Has the U.S. ever been more divided

[lonecoyote]

Has the United States ever been so divided? Besides the civil war of course. I'm just interested. I know from talking to many that Vietnam was a deeply divisive issue, and people were deeply divided in the 60s, but I don't know because I wasn't there (only in my mid thirties). If so, have the wounds healed, in your opinion? The political rhetoric seems certainly meaner and more polarizing than at any time in my memory. We will all still have to live with each other after this election. Have both sides crossed a line? Will this continue, will every election from here on feature the same tone, or steadily get worse, people only becoming more entrenched in their opinions, the red states getting redder and the blue states getting bluer?

 

[rmcrobertson]

Sorry, but while I agree about the division, I don't buy the whole, "it's both parties," stuff.

First off, the Republicans over the last fifty years have just gotten worse and worse. More and more Red-baiting, more and more flag-waving, more and more Bible-thumping--and more and more intolerance of differences.

Second, there's the likes of Michael Savage and Limbaugh and O'Reilly (heir to Alan Burke and Joe Pyne) to deal with. The Dems get on TV, they say things like, "Well, I think they're honest about their beliefs, but we really disagree." The Savages et al? More and more, it's, "John Kerry is a traitor to his country." "Lesbians and the ACLU caused 9/11." "You're going to burn in hell for (insert offense here).."

Third, the Republicans have a hard job covering up what advanced capitalism is doing to the country--what with their pushing advanced capitalism and all. So, they have to lie a lot, put blinders on, distract people from reality with screaming and yelling about nonsense like the Pledge of Allegiance.

Lest anybody think that this is just Democratic propaganda--well, what they offer is liberal democracy and corporate capitalism. It's just that I prefer it to the likes of wealthy born-agains like George Bush.

 

[lonecoyote]

Thanks Robert, so will the divide grow larger, get worse? I mean is this what the future will be like? You feel a certain way about George Bush and Republicans, a lot of people feel a certain way about Democrats and what they perceive as "liberals". Everybody is stuck on either of two sides, shouting across at the other.

 

[rmcrobertson]

I see I haven't been clear. It isn't folks like me (and I'm not a Democrat) who get on the tube and the radio and scream about evrybody else going to hell, or everybody who thinks differently being a traitor, or whatever else. We don't get on the radio like G. Gordon Liddy, and tell the audience to shoot the ATF in the had, 'cause they wear body armor. We don't go screaming into PTA and School Board meetings, and demand that schools stop teaching biology, or stop saying anything nice about gay people, or whatever else is the cause of the month for the religious nutcake crowd.

I suppose you could argue that, "secular humanism," is in its way just as obnoxious. But at least we're polite about it.

 

[bassplayer]

I'm laughing too hard to respond...

 

[MisterMike]

I'm pretty divided myself. Usually I'm torn between Ranch or the Oil dressing and either Alfredo or Marinara sauce. But the wine is always red.

artyon:

 

[Feisty Mouse]

Second, there's the likes of Michael Savage and Limbaugh and O'Reilly (heir to Alan Burke and Joe Pyne) to deal with. The Dems get on TV, they say things like, "Well, I think they're honest about their beliefs, but we really disagree." The Savages et al? More and more, it's, "John Kerry is a traitor to his country." "Lesbians and the ACLU caused 9/11." "You're going to burn in hell for (insert offense here).."

I agree that the "dialogue" allowed in the media - especially on TV, where it seems a large part of the nation gets its news - has been allowed to become often nothing more than baiting, name-calling, and slandering, with no evidence to back the claims up. I'm impressed with people who can have passionate political discussions without the childish yelling, name-calling, or histrionics.

Sadly, people now seem to be under the bizarre belief that he (or she) who shouts loudest is "rightest".