Left and Right
It’s sad to me that this presidential election has, at least in the blogosphere, devolved into the left calling the right fascists and the right calling the left socialists. I mean is this really what these two parties think of each other? Both sides sound a little paranoid and xenophobic. We are on the verge of creating some social divisions that could cause real damage to this country.
It’s not like it’s never happened before. It hasn’t even been that long. During the 1850’s in this country the sectional differences became so heated that we almost became two different nations. Read up on the politics of the 1850’s. You might be shocked at some of the common attitudes of Southerns and Northerners of the day. But, if you go back and read the language and tenor of the sectionalists of that day in their political arguments, in the fear-mongering, ubiquitous racism and plain old hatefulness, it’s not all that different from what the most partisan amongst us are saying these days. Look where that got us… one of the bloodiest, most intense conflicts in history.
We’ve drawn different lines this time. Back then it was largely a question of slavery. These days it seems to have become the “urban and coastal educated elite” vs. “real Americans” or something to that effect. Sad and pathetic, but large numbers of people seem to have bought into this nonsense. Those lines are hardening right now during this election and I think these campaigns have both contributed to that. The rhetoric is getting a bit scary so close to the election and with so much on the line.
Tone it down, people. We aren’t supposed to hate each other irreconcilably. We’re headed down the wrong path with this stuff.