We are more divided now than ever

At the beginning of this election cycle I had high hopes. Bernie Sanders was gaining in popularity, Clinton was fading and Trump was saying smart things minus his idiot rhetoric towards Muslims and Mexicans. It seemed as if Americans had finally woke up and decided enough was enough.

Well, I'm not so sure now.

With all the issues popping up in the past weeks it seems as if things are actually going the opposite direction and people are mad. The problem is that I don't think we're really mad at each other like the media would portray I just don't think the majority of Americans are as informed as we are so the answers aren't as obvious.

Pew study finds more polarized Americans increasingly resistant to political compromise

GWEN IFILL: A huge new Pew Research Center study of 10,000 American adults finds us more divided than ever, with personal and political polarization at a 20-year high.

I agree, we are more divided than ever but not because of the reasons you may think.

Cracks in America's economy are growing

Some recent economic data even raises fears that we might be heading towards a possible U.S. recession in 2016. Big banks like Morgan Stanley (MS) estimate there's a 20% chance of recession this year.
On Friday, the government will release data that show how the U.S. economy fared in the last three months of the year. Many experts forecast that the U.S. economy barely grew -- about 1% or less -- between October and December of 2015 compared to a year ago.

With gold on the rise, uncertainty with Brexit and the chaos around this election it's no long shot to guess that investors are waiting out the turmoil to see what happens next.

This is where most of the angst comes from in my opinion.

Minority communities such as black youth have nearly 50% unemployment, millennials are struggling just to get into the market and baby boomers are coming out of retirement in record numbers.

These issues are being spun and turned against us using racial division, generational division and bi partisan-ship to distract Americans from what's really going on.

The second half of the recession, in fact the recession that never left.

People are mad, they can see the rich living lavishly all over the television and social media and their wondering why they work so hard for nothing why these people seem to have everything for doing nothing.

The pundits are busy pointing fingers at everyone but the real culprits, Wall Street, the big banks and the military industrial complex. The REAL government, or the efficient government.

We really need to stop all this finger pointing and come together and realize the culture manipulators are employing some of the most effective mind control

a reply to: onequestion

I think you have it scoped out One. It's an economic failure. From my perspective the much hallowed capitalist system has been hijacked by those who have been the most successful at it. Rather than taking their great wealth and doing what they can to sustain the whole system they seem to push it even harder wanting to squeeze the last drop of cash from it before it crashes.

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

All the while we are fighting each other over media driven illusions and pop culture.

a reply to: onequestion

Interesting observations, and you've probably spotted the elephant in the room........i.e., its all about the crappy economy and this horribly uneven recovery with nothing but low paying jobs for the average person.

The timing for the next recession isn't all that clear to me. I'd have thought 2017/2018 based upon the average length of a bull market expansion, i.e., ten years.

The "divide", the polarization into ideological camps and hostile interest groupings, (BLM) is near complete and the divides are getting ever wider. IMHO, there will never be any "coming together"; the "glue" just isn't there anymore and each group rejects compromise as they hold out for their definition of complete victory. What is true is that the various ideological and "interest" groups are gaining strength, gaining members and becoming more "in your face" and that doesn't bode well for "reconciliation".

One of the biggest problems I think the US faces is that after this election, regardless of who gets appointed "President", the nation is so divided against itself that who ever is appointed will face an awesome sum of hostility and ill will. The winner of this election will be near a lame duck from the inauguration forward and will certainly be a lame duck after the first 18 months.

The oft prophesy'd recession will be made all the more worse by the fact that more and more people are finding it more and more uncomfortable to go anywhere, shop anywhere, for fear of being confronted and insulted or harangued by members of an opposing interest/ideological group. Retail is going to take a major hit.

Yes we are people.

It's called Identity politics.

CHAINS meant to enslave.

Division only to keep us in them.

Break those chains people.

A divided house can not stand.

a reply to: onequestion

If politicians actually solved many of societies problems, then there wouldn't be the need for government, government programs.

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: TerryMcGuire

All the while we are fighting each other over media driven illusions and pop culture.

Diversions man, diversions. We're all getting screwed together. We always have been.

Well, if you don't like the candidates, just don't vote. Choosing the lesser of two evils is very hard this upcoming election. Neither of these candidates should be president. There are some that say it is our responsibility to vote. I say bull crap, I am not going to choose either of these people, let someone else sell their soul.

The thing is, if only a thousand people voted for president and one candidate had six hundred votes and the other had four hundred votes, it would be called a landslide even though more politicians voted than people. They probably wouldn't even get the hint that the people weren't satisfied with the choices.

What is happening to our political system, I think it needs to be straightened out.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: TerryMcGuire

All the while we are fighting each other over media driven illusions and pop culture.

Diversions man, diversions. We're all getting screwed together. We always have been.

The top political issue that should be discussed is how come we can't get a good presidential candidate on the ticket for president.

To perhaps drive the point home even further, I would suggest that "they are more divided than ever".

I say "they" because I no longer identify with my countrymen, and haven't in quite some time. At least not the ones who vote, anyway. It's almost like they're a different species, because for the life of me I cannot understand how people continue to get swept up in this nonsense year after year, beguiled and betrayed with each passing election and yet drawn back to the frenzy like a moth to flame.

I feel like these people are in some weird cult. Regardless of what "side" they're on, it's the same cult.

That's how foreign this neo-statist ideology is to me.

Divided, indeed.

Agreed OP. I have never seen so much division in this country.
The result is I have never been closer to my ethnic friends. The exact opposite is intended but humanity has a funny way of banding together against a common enemy. So long as we know who the enemy is and continue to have an open dialogue. The more the MSM, Hollywood, the establishment, and the authorities push to divide us the more dialogue I have with my friends and the more united we become against this common enemy.

I think most rational thinking people know who the "bad guys" are here. The people who would see us tear each other apart for political and financial gain make up all races religions and creeds. They claim no group other that the ruling class. Everyone else is just livestock. It's long over do for the livestock to band together against the farmers and show them we are not just a tax ID number or a voting demographic.

a reply to: onequestion

Media driven illusions. ...and there, you have it.

The reality is something rather better, if people can be bothered to look.

This morning I drove by the b-ball courts a few blocks over. Want to know what I saw? I saw blacks, whites, hispanics, samoans...all playin' ball.

The other day, at wal-mart of all places, I saw the same sort of crowds all peacefully co-existing. I see kids, of all ethnic backgrounds, and one must assume religious backgrounds as well, playing on the park equipment. ...and their parents not dragging them away, as I would assume they would be doing if things were as all fired horrible as some would have us believe.

Jim Crow died a well deserved death just about the time I was born. Slavery ended essentially a century before I was born. The Civil Rights movement of the '60's has brought about remarkable changes.

Could things be better? Surely. Demagogues of all races would have us at each others throats if they had their way... But I walk down the street, and I see wholesale lots of people ignoring them, and living and letting live. Are there too many that are listening to those demagogues? God, yes. We see 'em all the time, hear 'em, too. They're the ones doin' all the yelling, the others are too busy living.

My suggestion to many of you would be give the interwebs a rest and the MSM, and get out and actually look at what's really going on over there...

Some of you will, probably, disagree...

a reply to: seagull

This is pretty much what I'm talking about.

There's 2 realities happening.

The problem is there is an extremist reality manifesting from the illusory one being promote through social media and the television.

a reply to: onequestion

And they gave Obama a NOBEL peace prize

ha h ah ah ah ah ah ahha

a reply to: onequestion

All it'll ever take to stop 'em is to walk away, and stop listening, and start living our own lives. If they want to take it further, well, we can deal with that, too.

I feel no need to hate someone because they're different, I'm too busy for that sort of idiocy.

For seven years we have been hearing about "reaching across the aisle, but the other side won't budge". The problem is - both sides are saying it.

Neither side is willing to compromise. They both say they are, but when it comes down to it compromise means, "give in and do it my way." Neither side is willing to just roll over and play dead. Or that is what they want us to believe anyway...

The truth is that its all a big act. 'Politician' and 'magician' are identical today. Both deal in distraction and illusion. Nothing is what it appears to be. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

And we fell for it...

a reply to: onequestion

Abraham Lincoln knew this and said it best. Almost word for your words...

"A house divided against itself cannot stand" - Abraham Lincoln

Why would you vote to elect someone to an office that gives them power over you and your life, when you have nothing in common with them? You share nothing with them, no principles, no ethics or morals, no similar mindset, no similar economy, no equal privilege or opportunity, yet somehow, these are your candidates.

Yes, they may say some things you want to hear, but these are just illusory alliances, alignments they need to get into office. Can an ordinary American become the president of the US? In theory of principle, yes, but never in practice...a man or woman off the street has no chance, the rich and wealthy don't ever want that. It's their country, their control, and ordinary Americans are simply their serfs, existing only to serve them. The relationship of master and slave is alive and well, it just takes a different form today.

It's not just America that is divided, the whole world is polarised, through differing ideologies and mindsets, which is and always has been the real cause of division amongst our species. Nothing comes close to that of our own minds for creating polarisation and separation.

Politics is nothing more than a social illusion, mere shadow play for the masses of troglodytes, and before politics, there was religion.

ATS says 'deny ignorance'. To do that you must firstly deny it to yourself before you can deny it to others, and you can only do that by denying yourself any affiliation or association to any particular group, political or religious or cultural. Align yourself only to natural principles of decency towards others, and beware of those who would use your decency to others as a means to exploit you.

originally posted by: mysterioustranger
a reply to: onequestion

Abraham Lincoln knew this and said it best. Almost word for your words...

"A house divided against itself cannot stand" - Abraham Lincoln

Regrettable a part of human nature is letting historical lessons go unlearned. Heck if the Civil War of 1861 - 65 wasn't enough to keep the discourse of American political debate nothing comes to my mind what will ever do so. To what extend the politically correct crowds rewriting of the history of the Civil War is to blame is a interesting question to ponder and a discussion for another time.

originally posted by: seagull
a reply to: onequestion

All it'll ever take to stop 'em is to walk away, and stop listening, and start living our own lives. If they want to take it further, well, we can deal with that, too.

The combination of a fringe minority and poor decisions by those in authority over time can set off a powder keg. Incidentally this is what I take away from a very good book I read recently. The book is entitled: American Tempest How the Boston Tea Party Sparked a Revolution by Harlow Giles Unger.

I feel no need to hate someone because they're different, I'm too busy for that sort of idiocy.

I am constantly at the amount of time people can find for hatred when it comes to social and racial issues.