I reluctantly agree in the sense that things may well have to get worse before they get better in order for that 100th monkey to appear.
Finton O’Toole is a writer for the Irish Times (I realize foreign media comes with its own biases, but I like being able to step away from the particular partisanship that comes with any American media) who a couple weeks ago offered a thought-provoking piece about the onset of fascism. He brought up three especially interesting points: a) that it doesn’t require the support of a majority to assume power, b) that a propaganda machine providing alternative facts to the fanatical minority IS required, and c) trial runs of increasing levels of demonization/cruelty towards an “other” immunize the citizenry to eventually accept words and actions they would have initially found disgusting.
I had thought of starting a thread here based on the article, but given O’Toole’s use of Donald as his example of modern day “pre-fascism” I decided the underlying point of the article would get lost in the very phenomenon the OP addresses. It’s a good read to consider once you’re away from the partisan sniping here.
Maybe the question then becomes, what changed in the last 2 decades or so that has weakened the dominance of that common American culture, and given rise to a more tribalist mindset (us vs them)?
The US as a whole is more tolerant than it has ever been.
No political philosophy needs a majority to take power.
Alternative facts are still facts.
Again, the dehumanization is true of any political philosophy. Calling anybody who disagrees with you a racist or bigot for example. Collective you.
The problem with the little thesis is the “illegal” in “illegal immigration”. It’s not “the other”; it’s the “illegal”. Nobody likes being disrespected.
The ability to choose what subgroup you want to live in most likely. A person watching Fox News all day, every day, lives in a completely different mindset as someone who is getting all of their news from MSNBC. The internet only exacerbates this problem, as people are actively selecting small groups in which to engage, without engaging with anything that isn’t selected for.
There probably is a lot of pushback at the progresses seen. There always is a push back, but this cultural swing seems unprecedented in recent times. Gays got to get married, and the reaction is to have Nazi-symathizers marching in the street.
No, it’s not the same as it was 3 years ago. It’s constantly shifting, and is therefore indescribable by it’s very nature. It could be said the be the agglomeration of various sub-cultures.
I disagree. We’re seeing a progressively hostile backlash against tolerance, usually in the name of condemning PC thuggery."
That’s exactly what O’Toole said.
Wrong ones, or ones deliberately crafted to manipulate a populace.
And again, O’Toole is speaking of trial runs that increasingly demonize a political opponent to acclimate a populace to accept and even cheer for words and actions that would have repulsed them otherwise.
Perhaps the focus should have remained on the illegality and not on demonizing.
[quote=“anon14033751, post:53, topic:7312”]
I disagree. We’re seeing a progressively hostile backlash against tolerance, usually in the name of condemning PC thuggery." [/quote]
On the internet? The internet isn’t real.
You said fascism.
Let’s assume this “trial run” nonsense is true; what did they learn? What did you learn? Is Trump an idiot or an evil genius?
Perhaps the focus should have remained on the illegality and not on demonizing.
Who shifted the focus from illegal to other? Who is constantly lumping them together and why?
