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Right, It's not a technology problem. Not everything can be reduced to a technology problem. This is an American, and even worldwide problem. Everyone is wri
by platz 7y ago
Right, It's not a technology problem.
Not everything can be reduced to a technology problem.
This is an American, and even worldwide problem.
Everyone is writing about polarization right now.
Ezra Klein, who I normally loathe, has been doing the podcasting rounds lately about his new polarization book, which has a pragmatic take on the problem.
He doesn't see a way out right now.
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
Ezra Klein on Politics, Polarization, and Identity
https://pca.st/huei9let https://pca.st/huei9let
The Weeds: The road to polarization
https://pca.st/izsley78 https://pca.st/izsley78
According to Ezra, part of the reason we have this now is because our personal identities are now stacked in line with our political identities.
Why this stacking occurs might just be a natural process.
As for the media, It's not only the media's fault.
There was a feedback loop between media and audience.
When media was unbundled from the national model, only slightly more polarized people could be reliable customers and so media had to compete over them, which polarized the media, which polarized the audience etc...
- Domenic_S 7y ago> our personal identities are now stacked in line with our political identities. Even stronger than that, for many people their political identity IS their personal identity, and those folks can't see anybody else any other way. I was a child when Clinton was elected. We lived in a conservative neighborhood, and I remember there being disappointment but as far as I can recall everyone resumed their normal lives after that. Then when GWB was elected, I lived in a more liberal town and there was some angst, maybe a bit of protesting, but by and large everyone went back to their lives. Trump has been interesting. For many people, if you voted for Trump, you are a Nazi. As far as they're concerned, your political identity IS your personal identity. And let's be fair to both sides, for a lot of Trump supporters, being a MAGA-hat wearer is their personal identity. We're on the road to something, and it's not good.