Heisenberg Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 I'm becoming very disturbed about the (seemingly) increasingly hostile political climate in this country. The controversy and outrage over the back to school speech is just the latest example of what I'm talking about. Perhaps I'm just too young to know any better but I have a hard time believing that the country was so divided when I was a kid that a somewhat large number of parents were threatening to keep their kids at home so they didn't hear a speech by George Bush I. I've also had a few instances in the past few weeks where I've heard someone casually mention they "don't condone" but "wouldn't shed a tear" if the President was killed. It was also surprising to me that at least one of these comments came while I was in MA - a state where I figured most conservatives were more moderate than other areas. (excluding MSF of course) I guess I'm just confused as why there seems to be increasing sentiment in some areas that the President is the enemy - I don't recall it ever feeling this way before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 I agree, I don't remember it either and we're about the same age. I also don't remember people freaking out over the Pledge of Alliegance or Christmas decorations and such. Maybe people just like to complain more about things, I don't know. But it sure is annoying. After 9/11 I feel like we were all united and it didn't make what race or religion you were because we were all Americans. I dunno what happened to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spjunkies Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Fox news blowing everything out of proportion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRobi21 Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbear Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 From what I've read and what my grandma described, the McCarthy era was a lot like this. We are as split as we have ever been. The news makes money from contraversy, and we for the most part don't stop to think if any of this stuff matters. It's designed very effectively to pull at heart strings. Now add in attention seekers without the need for truth getting a big stage (the internet). We're pretty split. People lose sight of no state being won by 60% to 40% and we term states red and blue. People lose sight of the facts that we agree on most things. People think all the town hall meetings were shouting matches because those are the only ones to make the news. We are split so badly because it sells, and frankly that sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Punani Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 look at the past 8 years. You'll find your answer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 My guess is the economy. People bicker more when they are stressed out. But yeah, it's getting pretty bad out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCS Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 IMHo,not quite as bad,(possibly yet),as the late 60's early 70's,but it is getting nasty. Few have touched on some possible reasons already. Tough economy takes a lot of people out their comfort zone to say the least. The media,(all of it,not just one aspect of it),a collective severe uncertainty of the future,and too many questions with not enough definitive answers are also possibilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Genius Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 look at the past 8 years. You'll find your answer... Dubya's campaign against McCain in the primaries in 1999-2000 would be a good starting point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 I'm 34 and the split that I remember most began with the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal and the subsequent impeachment, I think those tensions fueled by the cable news networks pushing stories and in some cases creating news along with airing the fringe voices rather than the majority voices in order to increase their ratings, not to mention the out right combative nature of some of these "news shows" really leads us to think that its OK to carry on in politics this way, and has really led to a zero sum (I win you lose) political climate that totally sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicious Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 People are not reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 The forgotten concept of responsible speech. Turn on the radio and you'll hear lunatics claiming that Obama is destroying America. Look at the Bush administration's time in office and you find nuts claiming he was behind 9/11. The more this stuff creeps into the mainstream, and make no mistake the Obama = threat stuff is MAINSTREAM, the more dangerous the climate gets. Frankly I think the intellectual crack dealers of the country are getting too powerful. Glenn Beck for example spends hours every day filling people's heads with paranoid nonsense and lies.... take note that he is not on some radio station at three AM fielding calls about alien sightings. He's on the highest rated news channel in the country. It won't be long now before the irresponsible loons that depend on partisan hatred to earn a living dominate news in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 IMHo,not quite as bad,(possibly yet),as the late 60's early 70's,but it is getting nasty. Few have touched on some possible reasons already. Tough economy takes a lot of people out their comfort zone to say the least. The media,(all of it,not just one aspect of it),a collective severe uncertainty of the future,and too many questions with not enough definitive answers are also possibilities. Yeah, I've seen and heard worse....much worse The Internet and cable TV simply gives it more exposure imo. Combine the economy,record unemployment,two wars + and a shifting of directions in our course and the stress and noise level increases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Punani Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Dubya's campaign against McCain in the primaries in 1999-2000 would be a good starting point. riight... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stophovr6 Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Something tells me this has happened before and will happen again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Punani Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Something tells me this has happened before and will happen again. Give me a break...:doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd421 Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 We are turning into a Godless nation and that has alot to do with it in my opinion...I am not saying PResident Obama or any political leaders are Godless I am just saying as a nation we are turning from the thing we need most again just my 2 cents... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Something tells me this has happened before and will happen again. That picture is scary in that the beliefs of some are wrapped around the flag and then their opponents are labeled as being in line with the nation's adversaries. This is what happens when rhetoric gets out of control. Heck I just read a news article today that quotes Sean Hannity as saying that Obama hates the coal industry to a bunch of coal workers and supporters all at a rally paid for by Massey Coal. Hank Williams Jr. was there for the flag waving, Hannity was there for the hating. http://www.kentucky.com/latest_news/story/925932.html "Barack Obama hates the coal industry. Barack Obama hates the oil industry," Hannity said. "If they shut down the coal industry, we lose America as we know it." I just hope that one day our kids look back on the likes of Hannity, Beck, Limbaugh, Olberman and Maddow with contempt, and that we look back with utter embarassment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Something tells me this has happened before and will happen again. Well ya'll wanted CHANGE,and change is never easy We are seeing fundamental shifts in the programs proposed and more govt influence in our lives than ever. It is not too dissimilar to the civil rights era. If you are simply reducing it to racial issues you delude yourself,even back then it was about more than that...and certainly now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monte51Coleman Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 The internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 A couple of reasons ... ... during times of fear (economic, safety or whatever) many people pick sides and get entrenched. ... the distinction between news journalism and opinion has been lost. Not long ago the newspapers and broadcast TV clearly separated news and opinion for you. You knew to turn on the channel at certain times of the day to watch news, say at 6pm or 9pm. Now, I have no idea what time CNN or MSNBC or Fox News actually do 'news anymore. Instead I'm more likely to turn on the TV, at a time when a news segment is not being broadcast and instead get a talking head's opinion on the news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 We are turning into a Godless nation and that has alot to do with it in my opinion...I am not saying PResident Obama or any political leaders are Godless I am just saying as a nation we are turning from the thing we need most again just my 2 cents... Be careful with that thinking, because it pre-supposes that we were a Godly nation before this time, and I think the picture that was posted above, not to mention, Gov. George Wallace, and the Klan, and the entire McCarthy era, combined with our treatment of the Native American peoples, and the African Americans brought here as slaves might very well speak fairly loudly against our nation's "Godly witness." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 I agree Corcaigh, except for the not long ago part. unless you consider 30 yrs not long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zguy28 Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Research politics in the 19th century. Start with the elections involving Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, or John Quincy Adams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Well ya'll wanted CHANGE,and change is never easy You're not seriously suggesting that the Obama campaign promises were the start of this inflated rhetoric are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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