16 years later.. they still haven't accepted that and are firmly against any notion of a peaceful co-existence in America.. and oh they have a bigger SCOTUS majority than they did then!

Remember how the Tea Party was against deficits and then when a Republican got into office and blew the roof off on deficits they said nothing?

It’s because they never cared. It’s a social movement where they are mad about black people.

 

[Indus]

Remember how the Tea Party was against deficits and then when a Republican got into office and blew the roof off on deficits they said nothing?

It’s because they never cared. It’s a social movement where they are mad about black people.

And asian and latino and gays and lesbians and transgender and queer and jews and marxists and communists and liberals.

That's just the top of their list!

 

[MrSquished]

So this guy is trying to both sides it?

If so, he is a moron. The reactionary right has been bred since the Gingrich years. By the right. Sure they used some media, but it was their media, and it was led by right wing politicians and right wing influences from their sick religious leaders to their politicians.

Obama being elected is what really let them start to show their true colors more, but still more subdued on the big public stages. After eight years of that, then Trump let them all say the quiet parts out loud, whereas before many were still hiding it quite a bit. Now they showed who they really have been this whole time. Just repressing it. The right has been shitty for quite some time.

The reason we are polarized so much is due to horrific right wing beliefs. Sure there are some loony leftists that live in la la land but they are maybe like 10% of the entire left of center movement. They are just very loud and get amplified by the media. In this case, yes, the media is biased.

The shitty republican base is by far the majority of the party, not some wingnut wing of it. That's the BREAD AND BUTTER of teh right wing these days. Evilness.

 

[manly]

Trump threw gas on the fire, but the fire has been burning for at least a couple decades.

Not gonna read Klein's book but his podcast has been pushing the idea that Dems should just fuck around until August, then have a contested convention to select someone to replace Joe Biden.

 

[GettyRoad]

Definitely not true, been happening since before trump or BLM.

True, but it got worse since 2016.

 

[brycejones]

True, but it got worse since 2016.

Fuck off ivan

 

[Fanatical Meat]

It is pretty good IMNSHo. He makes the point that the the media is focused on identity politics. I guess there must be an identity “Let’s fix this shit” that we should unite on.

What should be fixed in your own words?
I am not reading a book to post in this thread.

 

[MrSquished]

True, but it got worse since 2016.

You are right. A broken clock is right twice a day. It did get worse in 2016, because Trump started saying their racist shitty stuff out loud in public as a contending politician - and so what they'd been thinking and saying among themselves for years, now they could say it out loud anytime. Which is why they loved him and he steamrolled to the nomination. They finally had a guy that could be as openly evil as they felt inside. Trump didn't create the evil, he just gave them the ok to say it to more people.

I'm glad you appreciate that the R party was fucking horrific for decades before, but Trump really let them reveal themselves for what they were. That is getting worse, I agree.

 

[DrDoug]

Klein and his kind are the advertising arm of the reason we are so polarized: Republicans and Russia

Klein has been sniffing his own farts for years.

 

[GettyRoad]

You are right. A broken clock is right twice a day. It did get worse in 2016, because Trump started saying their racist shitty stuff out loud in public as a contending politician - and so what they'd been thinking and saying among themselves for years, now they could say it out loud anytime. Which is why they loved him and he steamrolled to the nomination. They finally had a guy that could be as openly evil as they felt inside. Trump didn't create the evil, he just gave them the ok to say it to more people.

I'm glad you appreciate that the R party was fucking horrific for decades before, but Trump really let them reveal themselves for what they were. That is getting worse, I agree.

Both sides have crazies. Jane Elliott and Tim Wise don't do favors either, blaming whites for every wrong thing----and then get surprised when whites don't want to engage.

 

[GettyRoad]

The reactionary right came from Obama being elected. This is obvious to anyone with a brain.

It was a lot of factors. Some elements of the left calling every white male a racist does not help either.