11-05-2020, 12:32 PM
(11-05-2020, 12:18 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: 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.
Using "Right-wing violence" as some sort of indicator for a party of over 50 Million (when there are less than 20 incidents in any year of right-wing violence) is disingenuous. Again, calling them socialists AND asking them to take arms against them is a new and scary phenomenon. It is like Democrats calling them racists AND saying you should use violence to remove them.
Social media has definitely shaped the current political climate and for the worse at that. If you have ever been with a group of friends out, you will know that when a bunch of people egg you on you will do stupid crap. Now with social media, you can essentially get egged on 24/7 depending on the way you have curated your experience. That said, that doesn't mean only Republicans fall into these echo chambers or their dangers, and that is where it gets dangerous to use sweeping generalizations. For instance, there are plenty of accounts of democrats attacking Trump supporters because they are also convinced that to support him is to "Hate America".
I am not one who supports the "both sides do it thing", in fact, I do believe the Republicans currently are at a more ratcheted up level with rhetoric and violence, and it is a direct result of selling their soul to Trump. I do however understand how easily in this climate it is for things to shift quickly and see more "Left Wing" violence, especially if for instance the Election swung back to Trump. We need to get control of people, which is a hard thing to do. We need to re-ground them in reality, but I think it's pretty obvious now that for many reality is whatever they have shaped it to be in their online day to day life.
I'd just point out, I don't really classify myself in any party. When I first started voting I was probably a Republican because that's what my whole family was and as I have gotten more affluent I have begun voting more liberal. I have voted for Republican and Democratic presidents, this year I voted for Biden but that doesn't mean he was a great choice either. I think the idea of "party" is tribal and is in the end the thing that has really gotten us to this point, social media helps but tribalism is fanatical and dangerous.
