Most people agree society is being more and more torn apart over political disagreements. Why is this? Well, in the recent past (after Reconstruction), the differences were mostly over how to fix issues. Everyone pretty much agreed that we should try to keep our people safe and free and prosperous. Today, though, the two parties disagree not on how but on what. Liberals want to make the USA weaker and to help others ahead of our own people. Conservatives want America First and a strong USA. These fundamental goal differences cause extreme discord.

Bullshit.

The issue is that people no longer actually discuss matters with people holding other views. Instead, they surround themselves with like-minded individuals until no any differing view is seen as sheer insanity. The ability to communicate so easily with like-minded people via the internet has led to insularity.

How many former friends/acquaintances have you blocked/unfriended on social media when they voiced different views from your own? How many times have you been blocked/unfriended for doing the same?

Everyone surrounds themselves with likeminded individuals so they never see any reason or rationality in the viewpoint of the opposition. Without seeing this, they lose any respect they may have had for the opposition and thus the separation grows and the divide widens. Both sides deal with absolutes and ridiculous stereotypes, refusing to see any legitimacy or nuance in the opposition.

Liberals, conservatives, democrats, republicans. All equally guilty of this divisive behavior.

My friend is Socialist/Communist (Far-Left)
I am Monarchist/Fascist (Far-Right)

He is one of my best friends.

^ I'm not saying you can't be friends, but the divide is growing

How many former friends/acquaintances have you blocked/unfriended on social media when they voiced different views from your own? How many times have you been blocked/unfriended for doing the same?

I have actually never lost a friend because they have different opinions than I do. Sometimes I meet really angry people who are rude about their opinions and I never talk to them again, but honestly as long as you discuss your opinions respectfully it doesn't matter how different they are.

(I mean It seems like literally everyone here disagrees with me, but as far as I know I haven't made any enemies by refusing to talk to someone with different opinions from me)

I do agree with the OP. You can sit a Marxist and a Fascist down for coffee and have them talk about their ideas in a civil way but when they get up and leave they will still be a Marxist and a Fascist.

Dialogue only allows different people to understand each other in a way they normally couldn't. It does not bring ideologues them back from the fringe.

Pragmatists are an entirely different story but they are a dying breed.

Edited 8/3/2016 19:38:45

In France and to some extent many other countries, what they do is just try and purposefully divise folk into having their politic ideas into faith - and so noone talks about polit and noone really complains about it, since it's societally not ok (generally).

Facism is not far right, it is far left. Benito Mussolini's fascism was born out of syndicalism, and Woodrow Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt's fascism was inherently leftist as well. Nationalism is not a good definer for whether a specific ideology is far left or far right, just use economic policies for that. I mean, is national bolshevism far right?

Nazism is called National Socialism, therefore it must be socialism.

North Korea is called the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, therefore it must be a democracy.

^ lol strawman

Speaking of strawmen... this entire post.

@Knyte

Just laughed the crap out of me on that. One of the funniest comments about ideologies I've read in a while.


@Richard Shape

+1000

Very true what you just said. I'm centre-left in economy and very liberal morally speaking, but I watch and read every paper or videos that contradict my opinions with good arguments, because one I don't believe myself to be 100% right in my opinions, and two I would be a hippocrite if I criticized people whom ideologies I know nothing about.

Sometimes I got better talks with conservatives than I did with liberals, all of it depending on wether someone has actual arguments or none. I just try to have ideas of my own based on the knowlage I have; and I'm always eager to be contradicted and change positions if the arguments are solid and based in hard evidence. Too bad we often are reduced to poor arguments like:

Liberals want to make the USA weaker and to help others ahead of our own people. Conservatives want America First and a strong USA.

@Tabby

Don’t demand anything because of your race, ethnicity, or sex

What about religion?

Nazism is called National Socialism, therefore it must be socialism.

Nazism has socialist policies implemented into it, with a emphasis on them, therefore it must be inherently socialistic.

Nazism is called National Socialism, therefore it must be socialism.

North Korea is called the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, therefore it must be a democracy.

Technically speaking a "Democratic Republic" is just a republic where elections are held, for which North Korea fits the bill. There is also technically a lot of corruption going on in the elections, but that's a separate issue.

Edited 8/4/2016 00:17:06

Liberals want to make the USA weaker and to help others ahead of our own people. Conservatives want America First and a strong USA.

Huh, sounds fair enough.

Elections are held in DPRK, Kim Jong-un got %100 of the votes.

#NotAllSocialists #DemocraticSocialism #DailySocialism

Nazism is called National Socialism, therefore it must be socialism.

North Korea is called the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, therefore it must be a democracy.

Vegetarians eat vegetables, so humanitarians eat humans

Left = economically left
Right = economically right

Fascism is economically left, so sorry bud. Fascism is left wing.