The USA isn't "Polarized"

This is for topical issues effecting our fair world... you can quit snickering anytime. Note: It is the desire of the leadership of SFDebris Conglomerate that all posters maintain a civil and polite bearing in this forum, regardless of how you feel about any particular issue. Violators will be turned over to Captain Janeway for experimentation.
User avatar
KuudereKun
Officer
Posts: 200
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2024 10:39 pm
Contact:

Re: The USA isn't "Polarized"

Post by KuudereKun »

There are two things a persons could mean when they say the US isn't "Polarized". There's what this OP said, and then there is pointing out how the Democrats and Republicans are only mildly different versions of the same basic ideology to begin with. That's not a Conspiracies denial that they are actually enemies at all, they are enemies in the way Crips and Bloods are enemies, the conflict doesn't actually have a damn thing to do with opposing values.
User avatar
Madner Kami
Captain
Posts: 4055
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2017 2:35 pm

Re: The USA isn't "Polarized"

Post by Madner Kami »

And then there's not understanding what polarized means and using the word inappropriately.
"If you get shot up by an A6M Reisen and your plane splits into pieces - does that mean it's divided by Zero?
- xoxSAUERKRAUTxox
Fuzzy Necromancer
Overlord
Posts: 6317
Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:57 am

Re: The USA isn't "Polarized"

Post by Fuzzy Necromancer »

clearspira wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 9:28 am
Fuzzy Necromancer wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 12:14 am Clearspira, are you honestly gonna South Park this one?
I'm saying that it is very convenient that you brave Sir Knight are on the side of truth, justice and the American way whereas everyone on the other side to you wearing a different colour is wrong. And PS, I would strongly recommend that you actually look up what the phrase ''political polarization'' means, because dude, that is you to a T.
The whole point of the blackadder sketch is that the general is condemning the Nazis for the same things that they are doing themselves. It's the Hypocrisy of somebody oblivious to their own side's flaws.

The Republicans are trying to suppress votes. The democrats aren't.

The Republicans and the Democrats are pretty close on Israel, but at least some of the Democrats are talking about ceasefire, whereas the Republicans are talking about nukes.

Democrats want to sustain or expand food stamps. Republicans want to slash them.

The Republican party contains actual neonazis. The Democratic part doesn't.

The Republicans want to get rid of trans healthcare. The Democrats don't.

How am I wrong? Do you have anything to contribute to this conversation other than empty sarcasm and saying "You're not so moral after all, because you called the other side bad guys!"?
"Believe me, there’s nothing so terrible that someone won’t support it."
— Un Lun Dun, China Mieville
User avatar
hammerofglass
Captain
Posts: 2623
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2021 3:17 pm
Location: Corning, NY

Re: The USA isn't "Polarized"

Post by hammerofglass »

Blackadder was WWI btw, no Nazis.
...for space is wide, and good friends are too few.
User avatar
Madner Kami
Captain
Posts: 4055
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2017 2:35 pm

Re: The USA isn't "Polarized"

Post by Madner Kami »

Fuzzy Necromancer wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:20 pm
clearspira wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 9:28 am
Fuzzy Necromancer wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 12:14 am Clearspira, are you honestly gonna South Park this one?
I'm saying that it is very convenient that you brave Sir Knight are on the side of truth, justice and the American way whereas everyone on the other side to you wearing a different colour is wrong. And PS, I would strongly recommend that you actually look up what the phrase ''political polarization'' means, because dude, that is you to a T.
The whole point of the blackadder sketch is that the general is condemning the Nazis for the same things that they are doing themselves. It's the Hypocrisy of somebody oblivious to their own side's flaws.

The Republicans are trying to suppress votes. The democrats aren't.

The Republicans and the Democrats are pretty close on Israel, but at least some of the Democrats are talking about ceasefire, whereas the Republicans are talking about nukes.

Democrats want to sustain or expand food stamps. Republicans want to slash them.

The Republican party contains actual neonazis. The Democratic part doesn't.

The Republicans want to get rid of trans healthcare. The Democrats don't.

How am I wrong? Do you have anything to contribute to this conversation other than empty sarcasm and saying "You're not so moral after all, because you called the other side bad guys!"?
The issue is, that you're making a moral judgement, declare yourself's as the only acceptable view (within the context of US politics) and randomly decide that the Republican's conclusions and solutions aren't a legit viewpoint. That this is pretty dumb should be obvious, because whether you like what the Republicans do and offer has no bearing on the question on whether their point of view is a point of view in the first place. It is one. A sizeable portion of your country takes that point of view and runs with it. That is morally reprehensible and pretty abhorent, no doubt about it, but it's a political point of view that's a polar opposite to what yours is. Just because you deem someone else's view as unacceptable, has no bearing on whether their views are existing in opposition to yours or not. They're there. They're not going to go away by pretending they do not exist. And yes, your views are a polar opposite to theirs as well. US politics these days, is about as polarized as it can be.

And as for the article, substituting "Polarization" with "Radicalization" has no meaning and makes no goddamn sense. The political right is radicalizing, yes. But that intrinsically means, that they're moving further away from the other points of view, thus increasing polarization, because democratic values and republican values are drifting further and further apart, becoming increasingly incompatible. It doesn't get much more polarized than that. That's the very definition. Mutual exclusivity.
"If you get shot up by an A6M Reisen and your plane splits into pieces - does that mean it's divided by Zero?
- xoxSAUERKRAUTxox
Fuzzy Necromancer
Overlord
Posts: 6317
Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:57 am

Re: The USA isn't "Polarized"

Post by Fuzzy Necromancer »

One part has tried to compromise. One part thinks compromise makes your dick ensmallen. One part has tried to be bipartisan. One part has thrown a tantrum and tanked bipartisan legislation that they started because it's bipartisan.

Do I have to pull out the Dril tweet? All the "polarization" here is on one side.
"Believe me, there’s nothing so terrible that someone won’t support it."
— Un Lun Dun, China Mieville
User avatar
Madner Kami
Captain
Posts: 4055
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2017 2:35 pm

Re: The USA isn't "Polarized"

Post by Madner Kami »

Fuzzy Necromancer wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:46 pmDo I have to pull out the Dril tweet? All the "polarization" here is on one side.
So? Does that change the fact, that there is polarization? I mean you just said it yourself: There is polarization.
"If you get shot up by an A6M Reisen and your plane splits into pieces - does that mean it's divided by Zero?
- xoxSAUERKRAUTxox
User avatar
ProfessorDetective
Captain
Posts: 1480
Joined: Thu Feb 07, 2019 3:40 pm
Location: Oak Ridge, TN, USA

Re: The USA isn't "Polarized"

Post by ProfessorDetective »

I'm going to be that guy and break out the dictionary. I hope Cambridge is fine.

"polarized

adjective

divided into two completely opposing groups

The debate is becoming polarized and there seems to be no middle ground."

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dic ... /polarized

I think "polarized" works here.
User avatar
clearspira
Overlord
Posts: 5676
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2017 12:51 pm

Re: The USA isn't "Polarized"

Post by clearspira »

Fuzzy Necromancer wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:20 pm
clearspira wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 9:28 am
Fuzzy Necromancer wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 12:14 am Clearspira, are you honestly gonna South Park this one?
I'm saying that it is very convenient that you brave Sir Knight are on the side of truth, justice and the American way whereas everyone on the other side to you wearing a different colour is wrong. And PS, I would strongly recommend that you actually look up what the phrase ''political polarization'' means, because dude, that is you to a T.
The whole point of the blackadder sketch is that the general is condemning the Nazis for the same things that they are doing themselves. It's the Hypocrisy of somebody oblivious to their own side's flaws.

The Republicans are trying to suppress votes. The democrats aren't.

The Republicans and the Democrats are pretty close on Israel, but at least some of the Democrats are talking about ceasefire, whereas the Republicans are talking about nukes.

Democrats want to sustain or expand food stamps. Republicans want to slash them.

The Republican party contains actual neonazis. The Democratic part doesn't.

The Republicans want to get rid of trans healthcare. The Democrats don't.

How am I wrong? Do you have anything to contribute to this conversation other than empty sarcasm and saying "You're not so moral after all, because you called the other side bad guys!"?
Have you looked up the meaning of the word yet, brave Sir Knight? Here: i'll make it easy for you. From Wiki:

Political polarization (spelled polarisation in British English, Australian English and New Zealand English) is the divergence of political attitudes away from the center, towards ideological extremes.

I particularly like this paragraph though as it absolutely, 100% describes you:

Mass polarization, or popular polarization, occurs when an electorate's attitudes towards political issues, policies, celebrated figures, or other citizens are neatly divided along party lines.[9][11][12][16] At the extreme, each camp questions the moral legitimacy of the other, viewing the opposing camp and its policies as an existential threat to their way of life or the nation as a whole.[17][18]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_polarization
Fuzzy Necromancer
Overlord
Posts: 6317
Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:57 am

Re: The USA isn't "Polarized"

Post by Fuzzy Necromancer »

So you're gonna keep acting like both parties are morally equivalent, whatever they do. Well, I shouldn't have expected any better from somebody who voted for Boris yiffing Johnson.
"Believe me, there’s nothing so terrible that someone won’t support it."
— Un Lun Dun, China Mieville
Post Reply