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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
 Posted - 07/07/2008 : 11:56:18
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I just heard on NPR's "Talk of the Nation" an interview with author Bill Bishop on his new book "The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart." It is all about how our self-selecting communities help re-enforce our opinions and even exaggerate them, making us less able to work together. Obviously this issue seems of great importance to skeptics. I suggest checking out the interview. I hope to read the book soon and post a review here.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92292747
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"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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Edited by - marfknox on 07/07/2008 11:56:58
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Mycroft
Skeptic Friend
USA
427 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 01:29:37 [Permalink]
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It seems to me, and this is only my perception, that it used to be that people who disagreed on political issues could discuss, debate and argue in a friendly way, and it was easy to understand the other persons point of view even if you didn't agree.
Now it seems like it always has to be more personal. If you disagree with someone it's not just because you see things differently, but it's because you're evil, and you want bad things to happen. If you don't see things exactly from the other person's point of view it must be because secretly you're a pedophile, Nazi, torturer, or whatever really evil label seems appropriate. |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 07:35:30 [Permalink]
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Mycroft said:
It seems to me, and this is only my perception, that it used to be that people who disagreed on political issues could discuss, debate and argue in a friendly way, and it was easy to understand the other persons point of view even if you didn't agree.
Now it seems like it always has to be more personal. If you disagree with someone it's not just because you see things differently, but it's because you're evil, and you want bad things to happen. If you don't see things exactly from the other person's point of view it must be because secretly you're a pedophile, Nazi, torturer, or whatever really evil label seems appropriate. |
Well, at least we agree on one thing.
The level of public discourse has deteriorated to the point where its almost impossible to make fun of it with caricature.
The fault is difficult to assign to any one specific group too. I think its a combination of tabliod-like news media (nearly all of them have become this, imo), the anti-intellectual movement (mostly right-wing), the apathy of most US citizens (something like half don't bother to vote...), and the movement of batshit bugfucking crazy religious organizations into politics (Falwell, Robertson, Dobson, et al)
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 11:21:40 [Permalink]
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Well said, Mycroft. But it must be remembered that political discussions are never expected to be friendly, merely civil. As long as civility remains in place, friendships will recieve only a little strain.
It has been said that politics and religion break up more friendly relationships than anything else. I see little room for argument over that.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13481 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 13:26:56 [Permalink]
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One of my best friends in a Christian fundamentalist and a political conservative to the max. And yes, we debate often. And yet, we also have a lot in common which is what we mostly focus on. I think he is wrong-wrong-wrong with regard to his politics. And he thinks I am too.
The good news is that we both like to debate. |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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The Big Sort - the political polarization of USA
