I liked the meme above when I first saw it on Facebook so I decided to share it on my own page, thinking finally, something we can all agree on!
And like clockwork a few moments later comes this comment:
“Hum. So if we look back in history to Germany and the rise of the the 3rd Reich are you suggesting that Germans should treat those supporting the extermination of Jews with kindness? Or we can come into this country and a time when people believed they should be able to own other people. So if someone voted to keep slavery the response you would respect is how nice, want some tea? I can understand compassion and respect for different opinions until those opinions include the oppression and inequitable access to rights liberty and the pursuit to happiness.”
I don’t shock easily, but the acidity of the comment and speed at which it came stunned me, really drove home how far gone some folks are. And from a middle aged, normally very sweet school teacher no less! Thankfully there were several responses to this nonsense pointing out how today’s political platforms don’t equate in any way shape or form to slavery or the 3rd Reich.
It got me thinking more about the demonization of politics virus that’s ripping through our culture. It’s been around for awhile, but social media and a frenzied, biased press have caused this tactic to explode, where tribes harden and those that think differently aren’t merely wrong, but immoral and evil.
I thought things were bad enough when I wrote about this a few years ago in a post called The Calcified Mind. Little did I know what 2020 had in store! At least then there was some natural order to things, a base of knowledge we could all agree on, like that our country’s founding principles are good things, that law and order is important to free societies and that making judgements about people based on skin color is bad.
Today that’s all flipped on its head as truth is now how a person feels about things and so debate is pointless; facts and stats have nothing on emotions. My former ways of pleading with people to assume others who think differently mean well, but disagree on how to improve things now hits a brick wall of refusal and is naive in hindsight.
The hate out there today is really palpable, fed by fake news stories with cartoon character type villains and encouraged by dim bulb politicians who campaign on fear and exploitation because that’s all they have. As I wrote in my post:
“Some have hearts so hardened that those others can’t merely be human beings who want what’s best for society but have other ideas on how to get there, they must be morally deficient, evil, stupid, etc….”
Once you start dehumanizing people this way boy does it open a door to ugliness that I’m not sure can be shut and we’ve come a long way with it.
Honesty it’s this type of thing that keeps me up at night.
Freedom Through Empowerment 
I wonder where this polarised black and white thinking comes from? Is it the schools teaching children there is only one right answer and that answer is what the teacher/authority says it is? That is, indoctrination rather than education? At school and at home I was taught not just that there are two sides to every question but many sides. Your job in respect of a problem was to look at as many angles as possible and try and find the best solution, which might change over time as the situation changes. I agree with you over political differences. Most people mean well. They just see things from a different angle which makes sense from their context. We need open minds to take in more information. Nobody has a monopoly on truth nor perfect information. Listening to people with a different viewpoint is important. They may be focussed on relevant information which you have overlooked or under-estimated. To arrogantly hold that you alone possess the entire truth, frankly is idiocy, or con artist behaviour.
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“To arrogantly hold that you alone possess the entire truth, frankly is idiocy, or con artist behaviour.” That is very well said con and unfortunately so many people fall victim to it. I think pride plays a big role in this viciousness as well as a crumbing narrative the left has held society in sway of for eons. Social media was good in that it allowed a lot of other viewpoints to be heard, remedying the biased msm irrelevant, but bad in how it spreads ignorance and cocoons like minded people together and now actively censures outside viewpoints.
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Ah, Tricia.. I see we aren’t quite there yet.. “there” being the point where we substitute personal bias with that empathy I mentioned above (below?). “Biased MSM’s”, people becoming ignorant, cocoons of like-minded people… seems like you’re still in judgement stage. I like your reflective post though.
All this is a “transitioning” we have to go through… phases of acceptance.
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Oh please don’t mistake me, I meant every word of it. If you don’ understand how social media puts like minded people together and prevents them from seeing outside views, you probably don’t spend much time on it as it’s very blatant and crosses the political spectrum. There was a 60 Minutes episode on this awhile back where one of FB’s head programmers outlined in great detail how this is done.
As for the media it’s mostly about eyeballs and clicks for advertising dollars. they really don’t care if stories are accurate. And yes the msm overwhelmingly holds a left wing bias, they don’t even pretend to hide it any more. Lol!
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Nor does the Right Wing media.. and now we are back to square one.
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Yes, the echo chamber. There might be a particular problem with politics in that for some people it appears to be their religion.
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Exactly! Once it turns in to that, people are capable of almost anything.
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In order to solve the problems of the present we have but to review the past to see what we missed. One major obstruction to resolving today’s differences is that neither side can agree on what IS the problem, or even if any problem exists at all.
All this.. is going to have to run it’s course, and that course is not set in stone. We can armchair speculate, prophesize scenarios, postulate outcomes… and while that sounds a lot like “that’s the way it is” and a surrendering to some unknown or unseen fate, I prefer to accept that sometimes all we can do is accept events we cannot control until such time as emotion is diminished and in its place is some level of compassion and empathy. This much I do know… the Constitution will stay alive. The problem is not with that document. The problem is with us… at this place and time in history.
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So true Doug, not being able to agree on the problem or whether if there is even a problem is a major obstacle. Applying empathy and compassion now would help too, at leas as we go about our regular lives outside the political sphere.
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Good post, Tricia! I’m sorry that happened to you. Pretty typical in this crazy, emotionally driven atmosphere.
Something I’m really noticing, people have this powerful protective urge and desire to save the little guy. I think that’s why victimology has been such effective brainwashing. So we’re all going to free the slaves, save people from the Nazis, and basically what we are doing is rescuing and taking hostage, these total strawmen. Our city council does the same thing with the word “homeless,” they go right into defend and protect mode, and than move to “dehumanize the alleged oppressors.” It is downright crazy, a total projection, a fantasy or a fabrication. As you already know from your comment above, we are not actually fighting the 3rd reich here. We are not making a decision to abolish slavery or uphold it. What’s a bit scary to me is that the truth doesn’t matter, reason doesn’t matter, when you’re trapped in that kind of hyperbole and rhetoric. Their brains and emotions don’t know the difference between reality and the fantasy that is just playing out in their heads. It’s like a game of pretend that has gone all awry.
It keeps me up at night, too. I’m praying for an election day mandate, a powerful wave all across this country that leaves no doubt that the grown ups are now going to be in charge and that hatred is not how we’re going to handle our feelings anymore.
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Rhetoric is no substitute for argument.
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Yet, as we have seen/heard/read, rhetoric is accepted as argument.
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It’s scary to me too IB that truth doesn’t matter at all, it’s all about the narrative and whatever agenda gets pushed forward. I don’t think a lot of people who are sympathetic to specific causes and who genuinely want to help people are aware of this and how badly they are being used.
The homeless debate infuriates m,e as these idiot city council people (we have our share here too) inevitably make things miserable both for the people who live in their districts (the so called oppressors) and the homeless they say they trying to protect. For some honestly it’s just about finding purpose through a cause but it makes trying to reason with them pointless since it becomes their religion.
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There are fellow citizens living among us who literally believe that Trump is literally Hitler. Literally2. That is what 4 straight years of daily brainwashing by the dominant leftist media does to collective-thinking folks whose brains are willing to let others tell them what to think.
– Jeff
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It is a brainwashing Jeff. You know after I posted that on FB a good friend of mine sent me a private message really concerned that I was voting for the “orange man” and went on to list a long string of media packaged talking points that have long since been shown to be untrue. She’s a smart woman too but when it comes to Trump many have just traded rational thinking for emotional hysteria.
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Curiously the best book I have read on how MSM did a job on Trump was a book on the BBC, BBC: Brainwashing Britain? by David Sedgewick. Admittedly Trump is not likeable. So what? He’s a politician, so it says mountains that he was chosen as better than the alternative. How the alternative have acted since – they don’t care how many lives they destroy providing they get their way, only proves Trump-supporters case.
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Amen Sister. It’s gotten really ugly out there. If Trump loses it will be because too many peoplecarecdrunknon hate, whilecsimultaneously convinced they8the better people.
I tried to persuade some FB friends that the sky is blue over the weekend and they responded with the fact that Trump is deranged, narcissistic, and evil. Oh and I’m a fear monger. They refuse to do the most simple of reasoning. It’s scary.
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*too many people are drunk on hate
*while simultaneously convinced they’re
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Oh I hear ya madblog on trying to convince people the sky is blue, just not gonna happen! Drunk on the is an apt phrase unfortunately to describe what’s going on.
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Ladies, alas, I am convinced. It took me a while but, I went through the painful process of thinking; “what the heck is going on? why is there a book called white fragility?” Just to spell it out, but the last time I checked – no one has been walking on eggshells like they have been the last decade. I went through the reasoning and I realised, I have been a lousy critic.
Please, feel free to share my reflection as a foreigner whom wants to make sense of the 4 yrs and peoples behaviour.
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Thanks for sharing your link waw , it’s an interesting read.
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Its the irony really Tricia!!!!—
I read that meme of yours and thought immediately of God as Father as that might be a fatherly extolling— ‘quit this vicious tit for tat He says— forget the mountain you’ve created from your human political molehill and think for once of your fellow man’
Nowhere in any of that did I think of Hitler, the Third Reich, the death camps let alone all the way back to slavery—
However, your commenter must remember that God did actually say the same then as well— “think of your fellow man… save them!”
But again man was worshiping at the altar of politics —
And that is the issue— the choice of ones altar— and the chosen altars come with a hardened heart and vicious mindset— that is not God’s altar of redemption nor salvation—
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Yes Julie, you nailed it! People worshipping the little gods of politicians and ideology along tend to get smug about things and think they fall on the moral side of the equation. Smugness turns in to intolerance which easily skips right on to hate which of course is the irony of ironies as you say!
Sigh, onward we go.
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Amen!
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Interesting dialogue. I’d have a tendency to agree with Doug, the problem is with the people. Jesus said to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Politics and the Church are not one and the same. Politics is a worldly process. I’m not saying politics isn’t important, it’s where you put it’s level of importance in perspective to other things that God deems important that can and is problematic. And considering that there is much division within the Church, it should not come as a surprise that there is division within politics. We acknowledge that it is wrong to demonize and then point to the “left” as being less than acceptable. Is the “right” all right? Is the left all wrong? Or do we all suffer from deficiencies? And even if we perceive the “left” as the enemy, how did Jesus tell us to treat our enemies? In our quest to promote our chosen political perspective, have we forgotten the Great Commission that Jesus gave us and put our priorities above God’s? The problem with all people, including ourselves, is our hearts. God thoughts versus our thoughts, God’s ways versus God’s ways. Until people’s hearts are changed, which we know is a progressive process, to align with God’s, nothing really changes in spite of what label in politics that we give ourselves. What are the 7 things that God hates? Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness that utters lies and one who spreads strife among brothers. Before we judge others we are to look at ourselves and we are to forgive others because we have been forgiven. Have we missed the mark? Pretty much without exception, regardless of as to whether we are of the “right” persuasion or the “left” persuasion. How did we get this far off course? We made our priorities God’s priorities and that’s just for starters. Jesus said He was the truth, He was the way and He was the life and that without Him we could do nothing. Strange how in this whole dialogue (post and comments) there is not one word about Jesus. The Pharisees were admonished by Jesus because they compared their standing with God with their adherence to the Letter of the Law, to a fault and neglected the end of the Law, which is to love God, love justice and mercy for all, in truth, and to love our neighbours like ourselves. A long way off course, I’m thinking far more than we imagine. We are where we are because we have sinned, all of us and though we can see, we have become blind. But hey, I’m just one of the sheep, away in a corner of a very large flock, saying what I see. Blessings.
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Make that God’s thoughts versus our thoughts and God’s ways versus our ways. My mistake.
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Hey Bruce thanks for coming by. Of course the problem is with people, that’s where all problems start, fester and grow in to much bigger and hurtful things. And yes of course Jesus is the only way to set oneself completely straight but I would argue non believers have plenty capacity to act human towards one another, in fact in some cases more so than many Christians I know. Hate blinds the truth of loving you’re fellow man as yourself. Or at the very least giving him the benefit of the doubt.
You’ll note I left out any reference to political parties in the post as the concept of treating others with respect and dignity should apply to all. There is only one side side in today’s moment though equating the other side to Hitler, the KKK, xenophobia, etc….
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Well said, Tricia. You are describing what happens when people feed on the hype and hysteria from the media. Trump has been called a “racist” since he decided to run for office, even though he was venerated in some Black hip-hop songs before. And it’s making accusations with absolutely NO evidence of racism, actually quite the contrary from His actions! Calling someone a “Nazi,” like calling someone “racist,” has absolutely no meaning anymore. The extremists have totally destroyed the meaning of the words.
There is something much deeper going on in our society that was previously confined to ou universities, but now seems to have metastasized in our culture in general. It has to do with Critical Race Theory (CRT), identity politics, and cancel culture. There are two fascinating books out about this phenomenon by two professors (you can also hear their lectures on YouTube).
The first book is by Gad Saad, “The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense.” He talks about how decades of academic indoctrination of Critical race theory, social justice, identity politics, etc., have affected the minds of people like an infectious disease. Now, they’re minds are totally given over to this idea of victimhood and oppressors, etc.
The second book is by Jonathan Haidt, “The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure.” In this book, Haidt talks about how we’ve removed all the barriers that help our children mature in relationships, so now they don’t know how to deal with people who disagree with them. Hence, cancel culture!
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Oh very good stuff here Mel, thank you! I’d been wanting to read Haidt’s book for some time but now I will have to pick up Saad’s as well, they both sound excellent.
I agree with you on the cancerous nature of identity politics and critical race theory and how their seepage from the higher education bubble in to the mainstream is creating all sorts of chaos today. Especially since now just about any racial topic is taboo to bring up if you are not on the “correct” side of things.
And yup, words don’t have much meaning anymore. What’s stunning and a little frightening is how quickly long established dictionary companies have caved to the woke crowd by changing the meaning of words overnight, adding new ones and canceling others.
We are in very strange times!
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I funnily enough wrote about this in my reflection piece about Trump. I am not American but we have seen things change and not for the better. If you think about it per radius of people there are more in proximity.
This pandemic made me realise we have become lousy critics, especially to have a book on white fragility being #1 bestseller. We have gone the wrong way some where.
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Yes, we have indeed become lousy critics when you have ivory tower liberal academics getting rich on writing about their white guilt! This is yet another example of Critical Race theory and other Marxist offshoots poisoning our culture. As an antidote to this vacuous stupidity, one should read, “Black Rednecks and White Liberals” by Thomas Sowell.
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Thomas Sowell, yes!!! He went up against Biden about the segregation laws and criminal laws. Which I felt like seriously, the new posters they have about trusting science is a new step to not accepting the truth that no one in this environment should be protesting because it increased the virus. But, no they all got the prisoners involved in crimes against humanity with this one.
It is toxicity because no other country could survive with that amount of dishonesty going on within its communities.
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Exactly. Biden has always been on the wrong side of history, for the last 47 years! We could learn a lot about economics from Sowell.
Anyone with any discernment can see that how these leaders are treating the Pandemic is not according to science, but more like a religious cult, using their political power to control and manipulate us. All we have to do is look at the states that are the most locked down; they’ve had greater acceleration in Covid cases recently. This pattern of lockdown vs. cases can be seen worldwide, actually. But all you have to do is compare California to Florida. That would actually be following the science. California is a preview of coming attractions in dystopian totalitarianism. So, yes, there’s blatant dishonesty going on that’s much bigger than the virus.
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I live in Norway and it is like looking at the UK. They went through several national lockdowns, but this only increased the spread of the virus.
Closing hotels and restaurants. Whereas we still have the Hotels open for quarantining. Because people need to be able to isolate themselves. This means, the hotels remain open and we were able to quarantine some people. But not all.
It is better to close the borders and just keep everything going in the country; to help the economy and to make sure people can pay for things like masks and maintain that they are fed.
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You’re right. And we’re seeing similar results as what you’re saying about UK and other countries like Sweden, but on a smaller scale with our various states. The ones locked down the most have practically broken their economies beyond repair, people are moving out, while the spread only increased after their draconian shutdowns. States like CA and NY currently represent over half of all unemployment in the US. Other states that are more open (and using common sense) are doing well economically, low unemployment, and the virus is no worse for them. In some cases, they actually have lower numbers.
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It is all for the Great reset by Klaus Schwab. The leader of the monetary economic forum.
https://www.weforum.org/great-reset/
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Based on all the comments, it seems like you’ve struck a cord with this one.
In scripture we learn that “the fruit of the Spirit is… kindness, … against such things there is no law.”
The quality of compassion and generosity, characteristic of God’s dealings towards the weak and poor, and demanded of believers. The kindness is also shown in the words and deeds of Jesus the Messiah.
I desperately need more kindness and compassion in my life. I need to judge less and love more. That is the way of Jesus. That is what Jesus calls me to do. I know I want others to be kind to me. I need to be kind and compassionate no matter what.
Thanks for the great reminder.
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I love to dwell on the fruit of the spirit Michael, thanks for bringing that up. We could definitely all use more compassion and kindness in our lives.
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Sorry I am late responding, Tricia.This is one of your best.
The comment regarding your FB post is a prime example of the result of the left’s constant indoctrination and propagandizing. Their acolytes have been inundated with guilt that we are all somehow responsible for any and all past wrong-doings committed. People that have fallen for this mantra that we are and always were an evil country have no alternative for assuaging this guilt except by virtue signaling.
This is evidenced in someone taking a statement that no one could sensibly disagree with and twisting it to the point that you are pro-Nazi and pro-slavery. Translated: “I am pure and you are not.”
I firmly believe that until common sense and reasoning are accepted as part of schools’ curriculum, we will see more and more of this thoughtless, unfeeling pap. Like insanitybytes22 above, I am hoping for a sweeping endorsement for less hatred and more respect for opinion in this looming election.
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Hi Al. Really nice to hear from you. I couldn’t agree more with your comment about indoctrination. There really is a giant national brain wash going on and it’s to the point where you literally cannot talk politics with those that are so los if you want to maintain relationships. I thought it was bad enough a few years back but boy have things gotten worse.
Agree too on school curriculums. Maybe one positive of this Covid mess is that it causes a giant restructuring of schools for the better.
Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. 🙂
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Great post. For the last four years I’ve experience people commenting very rude things on my facebook posts about political corruption or about President Trump (yes I am a supporter). Keep in mind I NEVER search out anyone else’s posts to comment on theirs. I let them have their opinion, thats fine with me. I’ve had people unfriend and cuss at me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not upset about it, I don’t really care lol Yes, I had back and forth with these people and sometimes it got a little heated but in the end, I asked myself whats the point? Nobody’s views are going to change, and thats okay! they’re still the same people you knew and loved throughout your life (friends parents, old friend from sports/school, etc.). Anyways, like I said, great post! Just thought I’d share my own experiences!
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Thanks Peter, I appreciate your words. It always amazes me how many people on social media actively search out opinions they disagree with to endgame in argument. Strange times!
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Absolutely agree with everything you said! I think it’s really ironic how people have called others Nazis or Fascist, for saying we should treat people differently because of their skin colour. Like the only way to not be racist is to be racist. The only way to encourage equality is to shut down speech. It frightens me a lot that this is where we are headed. Blogs like your are great refreshers!
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“Like the only way to not be racist is to be racist. The only way to encourage equality is to shut down speech.“ Ha, now isn’t that the truth Marbella! It’s scary to me too where we are headed, hopefully we are both wrong about that.
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I appreciate your thoughts. You know when things like the inequality and injustice of the world bother me and keep me awake, I turn to Gods word. One of my favorite scriptures to turn to is Psalms 37:10,11. It brings out that there will be a time on earth full of the righteous and the wicked will no longer inhabit it. A time I long for. I appreciate your thoughts
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Well that’s a great verse to refer to, thank you! I appreciate you coming by too.
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