Why are US politics so polarised and what can be done about it?

What does that have to do with the fact that conservatives whined for the 8 years of Obama's administration JUST as libs are whining now? And the next time a Dem is president, conservatives will whine the entire time that person is in office.

 

I think each cycle gets worse than the last

Bush and obama had a cake walk compared to what trump has faced

 

1. Rage bait in media. Both sides of the spectrum do it. Example, I’ll click on let’s say Daily Wire, ran by Ben Shapiro. They’ll do a article about some moron leftist who says, or does something astoundingly stupid. That just plays to my own confirmation bias. Well if one leftist believes something so dumb, why don’t all lefties believe the same thing?

2. snowflakes on the left, and right. There is a disturbing trend of considering anything you disagree with, hate speech. I see this predominantly happening on the extremist regressive left, but there are fine examples of it on the right as well. Example, criticism of Israel is automatically turned into Anti-Semitic nonsense.

3. Tribalism on steroids. I think we might be way past that point. Anything the other side does, you must be against it no matter what.
Trump tries to start dialogue with North Korea, and there are actual people who are hoping he fails, no matter the fact that millions of lives might be on the line. Obama start dialogue with Iran, and everyone who’s not a (D), is against it.

 

Because the schools are political in nature, Keynesians are big government wonks Austrians the exact opposite. Any decent intro course should cover at least those three. I minored in petroleum geology among other things. I am largely self taught in economics.

 

All I know is there were no political rants.

 

But, at least, you won't hear the whining because Zuckerburg and Youtube will censor it.

 

Agree the media and relative stability are the biggest causes

The media wants clicks and the loudest people are usually the dumbest..... the reason tv is called the idiot box lol

Also to the stability point historically speaking the earth is probably the most stable it’s ever been. That sort of creates a problem with people because it seems people somewhat crave chaos and also the stability leaves less things or people to make their mark on history so we see people trying to create problems so they can “fix” them thereby leaving their “mark”.

If Ai truly does take all the jobs we’ll see a huge raise in this because people will become aimless.

 

Trump is a symptom not the disease.

 

“You would not know it from the headlines, but today we're living through one of the most peaceful times in human history. This great chart from Oxford's Max Roser — which shows the global death rate from war over the past 600-plus years — shows just how lucky we are.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/2015/6/23/8832311/war-casualties-600-years

“Using case studies, the book examines individuals that have become “addicted to intensity out of the chaos and toward mind/body harmony, higher consciousness, and a deeply spiritual transformation”. More specifically:

“In a culture where the ‘extreme theme’ has become the norm, people are increasingly seduced into believing that intensity equals being alive. When that happens, the mind becomes wired for drama and the soul is starved of meaningful purpose. This type of life may produce heart-pounding excitement, but the absence of this addictive energy can bring about withdrawal, fear, and restlessness that is unbearable”.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ps...g/in-excess/201603/are-you-addicted-chaos?amp

 

I think the reason for the divide, is lack of common goals. Democrats want the country to be socialist. Republicans would fight to the death to stop it. It used to be that Republicans and Democrats both wanted the same thing but had different ideas on how to get there.

 

Plays a part surely but people like car wrecks ,they crane their necks to watch and if there isn’t any to be had they manufacture them. The world is the most tranquil it’s ever been and it causes restlessness and manufactured outrage.

 

I think that's merely a symptom of a greater problem.

 

How so? I think the op has it roughly correct and specifically the world is the most tranquil it’s ever been.

 

So send your kids to Nazi school.

The right wingers must be coming from somewhere.

If the world is so "left", than how is it Trump is president?

 

The Vietnam War was pretty polarizing, wasn't it?

And Nixon/Watergate.

 

If Hillary had won, I'm sure we all would have come together in peace and harmony because the right are so cool like that.

 

We know that she would not be the target of Deep State soft coup because she was their preferred candidate

 

Well the right so loved ol Bill....no investigations or impeachment proceedings then....just everyone holding hands and getting stuff done.

 

I disagree. I think the problem is that the two parties do not have the same goal.

 

Delete

 

true

No good deed goes unpunished, huh?

So thats one for us and one for you

Maybe we should revise the special prosecutor and FISA laws before the Deep State turns America into a banana republic

 

But two parties disagreeing has been a way of life since 1776 hell a Congressman was almost caned to death in the chamber lol

 

disagreeing on how to achieve the same goal is different than disagreeing on the goals all together.

 

There are many problems but some are just the nature of our biology. We tend to want to continue believing what we already believe. We ignore or dispute evidence that counters our own beliefs and embrace anything that supports what we already believe.

Our minds are deeply flawed at being rational and logical. For example, socialism and capitalism can and do exist together! Not only in Europe, but in the US right now! Police, fire departments, roads and infrastructure- all socialist! Walmart, Apple, Nike, all capitalist!

We have to stop painting “the other side” as extreme to start. Universal healthcare is not extreme. Gun ownership is not extreme.

 

That’s a valid point.