I also often wonder how the hell we have arrived at this point and wish back for the comparatively sane period of the 2000s.
In addition to the reasons you laid out, I would also add: the new generation of "coddled" youth (cf. Haidt/Lukianoff), the incredibly destructive effects of social media, the (intentional?) dumbing-down of our society, moral decline in general (due to "accepting" absolutely everything in the name of wrong tolerance, i.e. "minor-attracted people" etc.), staggeringly incompetent and spineless politicians that make Bush Jr. look like a sane guy, and the lost ability for debate in general.
I believe activating the moderates might be our only way out of this. The question though is: How can we do that in an effective manner?
Yeah, the "how we got here" section could be a book in itself. I agree with Haidt/Lukianoff's thesis of "The Coddling of the American Mind." I don't think there is any tried and true method of herding cats, which, in a culture war context, is what mustering and activating moderates would amount to. But I think that spreading the general message that we need more moderate voices to dilute the extremism on both sides, framed as a kind of civic duty of a sort, could begin a shift if the message spread sufficiently.
Yes, this is pretty much where I find myself at. It becomes incredibly difficult to argue anything (even if you're good at it) when you immediately get discredited/canceled/shunned for voicing an opinion from (presumably) the "other side" of the Left/Right spectrum (although that spectrum has completely lost its meaning). The trans debate is a classic.
Add: Increasing censorship on all sides and toxic algorithms, and media that is brainwashing the public to an extent where questioning mainstream groupthink makes you a "conspiracy theorist". As someone who is simply questioning many of the current narratives as we see them portrayed in the media I have found myself in a position of being eyed like I was a lunatic, even from close friends. Now, I am quite apt at debating and presenting arguments, but it seems like these don't matter anymore if you're arguing for the "wrong side" or even just question certain things.
So I am trying to just plant seeds: Some comments here and there, maybe send an article to some friends every once in a while. But mass is inert.
Great piece, Jamie. Very well put.
I also often wonder how the hell we have arrived at this point and wish back for the comparatively sane period of the 2000s.
In addition to the reasons you laid out, I would also add: the new generation of "coddled" youth (cf. Haidt/Lukianoff), the incredibly destructive effects of social media, the (intentional?) dumbing-down of our society, moral decline in general (due to "accepting" absolutely everything in the name of wrong tolerance, i.e. "minor-attracted people" etc.), staggeringly incompetent and spineless politicians that make Bush Jr. look like a sane guy, and the lost ability for debate in general.
I believe activating the moderates might be our only way out of this. The question though is: How can we do that in an effective manner?
Yeah, the "how we got here" section could be a book in itself. I agree with Haidt/Lukianoff's thesis of "The Coddling of the American Mind." I don't think there is any tried and true method of herding cats, which, in a culture war context, is what mustering and activating moderates would amount to. But I think that spreading the general message that we need more moderate voices to dilute the extremism on both sides, framed as a kind of civic duty of a sort, could begin a shift if the message spread sufficiently.
Yes, this is pretty much where I find myself at. It becomes incredibly difficult to argue anything (even if you're good at it) when you immediately get discredited/canceled/shunned for voicing an opinion from (presumably) the "other side" of the Left/Right spectrum (although that spectrum has completely lost its meaning). The trans debate is a classic.
Add: Increasing censorship on all sides and toxic algorithms, and media that is brainwashing the public to an extent where questioning mainstream groupthink makes you a "conspiracy theorist". As someone who is simply questioning many of the current narratives as we see them portrayed in the media I have found myself in a position of being eyed like I was a lunatic, even from close friends. Now, I am quite apt at debating and presenting arguments, but it seems like these don't matter anymore if you're arguing for the "wrong side" or even just question certain things.
So I am trying to just plant seeds: Some comments here and there, maybe send an article to some friends every once in a while. But mass is inert.