Political Polarization

Given the state of polarization coloring our political landscape, I have not been sharing my political views of current events. I am moved at this moment to focus on the polarization of views that has become a lively topic for many commentators. Until I can come up with a perspective that will help bridge the division, I will limit my comments.

It is generally accepted that our electorate’s polarization resulted in the outcome of our recent national election. Brexit, France’s pending election, and the Eurozone, in general, are impacted by polarization. Fake News appears to be a product of polarization. Creating news that fits the perspective of a segment of the population does seem to strengthen the cohort that identifies with the selective perspective of reality.

Societies historically adhere to beliefs and convictions that are shared by moderates. Extreme liberals or conservatives are

generally not represented in political majorities. When the moderates are essentially discarded, leaving only two rather distinctive and opposing perspectives of the political world, there is reason to be concerned.

Just as my general views are shared by liberals and discarded by conservatives, so do I generally disregard what are generally labeled as conservative viewpoints. This is a problem and a reason for not commenting about specific political decisions. Society needs a strong middle ground that can support differences for the sake of the whole.

Since I am considered old, I recognize that the outcome of this stand-off may not appear in my life time. But, I am very concerned for future generations.

The stimulus for this blog is the last segment of “Homeland” which I watched last night.  The world of fiction seemed to strike close to reality in the vicious standoff between the world of government and a set of laws/beliefs that are supported by the majority and government operatives that often have more control of events than generally known.

When our leaders give more credence to outlets designed to reach and fortify a segment of the population rather than our traditional sources of information, e.g., NY Times, Washington Post, we are witnessing the polarization depicted in “Homeland”.

In “Homeland”, the story does not end well. At the moment, I hope that there will be a  movement towards the middle, but I fear that we have not found a pathway to bridge the extremes.