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I'm really conflicted on this. On one hand I wish we could improve civic discourse and dialogue and combat tribalism in politics but on the other I recognize th

I'm really conflicted on this. On one hand I wish we could improve civic discourse and dialogue and combat tribalism in politics but on the other I recognize that one of the factors that seems to have led to the rise of the alt-right is that the left just vacated a space that appeals to a large group of people - impolite, combative and (sometimes) witty. When I was growing up it was natural for rebellious, cynical young people to be drawn to this kind of politics. That hasn't changed but now it seems to alarmingly be the primary recruiting tool for a particular brand of regressive politics. I understand these two impulses are probably in direct opposition. I can't want both but I also fear what will happen if we lose a chunk of an entire generation to the far right.

KONAir 6y ago
Obama made the best warning/observation (better than any during his presidency imho) it turned into a circular firing squad.
mcv 6y ago
Impolite, combative and witty is fine, and there's plenty of that among progressives. It's the step towards destructive and burning all bridges, that I don't like. I also believe in democracy, and want a society that works for everybody, and not just a small in-crowd. Maybe it's because I'm not as young as I was in my punk days. But it's also that I care more about results than about ideological purity. Compromises are unavoidable. Nobody can have exactly everything they want, because you're not the only person in the world, and we've got to do this together.
- andybak 6y ago
  Agree. I've noticed that the word "centrist" seems to have been irreparably tainted to mean something like "crypto-conservative" and seems to be a target of bile more than being, you know, an actual conservative. (Good old Judean People's Front behaviour from the left as always). But I wish it could be reclaimed to mean "willing to compromise to move forward" and "doesn't regard anyone who disagrees with him as either a crook or an imbecile".

KONAir 6y ago

Obama made the best warning/observation (better than any during his presidency imho) it turned into a circular firing squad.

mcv 6y ago

Impolite, combative and witty is fine, and there's plenty of that among progressives. It's the step towards destructive and burning all bridges, that I don't like. I also believe in democracy, and want a society that works for everybody, and not just a small in-crowd. Maybe it's because I'm not as young as I was in my punk days. But it's also that I care more about results than about ideological purity. Compromises are unavoidable. Nobody can have exactly everything they want, because you're not the only person in the world, and we've got to do this together.

andybak 6y ago
Agree. I've noticed that the word "centrist" seems to have been irreparably tainted to mean something like "crypto-conservative" and seems to be a target of bile more than being, you know, an actual conservative. (Good old Judean People's Front behaviour from the left as always). But I wish it could be reclaimed to mean "willing to compromise to move forward" and "doesn't regard anyone who disagrees with him as either a crook or an imbecile".