How Can We Prevent Societal Rifts From Expanding into Violence

The left needs to stop their mob violence, like breaking down Tucker Carlson's front door and spray painting his driveway.

 

Not many suggestions so far would have stopped that.

I've already said that nothing is going to change anything. The romanovs chouldn't have done anything to stop the bolsheviks. It is what it is, and we'll just have to see who has superior firepower.

 

That's fatalistic, depressing, perceptive, disturbing, frustrating, and about ten other things, including true.

 

Yeah well, I wish I was wrong. What I find disturbing now is that the left seems to feel emboldened by their majority win in the house. Losing the house, senate, and white house in 2016 threw them for a loop, but this win seems to stoked the fires and I think they're going to take this as a sign that they might have a chance.

They just have to get a bit more in our face and their universe might start to make sense again.

 

This thread needs to stay active.

The most interesting idea I've heard so far is partition.

Lincoln prohibited this in 1861, but Michelle may be facing this issue again when she becomes president in 2021.

Let's hope she handles it better than Lincoln...

 

At this point, I believe that only a violent bloody civil war can fix america. I believe this will happen in my life time. And I am not a young man anymore.

My suggestion to my fellow liberals is to start stockpiling guns and ammo and food and be prepared when the right wing facists come for you. They will. A group as much hatred for America and fellow Americans will not be held back by any suck social constraints.

 

Yea...a couple million dead folks and the destruction of our economy and way of life would be quite the "fix" huh?

Jesus

 

Pretty much. Yes.

 

Who is/are the benefactors of a divided America? Who would seek to ensure the country remains divided? How would such a thing be created?

Looking tat outside influencers, Russia tops the list. A divided America at war with itself would be a blow to liberal democracies throughout the free world. Russia cannot hope to win and armed conflict agains NATO or the United States with its broken economy and military so what are its alternatives to reach its objectives? Work the free nations from the inside. A free press is ideal for the purpose.

Putin, the former KGB Colonel is the perfect answer. Putin is a master at political manipulation, propaganda, and deception. The Internet is the perfect vehicle to unleash a propaganda barrage against adversaries to sow international angst and discord. What will Putin gain from such a non military, therefore low risk, action? The results are seen in the sudden rise of populist movements against democratic governments throughout Europe and the U.S. Is Putin's Russia the core cause of international discord? Unknown, but he and Russia are certainly facilitators. Who else can benefit from division of America and it allies?

Speaking for only America, Donald Trump is the clear benefactor of Putin's strategy to divide us. The strategy works well with a foreign adversary playing a White House to dance to its tune. It's a perfect combination and a perfect storm of foreign intervention, a messianic president, and willing followers intent on "making America great again" in some undefined image. Trump plays the division card at every rally and every public opportunity. Throw in a little race for an additional element for good measure.

Is that the only cause of division in America? Probably not, but it comes mighty close to the core cause. One can dig up a lot of history to see this is not an unusual situation for America to be in, but once one discards historical imperative, it comes down to here and now. What's the cure? Given the current situation, there is only one, a change in leadership at the top and years of fence mending thereafter. Anything else are just well meaning side issues, of which there are plenty. As usual, the core of the problem is leadership.

 

So your answer is to create a totalitarian state complete with thought police to determine what is hateful and what isn't, thank but I'll pass.

 

Whilst an important topic and something our intelligence agencies need to take seriously, Russia, IMO, has had little effect in the division. I largely blame politicians and the media.

Not sure about the rest of you but i am a latino immigrant, living in the south where there are many blacks and many whites. I have a decent job but i do get around. All i see is blacks and whites getting along, i have never met a white supremacist, i regularly run into homeless people who are nice to me, i see interracial dating everywhere. This is the normal day to day. Granted, i'm somewhat insulated from the bad parts of town, i don't dare drive in those areas but aside from that, this is the day to day and i suspect it's the same for most Americans.

THEN, when i get home and put FOX or CNN, i see something entirely different. CNN spends every minute bashing republicans, inviting guests who demonize opposition, call opponents racists, white supremacists. They cover every event about Trump is the most absurdly radical way. For instance, if Trump goes and meets with the leader of a foreign Country, what is discussed (most likely a very important matter) is not given much time. What is discussed is how he greeted people, what Melania wore, how disrespectful a gesture Trump used when saluting someone etc.. etc... It is to a degree that it's hard to even fathom, how the media has disintegrated and become so malicious. As i sit and watch CNN, new guests come in, after the previous guests have accused Trump of a being racist, and start talking about Russia collusion and how Trump is a criminal. Then a new wave of guests come on and start describing how ICE agents are like Nazis, putting kids in concentration camps. Yes, this is the media today.

I then put on FOX news and what i see is the complete opposite. We have hosts telling us what a criminal the Clinton's were, how divisive Obama was and how bad he was for the Country. They bash illegals and claim they are throwing rocks at ICE agents at the border and that everything CNN is claiming is a lie. They go on and attack socialism and demonize all socialists as nothing but communists who want to turn U.S into Venezuela. As i continue to watch, new guests come on and talk about how the Obama administration illegally spied on Trump campaign and how Comey, Clapper and Brennan are all criminals, how Mueller is a fraud and how this investigation has been a HOAX from the beginning.

After my nightly media walk around, i need a 30 min meditation session, something to get me back to reality. The above iare not exaggerations, it is actually TRUE, every day, 24/7, for years. And we are on this forum worried about Russia stoking division? Definitely something we need to take seriously but it's the media and the politicians that are dividing us. The politicians we can sort of understand, although they have lost character over the years, there is no character ethic in politics anymore. The politicians today try to incite racial tensions and stoke fear in their voters in order to get votes. The left's core argument is the right are racists and in bed with the rich and the right claims the left are are socialists and a mob. The media is where i have a hard time, they are supposed to inform us, educate us, let us make our own decisions and form our opinions based on facts they report. Instead, they have become the most divisive institution in America. BLM was a prime example, it was a media creation and led to riots, police ambushes and rarely were the facts actually reported in an unbiased manner.

My question is what do we do about the media? Politicians, we have the power to stop, we just vote them out of office. The media? They claim we can't criticize them or attack them as this in not democratic but there is nothing more undemocratic than for us not be able to hold them accountable. We MUST do something about the media, they are BY FAR, the most divisive entity in America. What do we do though? That is the question.

 

How is Trump benefitting from the current gun/spiritual/mental/social/political/upheaval?

Millions are screaming expressions of hatred towards him and his wife and children. Powerful Committees are looking to expose his tax returns and put him in prison.

Whatever normalcy he ever enjoyed is gone forever, certainly gone at present.

Would you trade places with him? I would not.

 

Liberals would not win a civil war. No gun training.

But most of use are not hard left or hard right and have no interest in answering your call to arms -- which is what it is.

Or do you prefer the status quo to war?

 

If the Gov't has no respect for individual liberty - what does this teach our kids ?

 

What are mine? Quit making excuses for the wretches. Quit blaming everyone and everything on God's green earth for the crime but the criminal. What does it tell people about the sanctity of life when you kill a million and more kids a year before they ever get and make heroes out of those who do it.

 

Back to the confederacy.Let's see for how long the federation of liberal states would last with them paying for uncontrollable immigration,free healthcare for all, everything free for all....etc... Peaceful divorce.

 

Very well said my hombre, a man after my own heart. I like someone who is able to see through the bullshit and come to their own conclusion. I say you are spot on.

 

If you run for President I will vote for you.

As for the media, they are in thrall to insurance companies and big pharma as much as pols are in thrall to the NRA.

Watch the ads during the commercial breaks
od either Fox or CNN. They are going for ratings, meaning butts in the seats, and they get that by throwing their audiences red meat. I am not even sure that the on air personalities like Hannity and Lemon and Todd consciously say "we gotta get viewership up to get them ad dollars!"

It just happens. Soft corruption.

What can we do? Turn off the TV and come here for RCN (Real Chef News.)

More at the top of the hour. Now here's a word from our sponsors.

 

Why do we watch the news?

"A Stone Age person hears a rustle in the grass. Is it the wind or a lion? If he assumes it's the wind and the rustling turns out to be a lion, then that person does not live to become one of our ancestors. We are the descendants of the worried folks who tended to assume that all rustles in the grass were dangerous predators. Due to this instinctive negativity bias, most of us attend far more to bad rather than to good news."

Reason Magazine

 

Whom do you have in mind?

On edit: as a replacement, I mean.