Sunday, February 19, 2017

American Political Dialogue Lacks All Sincerity, and Violence Is Already Filling the Void

American Political Dialogue Lacks All Sincerity, and Violence Is Already Filling the Void

It's the media's job to help keep our government accountable and transparent. But accusing Trump of treason isn't just insincere — it's also destroying our collective ability to engage in dialogue with each other
Sat, Feb 18, 2017 | 1,661 43
Attacking people for having beliefs you don't agree with isn't just wrong — it's also not effective.
Attacking people for having beliefs you don't agree with isn't just wrong — it's also not effective.
There are a number of advantages to being an American living in self-imposed exile.
One benefit is that you are spared the vitriolic, insincere political projectile-vomit spewing from every television set, satellite radio and insufferable work colleague every hour of every day.
Here in Russia, there doesn't seem to be much interest in the daily bloviations of Michael Moore or Rush Limbaugh. Yes, on the other side of that seemingly impenetrable wall of American political word salad is a beautiful new world waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.
Of course, the major disadvantage for most ex-pats is that they rely upon the internet to stay "informed" of what's happening back in the homeland. This is where things get a bit sticky. And depressing.
If we had to make an honest assessment about the current political landscape in the United States, based solely on our "Facebook feed" and self-righteous Guardian op-eds, we'd likely conclude that nationwide politically-motivated violence will become the norm in a matter of weeks.
But we are cautiously optimistic that our view from Moscow has been distorted by a kind of viral hysteria that has been spread by "the loud little handful", as our friend Mark Twain puts it.
Television pundits and corporate-owned newspapers have always been terrible. But the level of insincerity currently being pumped through the airwaves and WiFi hotspots boggles the mind. And we're already witnessing the results.
Take, just as an example, this op-ed by Jill Abramson, the former managing editor of the New York Times:

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