by C8 » Sat 04 Jun 2022, 17:19:22
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'C')8,
I hink the turning point was the Trump/Clinton election. I saw it here and elsewhere. Dohboi became quite radicalized and announceded his departure well in advance and made it a political statement. At almost the same time COG just disappeared. Ibon became very combative, and was reminded frequently to cut out the gross profanity. He eventually left over the issue.
I have seen this outside this forum so and have lost various friends because of their radi raducalization. One really smart colleage, who was of retirement age used to go on about how he loved his job and would work as long as he could. The day after the Trump election he retired/quit because of Trump! Shortly he came back on a part time basis but it did not last. I don't understand, I just report my observation.
There is something very important in what you just posted: people are now demonizing those who hold different political/social views. This was never this intense years ago and I often wonder why this has happened. I have several hypotheses:
1. The internet has tribalized us by locking us into similar groups and exposing us to radical propaganda on a daily basis- the only downside to this view is that people are also living in neighborhoods that are tribalized which shouldn't be necessary if it is all online as anybody can access the internet anywhere
2. The decline of the white percentage of the population has eliminated a commonality that moderated extremism, multi-ethnic societies have higher levels of distrust. The problem with this view is that the polarization of society has proceeded much faster than the decline of the white percent of population
3. Work has become increasingly segregated and isolated so that people don't mix with those who share opposite views and get to understand why they hold those views. The cancel culture may also be scaring people from speaking- as a result, folks don't hear perspectives that are different from their own. This is hard to prove though.
4. America is in decline and folks are turning on each other- again, hard to prove
5. The decline in religious attendance has made politics the de facto religion of the US. Elections are now holy wars.
Of course it is probably "all of the above".
