Americans say debate has grown more toxic an ‘heated’ rhetoric could lead to violence

[Zython]

Funny thing that one. Democrats don't really talk much about it, while to Republicans, even the President himself, it has become Schrödinger's immigration policy. Somehow, Obama is both used as a gotcha (he deported so many! He built the camps!), while also being famously "weak" on immigration. That's what gets me, as an outsider to the system - I just want politicians to be at least internally consistent in their views, if they can't be bothered to be truthful.

I've just taken the habit of using this as proof that the right can't be reasoned with.

[Smitzelplix]

They will deal with it internally, and say they do not publicly discuss administrative actions on personal issues.

We've seen that dance, before.

Good news for once, the officer was fired and another officer got fired as well for liking the post.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/22/u...spoli-aoc.html

[Machismo]

Good news for once, the officer was fired and another officer got fired as well for liking the post.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/22/u...spoli-aoc.html

Honestly, that's great to hear. He should be fired, and should never get his pension.

[Hinastorm]

Russia and China don't want war... The normal 99% of people don't want civil war...

We live in a golden age of humanity in 2019. Have you read the book "Enlightenment Now" by Steven Pinker, that will help inform you on the overall uptrend in positive changes.

If this is what a golden age looks like, good lord.

Although obviously its preferable to your average life 200 years ago, but calling this problem infested cesspool that is out society a "golden age". Especially when half the country is actively reversing our progress.

[Shadowferal]

Looking forward to polio making a comeback.

[Reaper0329]

As some one who doesn’t follow any real politics or debates is this a side effect of trump? From watching the 2016 stuff he seems s to be the only real toxic one so did he kick this off of we’re there others before him?

It's...interesting. I'm largely politically apathetic (the best way to realize politics is a shit show, foundationally, is to get a degree in Poli Sci), so I do a lot of observation and lurking.

In the context of the question; imagine someone detonates a brick of C4 in a forest, and a fire starts. Then, two groups of people go into the forest, stand on opposite side of the fire, and start throwing gasoline at one another. If Trump is the C4 and the two parties are the people, that's kinda where we're at. Trump's election and the rhetoric therefrom definitely started it, but it's sure as all shit been kept alive, if not outright expanded.

At least that's how I see it; I'm sure someone will be along shortly with a REE TWO PARTIES comment and entirely miss my point.

Large scale, I dunno. Reagan started the trend of going for the soundbite in a debate; I dunno that I'd call his debating style void of substance, mind you, but the man recognized the value of a soundbite. A professor in law school once pointed out, and backed it up with some examples and research, that post-Reagan debate was different. Bush Sr., for instance, was very dry and factual in his debate style before Reagan, as was most political debate. Post Reagan, he was much less drab, and you get lines like "Read my lips; no new taxes" from him. I suppose if we accept that as true, what we have now is the logical evolution of that style of debate taken to an extreme. But that's more musing than anything.

[shimerra]

If this is what a golden age looks like, good lord.

Although obviously its preferable to your average life 200 years ago, but calling this problem infested cesspool that is out society a "golden age". Especially when half the country is actively reversing our progress.

Life now is pretty much preferable from almost every objective metric than it has been at any point in history and not just for the western world. Chance of being murdered? Lowest it's ever been. Chance of dieing in a war? Lowest it's ever been. Robbed? Lowest. Staving? Lowest. Dieing before you even hit 2 years old? Lowest. Dieing to disease? Lowest. I could literally go on.

I've read his book how the Mind Works but I haven't read that one but I do know the summary. It's not that everything isn't perfect or that there aren't serious issues that need addressing like global warming. But in the overall context of human history? This is just about the single best time to be born as a human on earth.


You really think there weren't dozens of cases in previous countries of reversion and people actively working to do that? We literally have an entire period of history named the Dark Ages because of a slow down/reversing of progress. And that wasn't the only one. Really it's just an attempt to inject some fact based optimism into the melodrama our society bogs you down with the fact that things can get better and overall have been for the last 2 thousand years. Not always steadily.

[The Butt Witch]

I'm just looking forward to the civil war in 2020.
If you think the far-left will accept Trump's obvious victory, you're just delusional.

[DocSavageFan]

If this is what a golden age looks like, good lord.

Although obviously its preferable to your average life 200 years ago, but calling this problem infested cesspool that is out society a "golden age". Especially when half the country is actively reversing our progress.

This is indeed a "golden age" in human history.

[Hinastorm]

I'm just looking forward to the civil war in 2020.
If you think the far-left will accept Trump's obvious victory, you're just delusional.

The opposite holds even more true. If anyone thinks Trump will leave if he loses, without a massive, gigantic fight/tantrum, they are delusional. He's going to die in a New york prison when he's out of office. There is no way in hell he leaves quietly.

[Felya]

The far left doesn't really give a shit, they understand that in US elections the options are between far right neolibs and outright fascists.

Yeah, but if you convince the public that the center is between extreme right and right that’s closer to center. You end up with Skroe being called a far lefty. For fuck’s sake, I’ve said on here numerous times that I support corporal punishment in school and called an extremist liberal last week. If someone supporting corporal punishment is an extreme left wing... what’s center?

Edit: Think about the scope that the left must encompass in such a paradigm.