Finally unearthed this thread today. I moved this nearly-forgotten post here from a vaccination thread a few weeks ago since I clearly went off topic and into the woods of general politics. I actually miss reading the thoughts that used to be posted here.
To be clear, J, I agree with the majority of your points here, but there are portions of your delivery that - regardless of how ignorant (willfully or otherwise), disingenuous, or destructive you may view the current landscape to be - I would caution. It's antithetical to productive discourse, which I understand has been increasingly harder to find, but bringing an additional match to what it many areas is already a dumpster fire isn't going to help forge a return to civility.
I recently took some time to caretake for family with health issues in the midwest. Perhaps as expected given the geography, many senior members in my family who grew up and still reside in the surrounding area hold largely Republican views. Considering myself independent-minded I don't have issue with this on its face - I'm less interested in labeled party affiliations than I am in understanding what people are aligning to, their beliefs and oppositions, and why.
Sadly, for all the vitriol and divisiveness I see when these topics are broached broadly today, I see little in way of informed understanding - in arguments for or against. What's present is hyper sensationalized emotion, spurred by a system of beliefs largely the product of misinformation, supposition, or just bald-faced lies that somebody decided to dress as fact. Of course, many come to believe this stuff not as truth-seekers led astray, but simply because they want to. Worse, the same xenophobic (and increasingly immature) reactions to different viewpoints and the open sharing of ideas seems to be en vogue with our elected officials. There is a disgusting lack of responsibility and accountability that's been formed with this culture.
My point is that I understand your frustration. As a person who never really watches mainstream media by my own volition, I can't fathom how anybody can watch the garbage that is, for example, Fox News - pretty much anytime, but especially once in the swing of evening commentary shows. Good Lord. (This isn't a knock on Republicans, per se, but the channel I've been exposed to; I've seen enough of the CNNs and MSNBCs of the world to know of their politically-charged behaviors as well. Also, when did lampooning Republican antics become a nightly thing for late-night network comedy shows? But, I digress.)
At any rate, political disagreements and a certain level of chicanery are always going to be part of a governmental system and society. Unfortunately, ours has swung heavily to one in which the polarized masses are primarily seeking reinforcement for their misinformed beliefs or political aspirations - and swift derision for any person, idea, or fact that does not. True knowledge-based dialogue and debate specific to challenges currently facing society and nation has increasingly been replaced by regurgitated lines of derogatory political rhetoric - in themselves pointless to dissect for the hollow center they contain. Meanwhile, there are FAR more issues deserving our time and attention that are relevant to our well-being that are largely being ignored while we engage in a volley of verbal one-upmanship.
These are not the most rational of times, but IMHO, the current furor serves as all the more reason to steer away from incendiary epithets.
Edited to airbrush grammatical rough spots