Didn’t read the entire thing, but I think we’re at an inflection point or at least have been on an ongoing inflection point in the state of sociopolitical affairs since 2016.
Trump obviously has much to do with it, but it’s also the fact that the Trump era / Post-Trump era occurred at the exact time that social media really became larger than reality itself. We’re also dealing with a massive scale religious decline as social and political progressiveness has scaled up as well. This is all the while baby boomers are retiring and millennials / Gen Z are dealing with all of this directly.
Due to both of these factors, there’s been a complete abandonment of community and now people are turning to politics in order to feel they are a part of something.
Because corporations and institutions have largely become more “woke” or progressive, it almost seems that being a republican or conservative is ethically wrong. This is a problem, and it’s being exacerbated by mainstream media.
Trump’s rise came at a time of technological advancement where everyone now has access to information. Everyone can share their opinion from anywhere in the country.
I could go on further but I’ll leave it there for now until someone replies
I don’t know that it is extremism as you age you lose your ability to think critically and therefore you are susceptible to simple messaging and simple brands.
The other issue is once you believe something you never stop believing because changing your mind or having multiple options to mull over is difficult for you.
It is why Trump’s support is very steady.
So… Only Trump supporters are extremists?
Mostly true. Trump supporters have developed a religious iconography for him and he’s encouraged it. If you are convinced Trump is God’s messenger/prophet/disciple to push back against secularism, you can’t easily walk back from that.
“Why do I have to repent, why do I have to ask for forgiveness if [I’m] not making mistakes?”
No, but Trump activated left wing extremists and also increased both sides’ interest in politics in a manner never seen before
There are left-wing . . . I guess you could say extremists, but for the most part, they simply want more government involvement in the economy. We’re pretty much talking about groups like the DSA, which includes people like AOC, Rashida Tlaib, and Jamaal Bowman. They’re certainly to my left, and I guess one could call them extremist, but I don’t see them storming the Capitol or engaging in violent acts.
For understanding and discussion, what are examples of left wing extremists for you ?
The younger you are the more extrĂŞme your views.
Did you not se them burning our cities down during the summer of love
No cities were burned. The Black Lives Matter protests were overwhelmingly peaceful.
This summer’s Black Lives Matter protesters were overwhelmingly peaceful, our research finds
Analysis by Erica Chenoweth
and
Jeremy Pressman
93% of Black Lives Matter Protests Have Been Peaceful, New Report Finds
Per posted article, except for “conservatives”.
Table 1: Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States
| Far-right offenders | Far-left offenders | Jihadist offenders | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age at Criminal Offense | 37.3 | 29.8 | 28.7 |
| Married | 36.1% | 18.8% | 34.5% |
| Low Education (no college experience) | 47.1% | 27.8% | 41.9% |
| Unemployed | 21% | 19.2% | 23.8% |
| Criminal History | 48% | 32.2% | 32.5% |
| Substance Use Disorder | 21.9% | 13.4% | 12.1% |
| Evidence of Mental Illness | 20.7% | 12.9% | 18% |
Don’t discount the effect of electing a black president had on igniting a certain amount of “right wing” extremism.
Don’t lose sight of the responding counter-effect of “left wing” extremism.
When Obama was president, the establishment democratic party was still center left rather than whatever it is today.
One example is climate. Climate change was a topic during Obama’s presidency, but not in the way it is today. In fact, In fact if I recall correctly he was pretty supportive of fracking.
A lot of those groups, especially the DSA, use “we just want more government involvement in the economy” as a motte-and-bailey argument. It’s “down with capitalism, socialism now” until someone calls them out on it at which point it’s “we just want a couple little reforms, didn’t realize u thought capitalism was perfect, but go off queen.”
It’s very reminiscent of the rubes who told us to take Trump “seriously, but not literally” in 2016.
Were you not awake during the BLM and Antifa riots, burning, looting, murders, destruction. I guess that was all non-violent?
I sure see Antifa doing some pretty belligerent things, include attacking government property.
And I’ve seen a left-winger shoot up a Republican softball game.
I guess they’ve stopped short of storming the Capitol though.
See the articles posted above.
I don’t think Bernie Sanders or AOC or other DSA members in Congress want to do away with private business. They definitely want more government involvement in the economy, but they aren’t for full-blown socialism, in which government controls the means of production and private property is all but eliminated.
Maybe they should own and run a business first. I bet they won’t be quite as enthusiastic about more government control of business.