• macarthur_park@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        It sure would be easier to counter that idea if the republicans’ leading contender for speaker of the house wasn’t someone who described himself as “David Duke without the baggage”. I guess technically the former grand wizard of the KKK wasn’t a literal nazi, but that doesn’t seem like a hair worth splitting.

        • Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org
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          1 year ago

          The longest serving Senator in history (and the man in second place for longest total time serving in Congress between both houses) was a Democrat but merely an exalted cyclops in the KKK (if I understand the organizational structure right, grand wizard is like a national president while exalted cyclops is more like a chapter president?). He also filibustered the Civil Rights Act. Again, Democrat - spent much of the late 70s to late 80s as either Majority Leader or Minority Leader as appropriate. Biden gave him a eulogy.

          So is the lesson here that Republicans pick higher ranking KKK members for leadership positions than Democrats will?

          • macarthur_park@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            much of the late 70s to late 80s

            Man, you’re reaching back 40 to 50 years to find an equivalence in the Democratic Party. A lot can change in half a century. It’s also worth noting that Byrd renounced his KKK membership later in life.

            I’m pointing out that just 2 days ago, a majority of the republicans in the house voted in favor of a speaker who compares himself favorably to a former KKK leader.

        • atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          Well, those “literal nazis” are part of your government and have a vote just like anyone else. You can wish them away, whine and bitch about them, or work with them where there is common ground.

          In the case of both sides (yes I said it - deal) the partisans have chosen option’s A and B. Just bitch and whine and refuse to work together. It’s cathartic for partisans - but not great for those of us who want a functioning government.

          This is where you complain about how “Republicans did it first do you really think they will work with us they all lie and always go back on their word and they want a fascist state so working with fascists means you’re a fascist something something fascist bar something something paradox of intolerance”.

    • oxjox@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Oooh, can I play?

      Tribalism is the real problem and the echo chambers are where it’s fostered. The inability to see a fact, event, or report clearly without blue-tinted glasses can stand in the way of progress.

      Of course a segment of the right has some weird issues with accepting science as fact – or facts as facts. It wasn’t long ago this fringe population was ignored and isolated while mainstream middle America politics existed (relatively) out in the open. The echo chamber everyone is living in right now is this - social media. This is not reality. This is not you and I sitting down and having a face-to-face chat about our lives and experiences and how we can agree and disagree on things regardless of who we’ve voted for.

      Our extreme political polarization exists because of the internet. The internet is not where we’re going to solve this problem. Just because we generally all agree that “the left” is right correct, arguing over facts and truths with people who’s primary objective is to reject them is not going to foster progress. Arguing over what laws should exist in one state and not another and if the Constitution even allows for such laws is not going to be resolved in a Xweet. You may win the battle but the war will certainly carry on without you.

      The “dem echo chamber” is made up of virtue signaling propaganda (as is MAGA). It’s selling rally towels outside a football game and people are just there to have a good time cheering along for their team. The teams are dressed in red and blue but the QB is still rich and the D-Line is still poor.

      I also feel like the left’s use of social media to call out the stupidity and malice and atrocities of the right strengthens the right’s defenses and their numbers. What in the past may have been a small story in a local paper now can become an international headline within minutes. I generally think this is a good thing but there’s a lot of overly sensitive people who feel like the internet is reality and they can be susceptible to intimidation and bullying. As the echo bounces around the left’s chamber, the right aren’t getting weaker, they’re getting stronger.

      “Facts” aside, I see very little difference in the echo chambers and tribalism.

      Which brings us to the right’s issue with facts. To be brief, there was a study that showed brains of conservatives are actually a little different than those of liberals. Conservatives are more protective. They’re afraid of change and threats to their families and communities. They have real not-invalid concerns. So, when presented with actual facts and science that attack their stance and weaken their protections, they’re going to fight harder, even is that means using “fantasy” as their reality to “prove” you wrong.

      The problem with these echo chambers and tribalism is that people are locking themselves in and forgoing real world conversations that involve vulnerability, humility, and negotiations. No one is interested in taking the time to give the other person a chance to step outside their echo chamber. All they want is to be right and to convince the other they’re wrong.

      Now, to be fair, I do not have an answer as to what to do about literal textbook definition fascists trying to take control of our government. If I were a more well educated about WWII, I might have an idea about what not to do.

      People have called me out in the past for being an idealist and that I’m not considering the reality of the situation. I feel pretty strongly that the issue is people not stepping outside their echo chambers to take a look at the reality they actually have control over. I also feel very strongly that Ranked Choice Voting would quell the vast majority of the polarization found in politics and social issues.

    • AllBlue22@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      It’s not about “dem echo chambers” to me it’s about echo chambers in general. The problems I think they cause are more devision, less ability to reflect on held beliefs, and make it difficult to have conversations or debates with those who old different beliefs. Again this is specific to echo chambers in general.

      • tekktrix@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        My brain has stopped functioning since this AM 🤣 but that’s fair re: “echo chambers in general” - just the “both sides” rhetoric and the specific questions about “dem echo chambers” had me wondering what specific problematic issues were stemming from that. I was gonna be specific but I can no longer find/follow the convo - Oy old age ig - thank for taking the time to answer.