Why do you think there is such incredible polarization in this country?

Question

It seems like every issue has become a moral issue where there is no retreat or compromise. It's gotten to the point that a Liberal and a Conservative can't have a political discussion without breaking things. It's destroying the country. From abortion, gun control, immigration, health care, social security, globalization, death penalty, taxes, welfare, religion, unions, terrorism, iraq, and just about every important issue we fail to do anything because we are unwilling to ever risk compromise. Why did this happen?

I don't think it's the media's fault, not directly at least. The media exists in its current form because people want a media that agrees with them. They don't want to be challenged. In short people have too much ego.

Answer 1

It all comes down to the media domination of information.

This has most people assuming that there is a proper government role in almost everything that gets into the newspaper, and it becomes a question of what should be done about it. There's another possibility that some situations defy forced solutions, but the fact that the media covers it convinces most people that its up for some kind of vote.

Most people assume that its a choice between two groups to make the solution, but never stop to consider that both groups support a failed drug policy, one that costs a fortune to perpetuate and simply does not work. They never stop to consider that Social Security was simply a bad concept, and that all any attempt to "fix" it will accomplish is delay the inevitable failure of the entire program by diminishing our overall economic vitality. Neither side wants to admit that it isn't broken like a worn out set of brakes on a car, it's simply a dangerous design defect like the gas tank on a Pinto.

The polarization is because most people believe in the lie that is the two-party system, and do not think the possibilities through rationally.

Witness the number of negative votes I get for this.

Answer 2

The country will survive. It bothers me that so many people are ignorant of our own history that they don't know that there have always been contentious factions and polarization from the very beginning (Jeffersonian Democracy vs. Federalism). And there have been several times when it was MUCH worse, for years at a time. It is like a self-perpetuating feedback loop-- the more people get upset, the more upset they become, and it translates into tectonic shifts in political alignment Although this in itself isn't a bad thing--- we are in the era of the Fifth Party System which has been around for decades now (this started with the New Deal, whose genesis was enabled by the Great Depression). Is the current dissatisfaction with government enough to shift us into a Sixth Party System era? Time will tell...

Answer 3

I think it is part of a deliberate effort by the right to try to eliminate competition and I am not being paranoid. The campaign to classify any one or any thing that was “liberal” as bad was a well thought out political strategy. Liberals of course fought back.

In addition, during Clinton’s presidency right wing media hosts started a well organized campaign of extremely disrespectful and hateful speech. It has been nonstop ever since. Liberals like to think of themselves as relatively peaceful, rational people but there is so much that anyone can take under the onslaught of vicious right-wing propaganda.

The divisions naturally widen when liberals are defending themselves from being called traitors, terrorist supporters, baby killers and wanting handouts for lazy people and hating America. That kind of language does not foster good relations and rational dialogue. The result is that liberals look for similar strong language with which to criticize.

Answer 4

Things went too far when the Conservatives controlled both Congress and the Presidency. The results were so disasterous, that most people want a swingback to the middle. To get it to swing back to the middle, there has to be a fight.

Most people don't want either the far right OR the far left. They want the center. They are too busy working and paying taxes to join the fray.

Answer 5

i'd call it press related. all you ever hear from are the whacks.

because that is what sells. the big fight sells. the moderates make way to much sense and are way to civil to sell. now if everyone would demand compromise, maybe put in a function to recall some of these elected whacks, they'd be more serious about DOING something.

maybe stop watching news, reading papers-how else can you hold the press' feet to the fire. do they not have a resposibility to the readers/viewers?

Answer 6

Whatever I say will sound partisan. But this country is divided because some still support the administration and some don't.
I can only speak for myself by the divisive nature of our country comes from having a president who continues to behave as though he's above the law. He made promises when he was elected and continues to disregard them.

Answer 7

I believe this country has no common moral goal.
Common goals and enemies create unity.
Now most Democrats and Republicans believe the other is the enemy.
Bottom line is we don't agree.

Answer 8

It's because most politcal leaders, not all, but most have adopted the "my way or no way" attitude.

Compromise was not a problem between conservatives, democrats and libertarians until the secular liberal progressives hit the scene about 45 years ago.
They fight at every turn all that conservatives fight for. They hate libertarians period, and they have and are still in the progress of hijacking the democratic party.

Answer 9

The worlds people have always had issues. The poor people want the rich to support them, These poor people are socialist who often abuse the system, Where do you draw the line at being rich when you have people who are third world people who come from mud huts demanding handouts from anyone with anything. If you make 10,000 dollars a year to some of these people that want something free. Your Rich? Where do third world people want to draw it?

Answer 10

The articulate but extremist elements from both sides draw the center in their direction, leaving a huge void in the center.