America’s Crisis Of Disconnection Runs Deeper Than Politics

[cobrajet69]

You are buying into the big lie created by an agenda driven media. An extremely small minority of people are being portrayed as a majority by the media because the media believes the same things as the crazy miniority.

Actually I am not buying into it. If you just look at Facebook and what is being portrayed in the media, you'll see that there are a lot more people drinking the politically driven Kool-Aid. Snowflakes having statues removed because it offends them, flags not being flown for the same reason and college curriculum being changed for that very same reason.
I agree that the media is portraying a small group as a much larger one than it probably is, but I contend that it is much larger than most people know.

Never more politically and racially divided? I remember hearing about a big war that happened ~150 years ago that was pretty closely tied to that stuff..

I guess I was speaking more of quantitatively than a percentage. History tells us that a great portion of those who fought in the Civil War preferred not to fight but chose to do so anyway. Some of the generals even mentioned that in memoirs.

As for the civil rights era of the 50s and 60s, in my humble opinion there was less actual "hatred" in bulk, than there is now. As SVO stated, there were a few lunatics who seem to speak for the majority and I feel that the segregation was fueled more by fear than it was hatred, opposite of what it is now. And all of this divide is being loaded by politics and politicians and the bus is being driven by the media. At least that's the way I see it.



David

[Shaggin Wagon]

You are buying into the big lie created by an agenda driven media. An extremely small minority of people are being portrayed as a majority by the media because the media believes the same things as the crazy miniority.

This is the damn truth. What I see in the media does not represent my life in the slightest.

[svauto-erotic855]

Actually I am not buying into it. If you just look at Facebook and what is being portrayed in the media, you'll see that there are a lot more people drinking the politically driven Kool-Aid. Snowflakes having statues removed because it offends them, flags not being flown for the same reason and college curriculum being changed for that very same reason.
I agree that the media is portraying a small group as a much larger one than it probably is, but I contend that it is much larger than most people know.



I guess I was speaking more of quantitatively than a percentage. History tells us that a great portion of those who fought in the Civil War preferred not to fight but chose to do so anyway. Some of the generals even mentioned that in memoirs.

As for the civil rights era of the 50s and 60s, in my humble opinion there was less actual "hatred" in bulk, than there is now. As SVO stated, there were a few lunatics who seem to speak for the majority and I feel that the segregation was fueled more by fear than it was hatred, opposite of what it is now. And all of this divide is being loaded by politics and politicians and the bus is being driven by the media. At least that's the way I see it.



David

The Democrat party is a party in collapse that has no actual power to do anything. The media has picked up the baton that was dropped by the Democrat party and are running with it as fast as they can. The media is the man behind the curtain because the type of people who are attracted to working in media absolutely hate America and will sacrifice anything to be able to wield the power that will be used to take out America even if they have to sacrifice themselves to do it. We are in the midst of a Cold Civil War at this very moment. I can function perfectly in a hot war but I am useless in a cold one and it is pissing me off to no end.

[Strychnine]

The Democrat party is a party in collapse that has no actual power to do anything. The media has picked up the baton that was dropped by the Democrat party and are running with it as fast as they can. The media is the man behind the curtain because the type of people who are attracted to working in media absolutely hate America and will sacrifice anything to be able to wield the power that will be used to take out America even if they have to sacrifice themselves to do it. We are in the midst of a Cold Civil War at this very moment. I can function perfectly in a hot war but I am useless in a cold one and it is pissing me off to no end.

There is definitely truth to this. According to many studies fear drives this isolation behavior which then drives the polarizing bullshit every step down the line, and the mainstream media outlets of today are nothing but peddlers of fear. Fear = clicks = ratings = dollars = fear = clicks...

And I think you're also probably right to call it a "cold civil war." But don't be shitty when someone uses a very accepted term about a period in time when when all know exactly what the point was. To me, this is the point:

In a hardwired way, the initial trauma and devastation of violence unites human beings for a relatively short period of time. If during that initial period of unity we’re allowed to talk openly about our collective grief and fear–if we turn to one another in a vulnerable and loving way, while at the same time seeking justice and accountability–it can be the start to a very long healing process. If, however, what unites us is a combination of shared hatred and stifled fear that’s eventually expressed as blame, we’re in trouble.

If leaders race to serve up an ideological enemy to rally against, rather than methodically identifying the actual perpetrator, we’ll be emotionally distracted from the unraveling that’s really taking place in our homes and communities. When this happens, what feels like a rallying movement is really a cover for fear, which can then start spreading over the landscape. As fear hardens, it expands–becoming less of a protective barrier and more of a solidifying division. It forces its way down in the gaps and tears apart our social foundation, already weakened with those delicate cracks.

Don't ever turn down an opportunity to have a conversation with someone who thinks differently than you. Welcome it, talk to them... and at some point find ANY bit of common ground. That's it. Let that person on the other side of "the argument" realize that we, as regular people here, are not all assholes against each other. We are all on the same team. Pink pussy hats and tearing down statues aside (those retards are too far gone to worry about right now), there are a ton of good people who are just barely on that other side... and they might be very well served by knowing that their "enemy" is actually against some of the same things they are against, or for some of the same things they are for. In the end, the republic can only fully live or fully die. There's not middle ground, so why be an asshole?

[AnthonyS]

If anything social media is accelerating these issues. Racism, on the rise thanks to social media. Loneliness, yes social media. Digital friends are not the same thing as in person friends and interactions. Lack of diversity in thought and culture.... social media increases the power of echo chambers. The cure for this is to unplug and step outside.

I strongly encourage family camping trips with no electronics. We do two a year and I'd like to make it four. That may be the 2018 New Years resolution.

[svauto-erotic855]

While I don't agree with your douchey comment earlier, there is obviously truth to this. According to many studies fear drives this isolation behavior which then drives the polarizing bullshit every step down the line, and the mainstream media outlets of today are nothing but peddlers of fear. Fear = clicks = ratings = dollars = fear = clicks...

And I think you're also probably right to call it a "cold civil war." But don't be shitty when someone uses a very accepted term about a period in time when when all know exactly what the point was. To me, this is the point:



Don't ever turn down an opportunity to have a conversation with someone who thinks differently than you. Welcome it, talk to them... and at some point find ANY bit of common ground. That's it. Let that person on the other side of "the argument" realize that we, as regular people here, are not all assholes against each other. We are all on the same team. Pink pussy hats and tearing down statues aside (those retards are too far gone to worry about right now), there are a ton of good people who are just barely on that other side... and they might be very well served by knowing that their "enemy" is actually against some of the same things they are against, or for some of the same things they are for. In the end, the republic can only fully live or fully die. There's not middle ground, so why be an asshole?

The engineer in me forces me to call things what they are instead of using vague terms; I drove my professors in college nuts.

I talk to everyone I meet and I am very persistent and have even converted strippers and escorts into voting Republican along with one Jamaican guy with dreads. Run of the mill middle class white people hardly even pose a challenge for me except for my dentist whos great uncle was the last person elected to office in the US as a member of the US socialist party.

[Strychnine]

The engineer in me forces me to call things what they are instead of using vague terms;

Shitty cop-out. My undergrad degree is in engineering also (just like a number of other people around here). Be better than that (and what you did in college doesn't matter, you're not in college anymore)

I talk to everyone I meet and I am very persistent and have even converted strippers and escorts into voting Republican along with one Jamaican guy with dreads. Run of the mill middle class white people hardly even pose a challenge for me except for my dentist.

You're still missing the point. The entire thing is not about convincing someone, or besting them because they were a "challenge." Trying to "convince" someone means you're going into the conversation with a barrier up because it's your view (the "good" one) vs their view (the "bad" one). The reality is that everyone is on a spectrum and just relating to people as human beings, and not as obstacles to convert or overcome, will go a lot further in bringing the masses together against the bullshit being portrayed by the media, politicians, the "deep state," etc.

[AnthonyS]

Why is it necessary to call convert anyone? That's the problem really, the media and socialist retards are trying to convert everyone. So are the muslims. I don't want to be converted. I want to keep my freedom instead.

Teach people, encourage them to think for themselves. Give them options, choices and more freedom. Education is the answer. At one time we had the best educational system in the world. That was our advantage. It's also the key to making America great again.

Education, freedom and opportunity is all we need. Everything else is s bullshit argument constructed to control you.

[svauto-erotic855]

Shitty cop-out. My undergrad degree is in engineering also (just like a number of other people around here). Be better than that (and what you did in college doesn't matter, you're not in college anymore)




You're still missing the point. The entire thing is not about convincing someone, or besting them because they were a "challenge." Trying to "convince" someone means you're going into the conversation with a barrier up because it's your view (the "good" one) vs their view (the "bad" one). The reality is that everyone is on a spectrum and by just relating to people as human beings, and not as obstacles to convert or overcome, will go a lot further in bringing the masses together against the bullshit being portrayed by the media, politicians, the "deep state," etc.

I was also that way before college and remain so to this day. Given my age it is very unlikely that I will change or even be interested in trying.

You do it your way and I will do it my way. I am not interested in debating with idiots. I am all for completely dominating them and converting them to my way of thinking. Winning a war be it a cold or a hot one doesn't happen by trying to get along.

[svauto-erotic855]

Why is it necessary to call convert anyone? That's the problem really, the media and socialist retards are trying to convert everyone. So are the muslims. I don't want to be converted. I want to keep my freedom instead.

Teach people, encourage them to think for themselves. Give them options, choices and more freedom. Education is the answer. At one time we had the best educational system in the world. That was our advantage. It's also the key to making America great again.

Education, freedom and opportunity is all we need. Everything else is s bullshit argument constructed to control you.

Our real advantage was that our manufacturing base was completely untouched by the Second World War and it took the rest of the world nearly 30 years to catch up. Being a free nation designed from the world "Go" to place limits on government power also helped greatly.

[Gasser64]

There are a lot of people that want to expand socialism but only a hand full of morons want communism. The two belief systems aren't really interchangeable. A country as large as the United States can't exist without some form of socialism.

Socialism is communism lite. While they won't come take your kids away and demand that they join the army, they will still throw you in prison if you won't play along. Which of course means handing over a significant portion of your income to them to do with as they see fit. Its all for the greater good, and you don't know what that greater good is, but they do. And, they know what is best for you too, while you clearly have no idea.

This country could function just fine with a low flat tax. And barring any government in all the land from taking any more than their piece of that flat tax. Yeah, maybe we don't get a new fucking football stadium this year. And poor people have to find some way to make it by on their own, just as mankind has done for the last 100k years. Boo hoo.

The tax and social programs are so far beyond out of control that its ridiculous. All this bullshit that we put up with, all of it, would end in very short order if they simply didn't have the money. That is their lifeline, you take it away and you kill them and their dreams.

[AnthonyS]

Socialism is communism lite. While they won't come take your kids away and demand that they join the army, they will still throw you in prison if you won't play along. Which of course means handing over a significant portion of your income to them to do with as they see fit. Its all for the greater good, and you don't know what that greater good is, but they do. And, they know what is best for you too, while you clearly have no idea.

This country could function just fine with a low flat tax. And barring any government in all the land from taking any more than their piece of that flat tax. Yeah, maybe we don't get a new fucking football stadium this year. And poor people have to find some way to make it by on their own, just as mankind has done for the last 100k years. Boo hoo.

The tax and social programs are so far beyond out of control that its ridiculous. All this bullshit that we put up with, all of it, would end in very short order if they simply didn't have the money. That is their lifeline, you take it away and you kill them and their dreams.

Truth.

[Nate]

Shitty cop-out. My undergrad degree is in engineering also (just like a number of other people around here). Be better than that (and what you did in college doesn't matter, you're not in college anymore)




You're still missing the point. The entire thing is not about convincing someone, or besting them because they were a "challenge." Trying to "convince" someone means you're going into the conversation with a barrier up because it's your view (the "good" one) vs their view (the "bad" one). The reality is that everyone is on a spectrum and just relating to people as human beings, and not as obstacles to convert or overcome, will go a lot further in bringing the masses together against the bullshit being portrayed by the media, politicians, the "deep state," etc.

Solid post, you really are one of the good posters/people here.

[BP]

Socialism is communism lite.

Is that why Hitler and Stalin got along so well? They may have some similar ideas but they aren't the same thing. Extreme socialists want to completely destroy the government while communists want complete government control over everything. Those two ideas can't co-exist.

[svauto-erotic855]

Is that why Hitler and Stalin got along so well? They may have some similar ideas but they aren't the same thing. Extreme socialists want to completely destroy the government while communists want complete government control over everything. Those two ideas can't co-exist.

Stalin had something that Hitler wanted and was willing to use force to take. Political ideology was not the cause of the war between the two countries.