What can bring the country together?

[Anonymous]

You know who uses ID politics the worst? Right wingers.

This really is on you and the 1%. Such an unholy alliance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:War or some other major catastrophe that is obvious and caused externally.

I doubt it. After 9/11, Fox News just used it as an opportunity to ramp up their bigotry and fear-mongering.

That’s not a real war. If China tries to invade us and ordinary people have to fight them off from their homes with guns that would definitely bring the country together.

We have it too good as a society today and we’re atrophied because we don’t know real struggle. In WW1 people weren’t bickering about gender pronouns. They were too busy trying to find water to drink in the trenches that wasn’t riddled with dead bodies.

But not so busy with it that they couldn’t make sure the darkies stayed in their own regiments and didn’t eat in the white man’s mess hall.

Huh? The military and Unions are way more integrated than your average UMC DC suburb. There’s more segregation in Montgomery County and Loudoun County than there is on any military base.

And I’m talking about an invasion where the privileged elite and everyone else who has sat on the couch during previous wars has to fight against an invading force from their homes. Fighting amongst fellow Americans about peripheral political issues will stop real quick.

[Anonymous]

When Democrats get off the Looney toons train:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5383/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22chamberActionDateCode%3A%5C%222019-12-10%7C116%7C1000%5C%22+AND+billIsReserved%3A%5C%22N%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=10&s=4

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know who uses ID politics the worst? Right wingers.

This really is on you and the 1%. Such an unholy alliance.

Unfortunately the Democrats use it as well and do so for the 1%. It’s time for something completely different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When Democrats get off the Looney toons train:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5383/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22chamberActionDateCode%3A%5C%222019-12-10%7C116%7C1000%5C%22+AND+billIsReserved%3A%5C%22N%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=10&s=4

Yes, you sound like someone who has a sincere interest in bringing the country together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know who uses ID politics the worst? Right wingers.

This really is on you and the 1%. Such an unholy alliance.

Unfortunately the Democrats use it as well and do so for the 1%. It’s time for something completely different.

Exactly. Socialist don’t though, because they believe in solidarity against the 1%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been traveling to the Midwest for years to visit family. The divide happened a long time ago. Before Obama was elected. I put the blame on right wing radio and entertainment outlets like Fox News, Breitbart, Glenn Beck, and Alex Jones. The entertainment they push is anger and outrage, bigotry and sexism. I watched my dad get sucked into that world but he died in 2013. Folks are reeling in this country due to huge economic shifts that are occurring in economic/labor market, much like the industrial revolution. If you think back to that time in history and the profound changes that occurred, it makes sense.

The only thing that is going to change is the younger generations will be able to cope more with the new economic/labor environment and the ones in the thick of the change will die off.

+1. Exactly this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been traveling to the Midwest for years to visit family. The divide happened a long time ago. Before Obama was elected. I put the blame on right wing radio and entertainment outlets like Fox News, Breitbart, Glenn Beck, and Alex Jones. The entertainment they push is anger and outrage, bigotry and sexism. I watched my dad get sucked into that world but he died in 2013. Folks are reeling in this country due to huge economic shifts that are occurring in economic/labor market, much like the industrial revolution. If you think back to that time in history and the profound changes that occurred, it makes sense.

The only thing that is going to change is the younger generations will be able to cope more with the new economic/labor environment and the ones in the thick of the change will die off.

I live in the Midwest and have lost my father to Fox.

It’s not a both sides issue, not a bit. OP doesn’t say “both sides” but she implies it.

How do we get past this? Naming the real problem, for one thing: Republican extremism and all that feeds into it. Sadly, it is a multi-factorial problem, but the big one is right wing propaganda. But we have to see the problem for what it is because you can’t solve a problem when you won’t identify what the problem is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been traveling to the Midwest for years to visit family. The divide happened a long time ago. Before Obama was elected. I put the blame on right wing radio and entertainment outlets like Fox News, Breitbart, Glenn Beck, and Alex Jones. The entertainment they push is anger and outrage, bigotry and sexism. I watched my dad get sucked into that world but he died in 2013. Folks are reeling in this country due to huge economic shifts that are occurring in economic/labor market, much like the industrial revolution. If you think back to that time in history and the profound changes that occurred, it makes sense.

The only thing that is going to change is the younger generations will be able to cope more with the new economic/labor environment and the ones in the thick of the change will die off.

I live in the Midwest and have lost my father to Fox.

It’s not a both sides issue, not a bit. OP doesn’t say “both sides” but she implies it.

How do we get past this? Naming the real problem, for one thing: Republican extremism and all that feeds into it. Sadly, it is a multi-factorial problem, but the big one is right wing propaganda. But we have to see the problem for what it is because you can’t solve a problem when you won’t identify what the problem is.

+2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:War or some other major catastrophe that is obvious and caused externally.

I doubt it. After 9/11, Fox News just used it as an opportunity to ramp up their bigotry and fear-mongering.

That’s not a real war. If China tries to invade us and ordinary people have to fight them off from their homes with guns that would definitely bring the country together.

We have it too good as a society today and we’re atrophied because we don’t know real struggle. In WW1 people weren’t bickering about gender pronouns. They were too busy trying to find water to drink in the trenches that wasn’t riddled with dead bodies.

Screw women and minorities, right?

Your logic is poor. So when things are bad, we shouldn’t be worrying about equal rights, but conversely when things are good, we’re silly for worrying about equal rights?

We have a world war-scale problem right now, it’s global warming. And what have most people done? Shrugged and believed right wing lies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been traveling to the Midwest for years to visit family. The divide happened a long time ago. Before Obama was elected. I put the blame on right wing radio and entertainment outlets like Fox News, Breitbart, Glenn Beck, and Alex Jones. The entertainment they push is anger and outrage, bigotry and sexism. I watched my dad get sucked into that world but he died in 2013. Folks are reeling in this country due to huge economic shifts that are occurring in economic/labor market, much like the industrial revolution. If you think back to that time in history and the profound changes that occurred, it makes sense.

The only thing that is going to change is the younger generations will be able to cope more with the new economic/labor environment and the ones in the thick of the change will die off.

I live in the Midwest and have lost my father to Fox.

It’s not a both sides issue, not a bit. OP doesn’t say “both sides” but she implies it.

How do we get past this? Naming the real problem, for one thing: Republican extremism and all that feeds into it. Sadly, it is a multi-factorial problem, but the big one is right wing propaganda. But we have to see the problem for what it is because you can’t solve a problem when you won’t identify what the problem is.

+3

This started in the 90s, and really ramped up after 9/11. The “news as entertainment” industry really became a draw for so many older men. Then they spread it to their wives, like a virus. I wonder if studies have been done about what it is that older people find so appealing about these news shows...Watching the news is fine but having it on basically all day?! I would be angry if I watched that much news too.

Unfortunately I see nothing to be done about the above, and have no hope it will get better anytime soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question. I am so exhausted by the vitriol. Are we going to get past this time in our country? If so, what gets us there? If not, how long can we survive like this?

Get to know your neighbors better. If they are like my neighbors, they are great people.

I actually think we should institute 1-2 years of mandatory service between HS and college. Kids could opt to serve in the military or do some type of community service for which they would get paid. This could achieve several things:
1) Bring people from different backgrounds, geographies, religions, etc.. together to work and get to know one another. Just like the military always has done
2) Give a nudge to those who wouldn't traditionally serve in the military a chance to do so and open the eyes of the more privileged to what the military does. Could even lessen future chances of war
3) The community service aspect could help with needed social services and infrastructure
4) Kids get a sense of the wider world and those heading to college may do so with more purpose/better sense of what they want to study and those not previously college-bound may be more inspired to go.

There are some great minds out these who have put these thoughts together, I am just repeating them. But I really think something that forces people from different parts of the country to work together could go along way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A true understanding of what Communism is and how Socialism is a mild form of Communism. If you have any doubt, take a look at the Wuhan thread in the health forum and see how many people are shocked at China’s behavior towards their own people and about the goverment falsehoods.

Lying and shameless manipulation happens in all systems and all countries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been traveling to the Midwest for years to visit family. The divide happened a long time ago. Before Obama was elected. I put the blame on right wing radio and entertainment outlets like Fox News, Breitbart, Glenn Beck, and Alex Jones. The entertainment they push is anger and outrage, bigotry and sexism. I watched my dad get sucked into that world but he died in 2013. Folks are reeling in this country due to huge economic shifts that are occurring in economic/labor market, much like the industrial revolution. If you think back to that time in history and the profound changes that occurred, it makes sense.

The only thing that is going to change is the younger generations will be able to cope more with the new economic/labor environment and the ones in the thick of the change will die off.

I live in the Midwest and have lost my father to Fox.

It’s not a both sides issue, not a bit. OP doesn’t say “both sides” but she implies it.

How do we get past this? Naming the real problem, for one thing: Republican extremism and all that feeds into it. Sadly, it is a multi-factorial problem, but the big one is right wing propaganda. But we have to see the problem for what it is because you can’t solve a problem when you won’t identify what the problem is.

My dad too. He was always a conservative guy but never talked about Politics or seemed angry. My parents always told me it was rude to talk politics- when I was growing up. He retired early (blue collar union job). and has basically spent the last 20yrs sitting on the couch watching Fox and getting angrier by the day. Spread it to my mom too. There are millions of men like this. Why??? I really do not know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question. I am so exhausted by the vitriol. Are we going to get past this time in our country? If so, what gets us there? If not, how long can we survive like this?

Get to know your neighbors better. If they are like my neighbors, they are great people.

I actually think we should institute 1-2 years of mandatory service between HS and college. Kids could opt to serve in the military or do some type of community service for which they would get paid. This could achieve several things:
1) Bring people from different backgrounds, geographies, religions, etc.. together to work and get to know one another. Just like the military always has done
2) Give a nudge to those who wouldn't traditionally serve in the military a chance to do so and open the eyes of the more privileged to what the military does. Could even lessen future chances of war
3) The community service aspect could help with needed social services and infrastructure
4) Kids get a sense of the wider world and those heading to college may do so with more purpose/better sense of what they want to study and those not previously college-bound may be more inspired to go.

There are some great minds out these who have put these thoughts together, I am just repeating them. But I really think something that forces people from different parts of the country to work together could go along way.

I agree with a lot of this. Alternatively, the south could secede as they threatened in 2008, and we let them. But they would have to use their own currency, and deal with Mexico & other international relations on their own.