Through all the posts in this forum, one thing I can conclude, there is not much middle ground on issues. Why is this? Are we so divided that in a few years will be have a split in our country? I was talking to some people that are on both sides of the aisle and they all think that this is something that will come in the next 20 years.

IMO, neither side is stupid enough to believe a split into separate countries would be a good thing.

 

As to why, I think it boils down to people are just too stubborn to even remotely consider compromise. Without compromise, nothing gets accomplished.

 

On one hand you have the pro-gun crowd that won't even entertain the idea that changes need to be made with regards to gun regulations.

 

On the other hand you have the pro-choice crowd that won't even entertain the idea of looking into changes in terms of funding and different stages in which abortions are allowed or banned.

 

Those are just two examples.

 

When no one is willing to compromise, the divide continues to grow.

Demonizing the other "side" is part of it. That strategy really rose to prominence back in the late 80's. Politics have always been "dirty" but I think it got worse around then.

Couple that with the rise of media. Back in olden times politics may have been dirty, but it was done with leaflets and such. It's a horse of a different color when the same type of stuff is on the media non-stop.

Add in the destruction of our communities. People don't live and work together anymore. It's all malls and fast food. Look at any downtown/court square of any small city in Kentucky (or any other state). All the clothing stores, general stores, pharmacies, restaurants, and such that are locally owned are gone. Antique stores and empty buildings. The commerce has been moved into malls and fast food. No sense of community.

Also as we have divided our communities, we have divided our information. Liberal news, conservative news, and never the twain shall meet. Free speech was said to be good, as the truth will come out, the "marketplace of ideas." But we don't have a marketplace of ideas, we have monopolies that are in opposition to each other.

What is the end game, the purpose (if any)?. This is where I venture into my paranoia I guess. I think it's on purpose, designed to keep us in check while they take all the money.

We no longer respect the truth. The circumstances of our existence, to some extent, are the result of the choices we make. And in theory, there should be a method to determine what is best for our society, and what is the correct choice among alternatives. Some answers/proposals are demonstrably better than others. But it doesn't matter anymore.

Most of our beliefs are wrapped up in our identities and thus our differences are settled through name-calling and disassociation rather than reasoned discussion. How can you compromise if what you believe is inextricable to yourself and sense of identity as a person?

 

I don't know how we got there, but that's my take.

All boils down to this (my opinion). In simple terms you have a large portion of our society (and getting larger) who view government as either their own personal provider or believe that's what government should be, and that government should hold an even bigger role in our lives.

 

You have an almost equally large portion of the population (but I think getting smaller) who hold the exact opposite feeling of government. It's NOT meant to be our provider, it is supposed to have a limited function and it has already grown way past that, and continues on that path.

 

There IS no middle ground between the two really. Some say...well how about compromise. Well you can't compromise when one side believes we (the country/government) have already gone waaaaaaaaay farther toward the other side than we should be to start with.

 

It's like this. A new program/service is created. Side A doesn't want it/don't believe it's needed at all, side B wants it and say they need $10.00 to make it work. People say compromise, so a deal is struck to give $5.00 to fund the program. Next year comes, side B asks for $10.00 more dollars for the program because they say they don't have enough to properly fund it. Side A says no. People say compromise again. $5.00 more dollars again is given to side B and the program they want funded.

 

So, after all is said and done, in two years a program that side A didn't want to begin with is "fully funded" from "compromising" with side B. So, how is that compromise? Side B essentially gets what they want, side A gets nothing. That, my friends, is NOT compromise, but that's exactly where we find ourselves politically right now, in my honest opinion.

MayfieldFan has a large point and an accurate one IMHO, but I'll take it even beyond the "demonization" of opposing ideas and positions. I'd add in the self victimization of the extreme positions as well. The concept of the other side is evil, but ALSO those of us who vehemently disagree with this evil doers have been victimized and traumatized by those same evil doers. We started this downward spiral with phrases like "You Owe me," "I have a right to," "This isn't fair," and we've moved beyond that into "You took from me," "I deserve," and "Only my opinion is worthy." It has been a political tactic that has permeated our society in general. I see it every day in kids I work with. There is little integrity or sense of fair play left in most people because the extremist rhetoric works far too well and is too easy to use. Compromise? Henry Clay would be drummed out of Congress these days as a rank amateur.

Social media has given everybody and their grandmother a very public platform, so we're more aware of divisions that have existed for a long time.

 

The rise of 24/7 news outlets has contributed too.

MayfieldFan has a large point and an accurate one IMHO, but I'll take it even beyond the "demonization" of opposing ideas and positions. I'd add in the self victimization of the extreme positions as well. The concept of the other side is evil, but ALSO those of us who vehemently disagree with this evil doers have been victimized and traumatized by those same evil doers. We started this downward spiral with phrases like "You Owe me," "I have a right to," "This isn't fair," and we've moved beyond that into "You took from me," "I deserve," and "Only my opinion is worthy." It has been a political tactic that has permeated our society in general. I see it every day in kids I work with. There is little integrity or sense of fair play left in most people because the extremist rhetoric works far too well and is too easy to use. Compromise? Henry Clay would be drummed out of Congress these days as a rank amateur.

 

Sadly, he never would have been elected in the first place.

Are we really supposed to believe this is something new?

 

History repeats itself because people do not change.

Are we really supposed to believe this is something new?

 

History repeats itself because people do not change.

 

No one seems to remember "Tilden or Blood!"

To me, it's simple. We simply don't care for each other any more. We don't want to be neighbors. We don't want to put someone else's needs above our own.

Social media has given everybody and their grandmother a very public platform, so we're more aware of divisions that have existed for a long time.

 

The rise of 24/7 news outlets has contributed too.

 

I was going to say something along these lines. Social media gives everyone a voice and because of social media we hear that nasty voice and see their beautiful family along with it. Then we show up to work together the next day without speaking about how different we are because we know if we fight like we did on Facebook we'll be fired. So we smile in each other's faces while waiting for the gotcha moment to come in the form of a link so we can post it on Facebook and start another fight. Gradually we recognize that we get along excellent as long as we don't have to share our views on gay marriage, the confederate flag, the socialist commie Muslim loving Obama, gun control, #blacklivesmatter and freaking boneless wings. :no:

 

So, are we divided? No more than we have ever been. We just speak on it a whole lot more now.

It all began around 23 years ago when a guy named Rush Lumbaugh was given a microphone and his own radio show. His show came out directly against the Democrats and everything they did. And the ball started rolling.

 

Four years later, both Fox News and MSNBC signed on the airwaves with opposing views. A few years later, an unpopular war began in Iraq pitted the sides against each other. And the ball continued to roll.

 

In the last decade, social media has exploded where people post their views on a variety of topics, just inviting people to post an opposing view.

 

Face it. We live in a time of contempt right now. Religion. Government. Education. Politics. The law. Anything and everything.

 

When something happens in this country, democrats jump to one side and the republicans jump to the other. On. Every. Single. Thing.

 

And there are cable news networks and social media to throw gasoline on the fire.

 

Contempt is raging in this country every day.

I think I know which side would prosper more. I don't see it ever in the next few centuries at least happening.

I was going to say something along these lines. Social media gives everyone a voice and because of social media we hear that nasty voice and see their beautiful family along with it. Then we show up to work together the next day without speaking about how different we are because we know if we fight like we did on Facebook we'll be fired. So we smile in each other's faces while waiting for the gotcha moment to come in the form of a link so we can post it on Facebook and start another fight. Gradually we recognize that we get along excellent as long as we don't have to share our views on gay marriage, the confederate flag, the socialist commie Muslim loving Obama, gun control, #blacklivesmatter and freaking boneless wings. :no:

 

So, are we divided? No more than we have ever been. We just speak on it a whole lot more now.

 

Understand your premise, and social media & the 24/7/365 news cycle with countless hours of broadcast time to fill are certainly contributing factors that tend to magnify any differences.

 

I'd argue however, that I don't remember a time since the Vietnam war that our country was more divided? Lots of contributing factors to blame--Just a few:

 

--The still horrendous economic conditions with 90+ million Americans out of work.

--Many who have jobs aren't advancing like their mothers & fathers did, and many are very unsure of their futures.

--The constant attempts by political parties to identify everyone as a _________ (fill in the blank) American, instead of just an American.

--Significant failures of our educational system, despite record spending on this category.

--Political correctness that seeks to blame anyone but the individual for one's shortcomings.

--No one wins or loses any longer; and if they do lose, it's someone else's fault?

--General breakdown of the American family with large percentages of the population with little or no family structure. Kids growing up in essentially unsupervised environments with too many single or adsentee parental homes.

--Politicians more interested in dividing & demonizing voters for the sake of votes, than actually trying to solve problems or bring folks together.

--Far too many citizens with "no skin in the game" but rather living off the sweat of others; and somehow thinking its their birthright??

--Little or no respect for authority.

 

I'm sure there are countless others but time doesn't permit to post them all.

 

I'll also blame this President and his minions, as he could have been a very serious voice of healing in this country; but he chose to be the Great Divider instead of the Great Healer.

 

Such as shame, as his historic election should have been our country's finest hour; and he instead has set us back 40-50 years racially, economically, etc. I worry for my children, and even more for their children!