April 22, 2010
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Why Can't We Just Get Along?
The degree of animosity seen in daily life - Politics, Blogs, Business dealings, casual relations, even among family members seems to have reached a new level in the past year. Is this because of increased cable-TV hate-mongering, the increased friction caused by overcrowding, the economic downturn, all of the above?
Whatever is causing it, I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!!How about you?
Comments (7)
Referring to anything in particular?
'Animosity' would be an euphemism when referring to politics. Viciousness sounds more accurate these days.
Not sure about other areas of life. From my relatively short experience people have not become more hostile, just better tolerated.
Unfortunately, the general atmosphere of animosity is spreading down into our personal lives. I've been around a while. Believe me it is spreading!
For example, families are disintegrating at an increasing rate. do teen-agers feel the degree of family solidarity of a couple of generations ago? In many situations, no - that probably accounts for the rise in gang membership and generational gap.
I think it's more than animosity. Our culture is becoming so intolerant that it's frightening. In my 68 years, I've never seen anything like what's going on today; and it has almost reached epidemic proportions. It's not restricted to politics either. Just look at the thinks our children are doing to each other in our schools. We will shortly be completely out of control if something isn't done to reverse the trend.
@thereluctantsinger -
LOL Susan,
I was trying to be "neutral" with my animosity comment.
I disagree with you on some points - I don't think we are becoming more intolerant - quite the reverse. When I was a child growing up in Miami Beach in the 1930s-known even then for its large jewish population - Almost all of the hotels north of Lincoln road (about midway up the island) had discrete signs marked "Gentiles Only".
I was the only "gentile" in my class but we still recited the Lord's Prayer every morning along with reading from the KJV Bible. It was the law just as the law forbidding any "colored" to be in the City of Miami Beach after sundown without a police pass. Those were the days of true intolerance.
Today there is a sweeping change in our culture and many of us are uncomfortable with it. After all, it's not the world we grew up in or expected.
From time to time on Socrates_cafe, I've tried to get people interested in blogging about this change, without much success; I suppose because they are often unsure about how they feel and fear criticism. Much of my academic training was in just this particular subject, so I suppose I have a better handle on it than most - I taught it for 30 years
you can see the clear trends in politics today. Those who voted for Obama thought/think he embodies change, which they demand. The remaining GOP members of congress are essentially those you would expect to demand the status quo or a return to the "good old days". Of course both extremes are doomed to disappointment. Once change starts, you can't ever put the genie back in the bottle; but it never goes far enough to satisfy those wanting dramatic change.
I think many radical Demos are somewhat disappointed in Obama - he's really pretty middle-of-the-road in his outlook.
The TPPs (Tea Party Patriots) are a good cross section of those suspicious of change and dissatisfied with the way things are.
I think a lot of what is happening today is because so many people today are inwardly focused and think that the world is about them. We see it in politics right now when the 2 parties in Congress cannot manage to work together at all. Both of them proclaim that "If it can't be exactly my way, I don't want to do it and I will work as hard as I can to keep you from being successful!" That is a very counterproductive attitude.
I see this at all levels of society. I really do not know what the outcome will be.
@Nance1 -
It seems to me that the Democrats are much less "monolithic" in their attitudes and more open to compromise - they have to be - that party is much more diverse in its political philosophy. The idea that most of us are self-centered combined with a decade of major distrust in both parties for one reason or another, combined with the discovery that attacks on your political opponents generally works - at least to develop suspicion about your opponent; combined with a movement toward excessive - often nasty - rhetoric, makes this an unpleasant political era, to say the least
@tychecat -
I agree with you totally. I was trying to avoid naming a particular party, but it does seem to me that the Republicans are saying "Do it my way or I will take my marbles and go home." They are not really in a position to do that right at the moment, although that could change in November.
In any case, yes, the political climate is very unpleasant right now.