(02-24-2021 12:26 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  

(02-23-2021 02:56 PM)tigergreen Wrote:  

(02-23-2021 02:49 PM)VA49er Wrote:  

(02-23-2021 11:35 AM)No2rdame Wrote:  

(02-23-2021 11:26 AM)tigergreen Wrote:  Of course it wouldn't. There would be a small percentage of the people on here who would name call & shout at the rain as they do on here, but that's because they're so far down the rabbit hole they're incapable of seeing past their own immediate world. For the most part people would discuss and likely find some common ground.

Social media outlets like this, while entertaining for discussion sometimes, have really made the polarization worse.

Social media really has polarized society and exacerbated issues. It's also opened and entirely new avenue for bullying, especially Fakebook.

I agree, but would add the 24 hr news media as well. Those two together, IMO, is what has divided so many people. 24hr news networks have to fill time, and drive viewers (for $$) by filling the majority of that time with controversial topics. Been going on since 9/11. Social media allows people to create ideological silos that they never leave.

I'd argue that it started wayyyy before 9/11.

Once the Fairness Doctrine was done away with in 1987, you started getting Rush Limbaugh-types on the radio spouting their drivel, and 24 hour news stations started coming around at the same time (they wouldn't have been held to the FD anyway, but FCC had control of radio & broadcast TV).

Too bad we can't reinstate a 'fairness doctrine' on cable/satellite.

Okay, so you mention Rush but failed to mentioned the dozens on your side. Even in sports (espn) you have them spewing conservative and Trump hatred. In the View, Jake, Humpty Dumpty, the husband and wife team, etc. etc. Yet, you only remembered Rush and talk about fairness. You're a joke and yes if I was in a bar with you I'd tell it to your face.

We were discussing when the "beginning" of it was, not the situation now, which obviously is a **** show, hence my statement "too bad we can't reinstate a fairness doctrine on cable/satellite." Rush was the first really polarizing political "talking head" character post-fairness doctrine. Repubs on this board gave him credit for as much in the thread about his death.

Before you start calling people a joke, how about you read the previous quoted posts as well so you can have a basic understanding of the conversation going on first.