I think this is a worldwide phenomenon. Usually one side of the political spectrum gets progressively reactionary (no pun intended) and extreme, while the rest

I think this is a worldwide phenomenon. Usually one side of the political spectrum gets progressively reactionary (no pun intended) and extreme, while the rest of the political spectrum reacts mildly to that extremism. The media then creates a bizarre narrative that there are in fact two warring political factions, both equally extreme, one the mirror image of the other. That is almost always a strange fantasy. There is really just one radical side in most countries right now, the rest are just trying to keep things sane.