2020 Election

[CJD]

(11-05-2020, 12:05 PM)Au165 Wrote: I don't remember them ever believing before that "Democrats are socialists who we need to take up arms against to protect our way of life". They disagreed with their views but the mobilization to violence and vitriol is a new phenomenon, but I am not sure it is relegated simply to Republicans, it is just more noticeable in the current situation.

The violence, while not really new (as right wing violence has been present in recent decades and especially in the last few years), has definitely ramped up to some pretty insane levels. But they've been calling Democrats socialists for ages. 

I think social media has been a major cause of these things. Sure, Reagan could call Democrats socialists or decry welfare as anti-American or whatever, but there wasn't really any way for his people to discuss and scare and amp each other up the way they do now on the internet.

Facebook is well known for creating bubbles. So if you are a right winger and all you hear is how Democrats are socialists and are trying to destroy America, you are more likely to become violent and dangerous. There is the commonly referred to "Alt-Right Pipeline" (also called the Pewdiepie Pipeline) that uses edgy or dark humor to, via suggested video algorithms, lead young youtube viewers towards radical right wingers that only further this alarm.

Of course, I may be wrong. Maybe this is unique to Trump and it's a new thing and once he leaves, we'll all be happy again.

But I'm struggling to see that happening, even if approached optimistically.