[Wrecked944]

I'll add that the bickering of the past year on this BBS and in America in general has left me saddened. I'm sad because I believe the animosity is fundementally baseless and is being generated and manipulated by cynical political and commercial groups solely to advance their own petty agendas. I've read many polls that suggest the vast majority of Americans generally agree on most issues - we typically have the same visions, same goals, same values - indeed, the general level of consensus has proved to be a problem for politicians whose political careers depend on distinguishing themselves from the opposing party. And so they spend enormous amounts of time and energy identifying "wedge issues" with which they can divide an otherwise unified electorate. And then they spend obscene amounts of money and air time trying to get voters emotionally invested in one side or the other and to ignore the underlying similarity between the two "sides". Both left and right play to our emotions and prefer we not use our intellect lest we see that both emperors have no clothing - or rather that they are wearing the same outfits. They try to demonize the other side and portray them as somehow "different" or evil or ignorant. Both sides seek to generate ego identification with each so-called ideology - so voters identify themselves by their party affiliation rather than their nationality.

For instance, in a national poll, ask Americans if they want more or less education and what will they say? Ask them if they want a cleaner or dirtier environment and what will they say? Ask if they want more or less crime? Ask if they want more or less safety? More or fewer jobs? More or less racism? etc etc...

The emotional manipulation of America is seen nowhere more clearly than on cable TV. So-called "news analysis" shows are designed from the ground up to stifle critical thinking and create outrage (because outrage increases ratings and therefore revenues). For starters, notice how they typically have two hosts - one on the left and one on the right (and/or perhaps a few guests divided left and right). Instantly, the very structure of the program suggests that there are only TWO sides and directs the viewer to think of the issue in black and white terms. And the selection of guests is invariably designed to include only members of opposing political camps who do nothing more than shout pre-determined talking points at one another (perhaps we should call them "shouting points"). Precious little pertinent information is ever given and the outcome is generally just a continuation (and perhaps escalation) of the conflict. I was very glad to see the brief outpouring of honesty surrounding the cancellation of "Crossfire"- one of the worst offenders. For a few days, the talking heads actually admitted it was all a sham and explained how the system works (for example, Michael Kinsley said he was told by a "Crossfire" producer to "get mad" on air during an unacceptably non-partisan episode). Then the story fell of the media radar and everybody went back to what they were doing before.

Anyway, I'm not exactly sitting here singing Kumbaya. I actually got so upset by the manipulation and the effect it was having on my emotional life that I finally got fed up and turned the freaking TV off last Fall. Or, at least, I stopped watching cable "news" programming. Now I stick to the History Channel, SpeedTV, and Discovery.

Anyway, I think this is all relevant to what Westy said but I'm not sure. I guess I see this manufactured incivility spilling out onto the pages of this BBS and in life in general and it makes me sad.