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We're social and political animals.
Today the problem is that we're TOO political.
As our political identities have become who we are, politics has become everything that we do.
Counter-intuitively, that's terrible for Democracy.
Today the problem is that we're TOO political.
As our political identities have become who we are, politics has become everything that we do.
Counter-intuitively, that's terrible for Democracy.
When politics becomes personal, when it informs everything we do - from the coffee we buy (Starbucks vs Dunkin Donuts), the car we drive (Ford vs Prius), the neighbourhood we live in (city vs suburb)... a political opponent becomes a personal threat.
Put another way:
If we see politics as the thing that makes us human - for a conservative, your deep commitment to personal responsibility; for a liberal, yours to social justice- those who oppose us must perforce be less human than us.
We dehumanise them.
If we see politics as the thing that makes us human - for a conservative, your deep commitment to personal responsibility; for a liberal, yours to social justice- those who oppose us must perforce be less human than us.
We dehumanise them.
Far from being our partner in a shared democratic project, we begin to see them as morally and intellectually corrupt, as depraved, and incompetent - *unfit* for democratic participation.
Not a partner to negotiate with, but an obstacle to overcome in the service of democracy..
Not a partner to negotiate with, but an obstacle to overcome in the service of democracy..
In a Democracy, govt must treat us all as equals. Just as importantly, we ourselves must treat each other as political equals.
When that erodes - as it is eroding today - we start to see our side's political work as *excluding* the other from the democratic process
When that erodes - as it is eroding today - we start to see our side's political work as *excluding* the other from the democratic process
[Brief aside: we all attribute that move to our opponents
!
The Right is convinced it's being excluded from the democratic process by the media; the Left is convinced it's being excluded through systemic injustice; and the Centre feels silenced by CancelCulture]
! The Right is convinced it's being excluded from the democratic process by the media; the Left is convinced it's being excluded through systemic injustice; and the Centre feels silenced by CancelCulture]
Why has this happened?
Why are we polarised?
Why has the political become so personal and our views of the other side become so personally contemptuous?
Some ideas in no order:
Why are we polarised?
Why has the political become so personal and our views of the other side become so personally contemptuous?
Some ideas in no order:
1. Our political identities mean much more to us today in the absence of religion.
Where religion has historically served as a bedrock of identity, today meaning, morality and community are served ever more by politics.
Where religion has historically served as a bedrock of identity, today meaning, morality and community are served ever more by politics.
2. Our information landscape is deeply balkanised.
Fox/MSNBC, Guardian/Telegraph, etc
Tech has only accelerated that consumer choice and hardened silos
And let's not forget the algorithms of our lovely social media platforms that do the same.
Fox/MSNBC, Guardian/Telegraph, etc
Tech has only accelerated that consumer choice and hardened silos
And let's not forget the algorithms of our lovely social media platforms that do the same.
3. Our physical landscape has also balkanised.
More of us than ever move from the places we're born. Self-selection means we move to states, cities and neighbourhoods that match our identities. Even the people we meet in the physical world resemble us.
More of us than ever move from the places we're born. Self-selection means we move to states, cities and neighbourhoods that match our identities. Even the people we meet in the physical world resemble us.
4. And all this homogenisation of our informational and physical communities, this ghettoization of our political tribes, has taken place while our national societies have become more diverse than ever 
All this (and lots more, pls add!) breeds polarization around the world.
> check out all the amazing work done by @pewresearch and @MiC_Global on this.
It's dangerous but it's also CRAZY.
> check out all the amazing work done by @pewresearch and @MiC_Global on this.
It's dangerous but it's also CRAZY.
Why?
Because 'Political Polarization' - the metric of the ideological difference *between* opposing groups - says that on everything from abortion to welfare to race we are actually way *closer* to each other on all political issues than we were a generation ago!
Because 'Political Polarization' - the metric of the ideological difference *between* opposing groups - says that on everything from abortion to welfare to race we are actually way *closer* to each other on all political issues than we were a generation ago!
The problem is 'Belief Polarization.
That's the phenomenon that happens *within* likeminded groups: our convictions are radicalised by spending time inside our political tribes, along with our contempt for those outside it.
*That* has got a ton worse.
That's the phenomenon that happens *within* likeminded groups: our convictions are radicalised by spending time inside our political tribes, along with our contempt for those outside it.
*That* has got a ton worse.
What needs to change is simple.
We need to see our political opponents as 'Equal Citizens' to ourselves.
Disagreement is golden.
Democracy means arguing our way to the right collective conclusions.
We need to love our opponents precisely for being that: opponents.
We need to see our political opponents as 'Equal Citizens' to ourselves.
Disagreement is golden.
Democracy means arguing our way to the right collective conclusions.
We need to love our opponents precisely for being that: opponents.
Come listen to @RobertTalisse explain how we learn to love our political neighbour (and a lot more) in Rebuilding Democracy on the #ParliaPodcast @askParlia
https://www.parlia.com/article/rebuilding-democracy-equal-citizenship-talisse
https://www.parlia.com/article/rebuilding-democracy-equal-citizenship-talisse
