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I won't reveal my own political leanings because they're not important here (if you're curious, they're not that difficult to discover )
Indeed, I think this a problem with both sides today. I increasingly find it difficult to see eye-to-eye with the other political side on even the simplest matters. Forget about hot-button topics like abortion, gay rights, immigration, taxes, entitlements, etc., where I have long ago concluded that our views are anything but reconcilable...even when it comes to basic facts (e.g., what is the purpose of the 14th Amendment), we seem to be living on different planets. I'm 100% sure that many folks on the other side feel the same way about me.
Anybody else increasingly feel this way? What do you think some causes (and maybe solutions) might be?
It's deliberately installed. Divided we fall is their objective.
No way! I grew up in Gainesville and it's a very liberal city b/c of the massive number of college students. But it's okay, even those of us who were formerly liberals as students grow up to become respectable conservatives.
Anyway, I don't think any of the reasons are correct in the poll, but I do agree with the OP. I think it's a pride issue. No one wants to back down, even if they are wrong. Social issues are big to me but the real problem is that we can't see eye to eye on fiscal issues, and that's what gets our country in trouble. For the life of me, I cannot see why anybody would want the gov't spending so much money, and why we need gov't intrusion into anything and everything. Even though I used to be a liberal, I have a very hard time seeing things from the point of view I used to see them from. I feel like I have more facts now, and more maturity, and can make a more informed decision about political things. My dad is a bleeding heart and we get into it sometimes, and I honestly sometimes think to myself, Where is he getting this stuff? because a lot of it doesn't really make sense to me.
Don't really want to start a battle here, but I could actually say the same about you and some of your ideas that I've seen you post. "Where is she getting this stuff? Because a lot of it makes no sense to me." And I think that is a major cause of the split in this country. Everyone has their own ideas about how things should be run, but they are either unwilling or unable to explain those ideas in a way that might make sense to someone who thinks differently from them. And, even worse, we're all either unable or unwilling to even consider "the other side's" ideas. Too many start with the assumption that their own ideas are 'best' and simply refuse to consider another idea because they don't want to admit they just might be wrong.
I won't reveal my own political leanings because they're not important here (if you're curious, they're not that difficult to discover )
Indeed, I think this a problem with both sides today. I increasingly find it difficult to see eye-to-eye with the other political side on even the simplest matters. Forget about hot-button topics like abortion, gay rights, immigration, taxes, entitlements, etc., where I have long ago concluded that our views are anything but reconcilable...even when it comes to basic facts (e.g., what is the purpose of the 14th Amendment), we seem to be living on different planets. I'm 100% sure that many folks on the other side feel the same way about me.
Anybody else increasingly feel this way? What do you think some causes (and maybe solutions) might be?
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: I find that some people on the "other side" seem just wired to think about the world in very simplistic, black and white terms. This tendency tends to correlate directly with their level of political zealotry. I notice the same thing with the fervently religious/fundamentalists. A very simple, and completely unrealistic worldview.
IMHO, it's the wiring. You won't ever get them to understand because it's a neurological issue.
This is a great point. Reminds me of when I posted something on FB about Obama being full of horse poo and my dad asked "What did you disagree with?" and listed a bunch of things that are GOOD, things I believe in. And my response was that I just disagree with how to implement these things. I think you've hit the nail on the head here.
I would be willing to bet a whole lotta money that if we all filled out an extensive survey about personal priorities, with the very last question on the survey asking each of us to characterize our general political preferences into liberal, conservative, independent, etc.... 95% of the survey results would be almost identical - except for the last question.
It's difficult to escape pundit talking points on both sides - all reported news has some slant to it, and it's also difficult to escape the geographical vastness of our country (we're the 3rd largest country by landmass in the world), which can introduce regional cultural differences that also weigh into our political perspectives.
All the more reason for us all to take a big chill pill and make sure our punditry is only taken if accompanied by a very large grain of salt and a fundamental understanding that EVERYONE on TV wants one thing, and one thing only - ad revenue from ratings. The more sensational the story, tagline or talking points, the better the ratings = higher ad revenue.
I also think Americans could benefit from a more thorough understanding of their own country's history. Much like religious fanatics, the political zealots greatly enjoy their bumper-sticker political theology: cherry-picking ideas, Constitutional amendments, Supreme Court rulings, and single lines from lengthy legislative bills that feed their platform narrative. And much like religion - no political idea should stand on it's own, outside of it's ENTIRE historical, demographic and economic context.
Alls I'm sayin' is - Perhaps one's investment of time in understanding the 235+ year historical context of the current legislative and economic practices of the 3rd largest country in the world should be extended beyond a "Nobama" or "Republicans for Voldemort" sticker on your car.
It is a wee bit more complicated (and important) than that.
Anybody else increasingly feel this way? What do you think some causes (and maybe solutions) might be?
Education. Public debate on issues, demanding solution, without the safety net of political correctness, deflections and non-answers. Accountability from politicians, and the media.
As to your middle sentence which I bolded - I think the lack of compromise flows directly from the hyper-polarization. I would love nothing more than to reach a suitable compromise with the other side on our most pressing issues, but I feel that our conceptions of America - indeed, of reality - have grown so disparate, so divorced over the last 20 years that "meeting in the middle" is scarcely a possibility!
Again - without revealing where I stand - take the hypothetical of a social conservative in Texas who believes that homosexuality should be criminalized, and a Massachusetts liberal who believes in same-sex marriage. How on earth do those two individuals "meet in the middle"? Is it even possible?
There is no middle ground for deep held beliefs.
That is why the US has 2 parties instead of 1.
It makes people think they have a choice when they really don't.
Same end goal for both parties.
And it is not freedom and independence.
Because if americans had freedom and independence they may get the idea that they do not need so much government.
That is why we have so much bureaucracy.
And more being proposed everyday.
It keeps people busy and focused on close personal issues instead of the real problems.
Problem is that the US has been invaded a long time ago.
And the enemy controls the government.
King George has come back and I don't mean George Bush.
I mean tyranny.
The US is controlled by fascist individuals.
It is not yet the public sentiment.
More so in the liberal camp.
Corporatism is the excepted end result.
And it grips the US into a state of european socialism.
That as europe rids itself of it,the US is embracing it.
The worst has yet to come.
Utopia never comes to Socialists.
It is what they hope for and are doomed to ever acheive it.
Because to acheive it is to again have to much time on their hands that they question the corruptive nature that controls every aspect of their lives and realize that could not possibly be freedom.
So they are given choices;coke or pepsi,to be able to kill their unborn as long as they do it at the proper facility and of course to choose dem or rep.
GOD HELP US ALL!
Our nation is getting what it deserves and it is going to be a HELL of a ride.
I won't reveal my own political leanings because they're not important here (if you're curious, they're not that difficult to discover )
Indeed, I think this a problem with both sides today. I increasingly find it difficult to see eye-to-eye with the other political side on even the simplest matters. Forget about hot-button topics like abortion, gay rights, immigration, taxes, entitlements, etc., where I have long ago concluded that our views are anything but reconcilable...even when it comes to basic facts (e.g., what is the purpose of the 14th Amendment), we seem to be living on different planets. I'm 100% sure that many folks on the other side feel the same way about me.
Anybody else increasingly feel this way? What do you think some causes (and maybe solutions) might be?
There is no real solution, we just exited an unraveling era where sides polarize and now we are in the next crisis era. If you look back in history every unraveling to early crisis eras were this way. Go back to the depression, civil war, revolutionary war and glorious revolution, we follow a very similar path.
What will change it is our crisis getting to the point where we are scared **itless and unify together with a common goal.
The author of the book the Forth Turning, Neil Howe which chronicles these cycles was on a local radio program recently, he talked about this era. Scroll down to the March 7 show. Mental Self Defense Radio with Jake Shannon
I won't reveal my own political leanings because they're not important here (if you're curious, they're not that difficult to discover )
Indeed, I think this a problem with both sides today. I increasingly find it difficult to see eye-to-eye with the other political side on even the simplest matters. Forget about hot-button topics like abortion, gay rights, immigration, taxes, entitlements, etc., where I have long ago concluded that our views are anything but reconcilable...even when it comes to basic facts (e.g., what is the purpose of the 14th Amendment), we seem to be living on different planets. I'm 100% sure that many folks on the other side feel the same way about me.
Anybody else increasingly feel this way? What do you think some causes (and maybe solutions) might be?
Well, in many instance people will stick by their views out of principle. Others because they may have personal interests and want to support anyone that further them. In other cases people are stubborn no matter what because that may be the way mom and dad believed or how the community believes.
Are there areas in your life that you will not bend no matter what? I am sure there are, the same in politics.
The best I can come up with trying to make things better is by following the advice from a Buddhist Master. His name was Seng Ts'an.
He said:
The true path is only difficult for those that who make distinctions.
Do not like, do not dislike.
Then everything will become clear.
I have it framed in my office and it seems to help me when dealing with difference with all people in all areas of my life.
That is why I do not call myself anything when I comes to politics and social issues. I juste express my views on the subject at discussion. I do not say "liberals..." and then express a point. Or "Conservatives..." and then express a point. When writers of OP do this you can tell their agenda is to put the groups they do not like on the spot to demean them or berate the, or in some form show them wrong. That is what the real intent is in my book even though they claim to be unbiased and open minded, take care.
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies of the truth than lies."
-Nietzsche
People who claim to have strong convictions scare the crap out of me.
I can see the point there. However, I think that is you combine convictions and honesty, and individual that sees convictions may not match the truth, they will recognize that. Convictions combined with personal feelings that people do not want to change is where the danger lies, take care.
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