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How Did It Come to This? Pt 2: How Media Got Us Here
The American political bubbles are now made of steel; we share fake news that reinforces our beliefs, and reject realities
Bias and Tribalism with Chris Martin of Heterodox Academy
Today we link up with the venerable Chris Martin of Heterodox Academy, and host of Half Hour of Heterodoxy. We spend 45 minutes discussing heterodoxy, because we are long-winded.
We ask tough questions such as:
-Is it even possible to not do the thinking for you?
-How do we discuss tribalism without evoking false equivalence?
-What does heterodoxy even mean in a bi-polar political society?
Tribal Flippage on Trade and Immigration
You might feel pretty strongly about trade and immigration policy–either very happy or very cranky with the way things are currently being done. But you might be surprised to learn that your tribe might have felt very differently about it just a few years ago.
The Hidden Agreement Within America’s Political Chasm
Here at ReConsider we like to harp on the idea that behind the mass of negativity and hyperpartisanship that dominates American politics, there are mostly shared values.
In Wedged we demonstrated this agreement in case studies. We showed that on even divisive issues such as guns, abortion, and taxes, most people will agree on core values most of the time. We posited that this agreement on values probably extended to other issues.
We eagerly awaited a broader study.
And then we got one!
Talking Politics in The Wilderness
would. Her very personal, anecdotal, no-BS approach to human connection vs. tribalism is a great compliment to our own work and probably a good way to reach people who aren’t as responsive to ReConsider’s brass-tacks take.
I wanted to pass along a bit of what I’d taken away from it. I believe I’ve become a more compassionate and (thereby) more effective discusser of politics for having read her work.
Trump’s Scandals are a Showcase of Politics-as-Sports
It’s not an easy thing to defend Trump’s character. Regardless of your feelings or your belief about the validity of the scandals themselves, Trump’s full year of presidency has been far more scandal-laden than any term. The fact that his base isn’t eroding tells us a lot about the state of politics today.
Did Your Angry Tirade Work?
Anger in politics is common. What is strange is that people defend getting angry as if it is a strategy, rather than an unfortunate product of our emotions getting involved.
WaPo’s Attempt to Help Liberals Argue With Conservatives Mistakenly Reveals Why We Struggle to Get Agreement
On August 10th, Harvard Professor Max Kasy (economics) wrote a piece for the Washington Post, titled: “Liberals are terrible at arguing with conservatives. Here’s how they can get better.”
This is a noble effort and you should read it.
However, there are a few key issues that Kasy gets wrong. Kasy outlines that liberal facts don’t work on conservatives because conservatives care about process and liberals care about outcomes. The two big things that Kasy gets wrong reveal a deeper issue in his mind (and maybe those of people across the political spectrum) that will actually continue to prevent someone like Kasy from breaking through to conservatives. That said, this thinking can apply to both sides of the spectrum.
How to Combat the “Fake News” War
rump is a big fan of calling various news networks “fake news,” especially when they report something about him he doesn’t like, such as poll numbers. Having a president so antagonistic against the media is certainly new in American politics, even though yellow journalism has been a thing for years, and Republicans coined the term “liberal media” years ago.
What can be done about it?
What Policy We Want Changes by Which Tribe Supports It
A lot of people feel pretty strongly about their political opinions. Often we feel like they are quite set in stone; based on some very deep values that won’t change much.
A lot of people also feel like their opinions are based on well-thought-out logic and reasoning, from gathering evidence.
However, there’s substantial evidence to suggest that when another tribe’s opinions solidify on an issue, our tribe runs away–and we join them. Our opinions on important issues are often fluid and fickle, changing with political wind more than sound thinking.