In American politics, perhaps the only thing that people can agree on is that political dialogue has become increasingly extreme and polarized. As a young, strongly-left-leaning person, I noticed that during the George W. Bush presidency, it became commonplace for people on the left to not just disagree with but openly mock conservative viewpoints. In most cases this seemed both funny and justified because the joke was on the extreme conservatives like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh who trumpet their views loudly.
Today's longread, though, calls this approach into question and argues that it is ultimately counterproductive toward actually changing society for the better. While I love the Daily Show and appreciate the wit of many liberal commentators, I tend to agree with the author. Jokes and derisive mocking certainly aren't improving political discourse, and they also don't seem to be doing anything to win over the hearts and minds of anyone not already aligned with the left. Let's stop giving the most radical conservatives the time of day and instead channel our creativity into more effective pursuits.
"Liberals Are Ruining America. I Know Because I Am One." by Steve Almond
Published in the New York Times, June 8, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/10/magazine/liberals-are-ruining-america-i-know-because-i-am-one.html?_r=2
Eric
No comments:
Post a Comment