Divisive Divisions - Intersectionality and Litmus Tests

Politics
1

Thinking out loud…

It seems we all agree there is a lot of divisiveness today and that perhaps the walls are higher and thicker than ever before.

The big divisions are relatively easy to identify - dem v repub, lib v con, black v white, etc.

Thinking about it, perhaps intersectionality plays a bigger role than we think. And maybe Trump’s term shed a light on it some.

Maybe dem v repub is not the real wall, at least not without the intersectionality?

And we use the term “radical” to those who have goals beyond that of 5 degrees off center. Are they really “radical” if we look at that intersectionality?

70-odd million people voted for President Trump in the last election. There are only 30-odd million members of the republican party. Less than half of Trump voters. Where did the rest of them come from and why did they vote for Trump?

Barack Obama has hailed as the first black President and rightfully so. A historic President. What he was not was a Descendant of Slaves (DOS). Why do I make this observation? Because slavery is the foundation of the claims of inequity that must be corrected.

Harris is hailed as the first black female VP and rightfully so. Historic. Is she African-American, and if so how?

Trump is a rich, white, male from NYC. He and I have white and male in common, but that’s it. Is that enough for me to vote for him? It wasn’t. Those characteristics are superficial.

Are we using the wrong identities to determine intersectionalities? Have we been conditioned to focus on “protected classes” instead of the commonalities that matter?

I don’t believe for a minute that Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer would ever consider defunding the police anymore than Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy.

Why are conservatives so ag’in single payer healthcare? Is it simply because “they” are for it? Do cons really “like” our healthcare today? Seriously? (For example). Or do we oppose it simply because “that’s what we do”? Is it because we don’t trust the government to do it right (my concern)? If so, how can we claim our government will do what we want “right”?

Have we stopped thinking for ourselves and simply reflexively reacting to groupthink?

Why is single payer healthcare such a horrible idea?

Why did the black nation get disappointed by Obama and will again by black winners?

The Squad (Rising) are not “radicals” - they have a different intersectionality, which drives their goals. Their world views. They also have goals in conflict within their own group. Just like every other alliance.

Has our subjectivity blinded us to any objectivity at all? If so, we are probably doomed as a country.

Do the litmus tests require absolute purity? Guarantees? I keep thinking back to the Justice Barrett confirmation hearings. Do we need an abortion guarantee? Or do we need a guarantee to follow the law?

I don’t think AOC is any more radical than Jim Jordan. Their intersectionality is different, and that attracts. And divides.

“Looks like me…” is real, but in my opinion it’s not nearly enough. Trump “looks like me” in race and gender (I’m much prettier than that man), but he is not like me. At all.

I would offer that the way to get more united (we will never be united - competing goals) is to stopping focusing on shallow, superficial identities and begin focusing on policy - and be willing to compromise on them.

There are no doubt people, perhaps many, who voted for Trump because he is an old, rich, white male. Biden is the same thing. Are their policies really that much different? That remains to be seen, but I doubt it in practice.

So why did more people choose Biden?

There is no doubt people, perhaps many, who voted for Obama because he is a black man. Were his policies that much different than Romney or McCain? Trump’s? How about Harris? The AG who locked up pot heads has a different policy than law and order? Really?

They all pay us lip service based on polling. They promise us they “look like us”. But do they.

Biden is the President now. He will assume office in 2 months. He will quickly find that despite his best intentions, he has no control over the virus and what can be done has and is being done. Oh they will claim whitewash is a significant change, but it isn’t. If anything makes a sea change, it will be the vaccine and medicine. Things that have been done.

If the market crashes like it did in the spring, he will worry about as much as Trump did.

If a dictator steps out of line, he will do the same things Trump and Obama did.

Biden has promised “America First!” Promised millions of dollars to support it. Will he do it? Or will he put Paris Accords and WHO first?

We are accepting propaganda driven by the media instead of critical thinking and demanding excellence. Until we change, they won’t.

1 Like
2

One of the things to keep in perspective in all this is that for most of us, if not all of us, we do not see these divisions in our personal lives. Even though I don’t talk politics much with my neighbors and others in my surrounding area that I have interaction with, I do get the general sense - if not outright verification - that we agree politically. This also goes for many people I have worked closely with, even when I was in education. None of my family or close family friends are liberal, my town is conservative Republican, and my closest friends are typically conservative. There is not one person in my life who am a generally close with who is liberal. I would assume that would be the case for most of us here.

2 Likes
3

Why not?

4

Well of course you can ask the same exact question about Biden. Less than half the close to 80 million are dems like myself. What exactly was Biden’s appeal to those 40 million voters in diverse areas such as Omaha, Nebraska down to the red hills of Georgia, the 5-odd million in Texas?

Did they not buy what trump was trying to sell? It certainly can’t be the candidate Biden. I had toast this morning more charismatic than Biden?

Allan

5

He is not Trump.

1 Like
6

One of the main problems with our system of government is that it encourages people to focus on their differences rather than what we have in common. The media does the same–blood and conflict attracts more viewers than peace and harmony.

2 Likes
7

I agree with your post. I didn’t read your link.

How does the system do that?

8

For me it’s all about freedom. liberties etc. Which party will trample on that less.

Take single payer for example. That sounds good…until conditions and social engineers comes in.

And then you just gave away your own freedom and power.

That’s the problem.

3 Likes
9

Equity. Yes, that is my concern as well. And making every single agenda a national healthcare issue that must be included.

10

One of my dearest closest and twenty plus year friendship is with a true gentleman from Scottsbluff, Nebraska. We meet though the internet. Oh yeah did I mention he was a die hard trump supporter.

I mean we disagree furiously about the future of America, he sends me funny emails every week about politics. He knows I am a liberal, yet we have so much in common outside of politics.

Allan

11

What?

12

The link is full of polling statistics, so take it with a grain of salt.

The way we choose our leaders is a major factor. You can’t convince people to vote for you by praising your opponent or pointing out shared values. The system rewards conflict and disagreement.

13

I went back and looked it over. It is not my intention to offend you, in my opinion that is one of the worst links I have ever seen on this board.

Is every other political system and indeed any competition not the same?

14

Lol. Horse racing. College football. Pro football. We are both sports nuts. And as two older white guys so we can relate very well over life experiences. We connect. I understand him. He understands me.
He’s a great guy and I am proud to know him and be friends with him.

Allan

15

:+1:t3:

Thanks.

16

You can’t offend me, I didn’t write it, and posting it wasn’t an endorsement. I agree with the premise, though, that we have more in common than politicians and the media want us to believe.

Competition usually works that way, but some political systems don’t have competition. I fully endorse switching to a benevolent dictatorship. Of course, “benevolent” is probably impossible in the long run.

17

I will agree with that, although I will say that in my opinion that article doesn’t prove that up.

You’re joshing me now.

Could it be the pols do it that way because that’s how we taught them to win?

18

You don’t see many articles like that, I believe divisions sell. I personally am not thrilled Trump lost but I am hoping the media suffers as well. Because they might not be creating the division but they sure are throwing gas on the fire and reminding us daily of it.

19

Amplifying it.

20

Yes, but aren’t we as consumers just as guilty as they are? The media does what it does because it sells. What came first, the media’s focus on divisiveness and violence, or our thirst for it?

2 Likes