RE: Why does Politics bring out the worst in so many people?
October 7, 2018 at 5:46 pm
(This post was last modified: October 7, 2018 at 5:49 pm by Brian37.)
(October 4, 2018 at 11:00 am)Libertarian God Wrote: Perhaps this is because I have only been on this planet for 25 years so I have a small sample to go off of. Or perhaps it's because of platforms such as social media where we are bombarded with political messages 24 hours a day 365 days a year. For instance on Facebook. If I see a friend post something political I will usually think for a few seconds whether I want to comment on it. Most of the time I comment when something is setting the bull shit meter off. But when I do correct that person, I do it nicely and respectfully. It ends up turning into a 20 comment thread of a back and fourth of me using facts and the other person using feelings or outright non-sense. Then it usually results in that person calling me names. I've been called everything in the book: Cuck, socialist, Libtard, retard, dumbass, anti-american and so on. This is even the same thing when you attempt to debate strangers on a news feed on Facebook, or on a comment board on a website. Except since you have never met that person the attacks usually get a lot worse and more personal. But to be honest this is one of the reasons I have quit attempting to present the proper information. I try to be as unbiased as possible. But even when you do use facts that you know 110% fact are on your side, things don't go over well and you will NEVER change their mind. I have had this from both sides of the aisle. Mostly Trump supporters seem to be the most nasty in my experience, but I'm sure there are plenty on the left that are pretty bad. But it just seems Trump supporters, or at least the extreme ones are in a league of their own. The fucking psychopaths league.
It isn't that politics has to bring out the worst in people, it is more along the lines that most humans defend that which is local, and that which seems to work for them.
If all you are raised with is Communism from birth, in China, you are likely to defend China. If all you know is Iran, and are born there, it is likely you will defend Iran.
It is hard for humans to look a the long term picture, say like Carl Sagan did, and what far too few humans want to see. That we are not as different as we think, and our politics and religions and economic views are really nothing more than the excuses humans make to get at resources.
But even given that, battles happen and some are worth fighting. I think far too many in the west forget what we fought and have overcome to protect pluralism and human rights. I am happy that monsters like Hitler got their asses handed to them and glad that Stalin died. It just frustrates me today knowing all those horrors of the past, that far too many people in the west think they are victims.
