As a citizen, and given the way I vote and live, Christian Nationalism and all of the tentacles hanging down from it is the scariest thing I've ever experienced.
This sort of stuff will put people more and more on edge, there is the deplatforming going on, people asserted their power financially, and now getting that removed too, the powers that rule USA don't realize that soon the only tool left to common people is violence?
Even more with some irresponsible newspapers blaming the whole thing on GamerGate and Alt-Right, effectively pushing away people that previously could be on their side.
Everything took a wild turn after the 2016 election. Electing Trump will be remembered as the time when America's history took a massive nose dive. One thing I think we'll see is the rise of a left-wing version of the Dark Enlightenment wherein a contingent of leftists, disillusioned with democracy after Trump, just go full tankie and start calling for the purges to begin.
And then we risk a civil war between the left authoritarians and the right authoritarians, each side convinced that America's survival depends on the utter crushing defeat of the other side.
I think the political climate is getting more heated up with every passing year. The right/left rift is large and getting larger. In the US and EU. If it keeps getting worse like it has been, a (civil) war is a distinct possibility 5-10 years down the line.
Right now, sure. But the political machinery is never in bed with the more radical people. Things are extreme now because it’s being driven that way by various parties.
As that calms down, compromises will be made and order will return. Recovery from economic catastrophe will be the priority.
On some level I feel like my country is unwinding, like somehow over time we have developed these parallel economies and social institutions, and now we don't know how to talk to ourselves anyhow.. and it scares me. The fact that one side can't see the other is struggling is an example of this.
There is another observation I have too - and some point everyone became offended at everyone - when I was younger, merely having a different opinion was never offensive, now in certain circles, it sure appears to be. (HN may be one of those circles)
In the end.. we need to remember time doesnt stop when this election is over - the morning after we're all still gonna wake up and get on with business - I fear the level of vitriol may be damaging the fabric of my country.. and that makes me nervous.
It's going to take a catastrophic event to disrupt the MIC and current "Everything is fine" attitudes. The 2016 election helped, as many people realized that maybe lots of government power isn't a good idea, especially if you don't like who's in office.
One of the worst fallouts from the pandemic and the Trump presidency
is the autocratic power that has been seized by a relatively small
group who share a lot of the same political views to be the judge
and jury on what is true.
It has grown from early mild assertion into a politically grounded smug
movement who loves calling out, cancelling, and mocking those who dont
share their world view.
All if that is more or less what you can except for any politically fraction
to seize on. Churches, Guilds whatever is an entity seeking to control speech
The real terror is in the fact that a large part of the population do not only
tolerate it, but to some extent reinforces it and welcomes it.
In times when society is going through something dramatic and frighting
demagogs pop out of their caverns and hope to become the prophet.
For a fraction to decide and dictate to all what is truth may perhaps
start benign but it will metastasize and corrupt into a autocratic
demand for the population to conform unquestionably to the prescribed
dogma.
This is never healthy for society, and the longer it is allowed
to grow. It will grow. This type of dictatorial power does not
reach a steady state, it grows into every crevice of society.
The conflict that arises from society ridding itself of it
can become something similar to a civil war.
In the US today there are two (major) fractions that claim to
hold the truth. If you do not adhere fully with one side,
you will be labelled as a traitor and belonging to the
other side.
This again creates an Overton window where the public is
led to believe that these two views are the only views
that exist. Black and white. Your sports team vs mine.
etc.
This has to stop and the only ones who can stop it are the people.
Thankfully we do not have to live our lives with a radio that
has only one channel (or in this case perhaps two)
We dont have to give our adherence to one or the other.
We can make the choice to ignore them.
While you were joking, this is honestly what I think is happening. Our country has already started a number of "wars" on groups and this is only going to get worse now that a significant portion of the population feels that our soon-to-be leaders are illegitimate.
It is boiling over already in the form of newly emergent populism. Easy to ignore if you don't personally feel the pain, but many out there are very angry with the system.
I’m equally concerned about the rise in left wing propaganda. Including extreme double speak and obvious gas lighting. Censorship and manipulation. Very clear online manipulation by bots and paid trolls. Extreme bias in news.
America has become a country of absolutely insane extremists in a relatively short time.
There doesn’t seem to be anyone willing to try to get things back on track. As an outsider looking in it feels like everyone’s IQ has dropped below room temperature.
I suspect we'll see a lot more of these "no compromise" type movements/ideaolgies (from both sides of the US political spectrum) overrunning whatever figurehead that gave them oxygen to begin with.
Wait until people find out American democracy is smoke and mirrors, then you'll see people talking. They better this situation under control soon or that might just happen.
Hopefully everybody calms down soon.
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