The US seems dangrously polarised

[boofhead]

Politically.

As an Australian I really have no idea nor do I care who someone else votes for. We don't have labels for people as ''evil Republican'' or ''slack-arsed abortionist so-and-so''. I wouldn't even know who my own mother votes for. It's private.

I have noticed this in the media. You guys have these ''news'' (opinion) channels that are more akin to rabid dogs than to informative event-casters. Freedom of media seems like a point-the-finger hysteria exercise. I think this is tearing you apart.

I think this is dangerous, especially when you're all packing heat.

[Dr. Croccer]

No . The entire politicial isolationism and polarisation and antagonisation is causing an aburd political atmosphere over there.

[DekuTrash]

It is time for a Monarchy!




Yeah people have always been divided, but the news channels, MSNBC-FOX NEWS-CNN Etc. bring it to the forefront for all to see.

[Hunter Makoy]

I wouldn't particularly say its dangerous. We really are not any more divided then we've ever been, its just more evident through the opinion news show. We have always been very passionately divided on many issues. Overall we haven't really had a problem with it in almost 150 years.

[chilon]

I wouldn't particularly say its dangerous. We really are not any more divided then we've ever been, its just more evident through the opinion news show. We have always been very passionately divided on many issues. Overall we haven't really had a problem with it in almost 150 years.

The difference between that and now is the US political divide is extremely partisan in nature which inhibits a more vibrant political discourse. Back when there are 'conservative democrats' and 'progressive republicans' there were more cross-cutting divisions among the policy makers. Now it is not so much.

While the US might have always been passionately divided on issues, it usually wasn't the same group of partisans on both sides of every issue.

[Otsman]

yeah, our news definitely sucks over here. i just get all my news from yahoo usually. but nobody would get shot based on whether or not they're a democrat or republican. we're all bark and no bite, unless it's the deep south.

[lordoftheT]

I've really only noticed this on the news and on this site. But then I live in Arizona which is hardly noted as being the most politically active part of the country.

[boofhead]

I've really only noticed this on the news and on this site. But then I live in Arizona which is hardly noted as being the most politically active part of the country.

I guess if it's all you know it's normal.

I was discussing my view with my wife the other day, about how the US is so politically polarized with all of the scaremongering etc and predicted this trend would inhabit my country one day as a natural evolution of permitting complete media freedom. She just laughed at me basically, and said that Australians would not accept it and turn it off.

I kind of think she's right.

[Kjertesvein]

I think US should push forward til it reaches a civil war/outbrake and learns from it. Disaster teach us humility. (need a spellchecker, i know) Fight for your right.

[lordoftheT]

I think US should push forward til it reaches a civil war/outbrake and learns from it. Disaster teach us humility. (need a spellchecker, i know) Fight for your right.

Nah we're too lazy to start a civil war plus our last one totally sucked.

[Boyar Son]

I think US should push forward til it reaches a civil war/outbrake and learns from it. Disaster teach us humility. (need a spellchecker, i know) Fight for your right.

sometimes yes (civil war), sometimes no (cold war, specifically Cuban incident)

[2-D Ron]

You can't really trust any News Channel to give you the FULL Picture, best to get multiple sources and pick apart what they mention/refuse to mention.

Then there's Fox News seriously, False Advertising!

[Phier]

I think US politics are bad until I start to look at the European varieties.

My opinion is that the US is less polarized than anything appears in the press. Our current leadership is going against the will of the people which is causing some issues, but the country itself isn't that divided on anything that important.

[justicar5]

I think US politics are bad until I start to look at the European varieties.

My opinion is that the US is less polarized than anything appears in the press. Our current leadership is going against the will of the people which is causing some issues, but the country itself isn't that divided on anything that important.

your last leadership did exaclty that as well.

I don't see many murders of liberals on the news lately, I think you are safe.

I'm an atheist libertarian, and I don't fear for my life due to either reason.

and you shouldn't have to, I shout, argue, debate (mostly badly) but I would not kill anyone for their views. (doesn't mean I wouldn't fight if a coupe d'etat happened)

Conservatives and moderates make up the majority of America, if it weren't for the liberal hijacking of the democratic party the news would have to make up stories to make us look polarized.

unfair unless you are also going to criticise the Fundementalist (well mostly plain mentalist) hijacking of the republican party, or Ron Pauls hijacking of the liberterians.

[Father Jack]

Unfortunately for all of us who dont live in the USA all what we see is what the news channels come out with. So we sit here going ', that place is pretty divided and full of hate for each other. I wonder if a Dem supporter would get shot at in Alabama like football (soccer) fans attack each other here?......'

[cfmonkey45]

Unfortunately for all of us who dont live in the USA all what we see is what the news channels come out with. So we sit here going ', that place is pretty divided and full of hate for each other. I wonder if a Dem supporter would get shot at in Alabama like football (soccer) fans attack each other here?......'

Thirty years ago, the entire south belonged to the Democratic Party.

That, and the state next to them (Georgia) elected a peanut farmer from the Democratic party to their gubernatorial office. That man later became the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter.


Firstly, there are Neo-Conservatives, which are predominantly Republican, but can also be in the Democratic Party. They're Center-Right, and aren't that fiscally conservative, since Reagan and both Bushes surged the deficit. Being in the centre, they're not wholesale capitalists and follow a mixed policy. Currently, they're a dying breed thanks to Bush and the recession. Then there are paleoconservatives, like Pat Buchanan, who MSNBC keeps as a Conservative pundit to make all conservatives look like morons, moderate conservatives, social conservatives (religious fundies), fiscal conservatives (many libertarian, but others included). On the left, you have the "Blue Dog Democrats", which are social and fiscal conservatives that are much more populist, or for some reason side with the Democratic party. Furthermore, you have the minorities, Irish, Hispanic, and African American, that are very socially conservative, but very fiscally liberal (I like to call them the 'Religious Left'). You have moderate liberals, and then the hardcore ones (you know them when you see them).

In all honesty, the two party systems are sort of like the Whig party of old. Two major "catch-all" camps that exist solely to curb the influence of the other. It's like the next level of evolution for the European Coalition parties.

[Lord Rahl]

It is my opinion that a lot of people believe that Americans are so politically divided simply because they watch politics on TV, read political blogs and listen to politics on the radio too much. Now, what are these mediums for politics going to highlight? Are they going to talk about the average American who speaks of politics only rarely and is most likely more moderate? Nah.

What will they highlight? They'll highlight the more extreme individuals who go to town hall meetings and yell at politicians. They'll highlight the individuals who go and protest the War in Iraq or War in Afghanistan. Seriously, major mediums of political news will not be spending their airtime with things moderate. No one would watch that. How many of us on TWC would feel compelled to post in a thread that didn't involve extreme viewpoints? Not many of us.

This goes to show that if you show enough of the same then you'll eventually start believing it. So we keep watching TV, reading blogs and listening to the radio and all we are exposed to is what whoever is in control of the medium wants us to be exposed to. People like Sean Hannity and Keith Olbermann keep their jobs because of their sensationalist rhetoric and programming. People watch their shows and think, Oh my! That's awful! so that when they hear someone else who is talking about politics on the other extreme they will feel compelled to give their rebuttal.

Seriously, the people who are going to the town hall meetings and yelling about supposed "death panels" aren't going to be an accurate sample of the average American politically. These are people who are moved by sensationalist political rhetoric. My point is that most Americans are so polarized in their politics, at least practical politics. Myself, I am pretty conservative when it comes to pure politics but I know that practicality often takes precedence over my political idealism. This is the same for the vast majority of Americans.

[Kjertesvein]

EU with 1 central power would not work, US should divide it's states, because whats going on in california doesnt work in texas. Whats going on in Italia doesnt work in Sweden. So no it's not polar compared to whole of europe, but polar in it's own communist state.

[lordoftheT]

EU with 1 central power would not work, US should divide it's states, because whats going on in california doesnt work in texas. Whats going on in Italia doesnt work in Sweden. So no it's not polar compared to whole of europe, but polar in it's own communist state.

That's where the federal system comes in.

[InsaneHanz]

EU with 1 central power would not work, US should divide it's states, because whats going on in california doesnt work in texas. Whats going on in Italia doesnt work in Sweden. So no it's not polar compared to whole of europe, but polar in it's own communist state.

The States aren't divided the same way that European nations are divided. There are far less cultural differences between the States. Really the Federal Government should give up more of it's power to the States, and get rid of things like the Department of Education.