Think America’s divided now? Try the 1970s
spectator.us
Think America’s divided now? Try the 1970s
1–10 of 89 posts
Re: Think America’s divided now? Try the 1970s
#2Re: Think America’s divided now? Try the 1970s
#3There may have been more violence among various radical and extremist factions in American politics in the 70s but that doesn't mean that America was more divided politically over all. There wasn't nearly as much partisanship in the upper-echelons of power in 70s and I suspect that there was more consensus among people in more moderate circles. There also wasn't this huge epistemological divide running right through the middle of the country; people were generally working from a common understanding of reality. Not so, today.
Re: Think America’s divided now? Try the 1970s
#4This article really misses the point. Sure, there may be times in the long past where there was a lot of divide. America once had legal slavery too. But it would still be absolutely appalling if slavery were to come back today.
The article almost gives off the impression that "oh it happened before so it's ok and normal". No, it's not ok and normal. It wasn't ok back then and it's not ok now.
Re: Think America’s divided now? Try the 1970s
#5I maybe wrong in thinking about this way, but in the 1970s people were debating over topics that were debatable. Vietnam for example, an argument can be made it was the right move to get involved. And, an argument can be made it was a mistake. Same with socialism vs. capitalism and a myriad of other large, complex topics.
Now the divide is around the basics of the scientific method. People think that vaccines have killed more people than they help. They think that hydrochloroquine is a wunderdrug and Bill Gates is suppressing its use so he can make more money. I see disagreements that are not arguable on any merit.
I pointed out to someone on social media the other day that the post they were sharing was objectively fake news (with links to proof). They responded that they didn't care because they believed it anyway. Is that a divide that can even be crossed?
Re: Think America’s divided now? Try the 1970s
#6I maybe wrong in thinking about this way, but in the 1970s people were debating over topics that were debatable. Vietnam for example, an argument can be made it was the right move to get involved. And, an argument can be made it was a mistake. Same with socialism vs. capitalism and a myriad of other large, complex topics. Now the divide is around the basics of the scientific method. People think that vaccines have ki…
Don’t we just hear about that now because of the internet? In the 1970’s we just didn’t know what people were thinking.
Re: Think America’s divided now? Try the 1970s
#7I have seen several articles over the last decade comment that the modern American political landscape is the most polarized it has been since the U.S. Civil War in the 19th century.
Re: Think America’s divided now? Try the 1970s
#8[deleted]
Re: Think America’s divided now? Try the 1970s
#9.
Re: Think America’s divided now? Try the 1970s
#10This article really misses the point. Sure, there may be times in the long past where there was a lot of divide. America once had legal slavery too. But it would still be absolutely appalling if slavery were to come back today. The article almost gives off the impression that "oh it happened before so it's ok and normal". No, it's not ok and normal. It wasn't ok back then and it's not ok now.
It seems like it isn’t abnormal - what exactly is normal? Neither seem ‘ok’ for what that is worth.