Speaking on CNN Sunday morning, Democratic donor Tom Steyer blamed recent political violence, included attempted pipe bombings and the murderous attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue, on the nasty rhetoric of Republican President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.
As leaders of both major American political tribes portray their enemies as not just wrong on policy but dangerous and depraved, they both bear responsibility for making government so frighteningly powerful that Americans increasingly feel that they can't afford to lose control of governing institutions.
In the current environment, even when Americans don't love their political allies, they hate their opponents-and have reason to fear their turn in power.
"Negative views of the opposing party are a major factor" in why people belong to political parties, Pew Research agreed this spring.
Even those Americans who aren't especially concerned with politics can find themselves on the receiving end of laws weaponized for use against businesses and pastimes that those currently in power associate with their political enemies.
If you want violent political battles for control of government to end, make politics matter much, much less.
When Americans have less to fear no matter who wins political office, they'll be less prone to viciously fight each other for control of government.
http://reason.com/archives/2018/10/30/make-politics-less-important
As leaders of both major American political tribes portray their enemies as not just wrong on policy but dangerous and depraved, they both bear responsibility for making government so frighteningly powerful that Americans increasingly feel that they can't afford to lose control of governing institutions.
In the current environment, even when Americans don't love their political allies, they hate their opponents-and have reason to fear their turn in power.
"Negative views of the opposing party are a major factor" in why people belong to political parties, Pew Research agreed this spring.
Even those Americans who aren't especially concerned with politics can find themselves on the receiving end of laws weaponized for use against businesses and pastimes that those currently in power associate with their political enemies.
If you want violent political battles for control of government to end, make politics matter much, much less.
When Americans have less to fear no matter who wins political office, they'll be less prone to viciously fight each other for control of government.
http://reason.com/archives/2018/10/30/make-politics-less-important
No comments:
Post a Comment