this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2024
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This is a microcosm for the greater issue: we have 2 groups of people living in the same country who continue to become further and further alienated from one another. Democracy cannot function when people no longer believe that their opponents are acting in good faith. It’s a prelude to secession or civil war.
And, when there's concrete evidence that a faction has not been acting in good faith for half a century at the least?
Funny, the other side says the exact same thing!
hint hint
The other side says that they have evidence?
Yes, they do. They say they have evidence just as much as you say it. They say your evidence is bullshit just as much as you say theirs is. They say you're evil just as much as you say they are.
You grew up in the same country, the same cultural circle, spoke the same language, have the same political system, you're both humans. Why would you think that they're any different from you? Surely you don't seriously think they're evil and want to hurt others, right? They want to do what is best for society as well. You just disagree how to do that. there are very very very few people that are actually evil. And I don't know a single Person that is, despite having friends from all over the political spectrum. My friend worrying about the government budget still cares about homeless people and my other friend advocating for universal basic income doesn't want to crash the economy and plunge everyone into poverty. They both want what's best for society. They just don't agree on what is best for society or on how to fix the Problems we are facing.
I know that is a joke among more radical parts of society, but in this regard both sides really are the same. If you don't agree with their opinion, you're evil and out to destroy everyone and everything. This is something you desperately need to fix. Democracy only works if you realize that there are other people with other needs and opinions than yours and you respect them. Otherwise you're just going to impose your opinions on them and voila you're again fascist/communist, worshipping the great leader, calling for the destruction and torture of all those disagreeing with you. Either in Brown or in Red taping.
Look at me:
I think a universal basic income and higher tax on the ultra-rich would be a good Idea. I also think that, while they have to be more precise and careful, Israel has the right and duty to continue this war until they have retrieved every last hostage.
does that make me evil? No it clearly doesn't. People are allowed to have different opinions. They're allowed to have complex opinions. You can't just put them into groups and drawers, and you especially can't just write "evil" on one group and discredit them.
Both sides don't want to destroy the other side, but yet both sides perceive that the other side wants to destroy them and they have to destroy them in response before getting destroyed themselves. This is just absolutely awful and you're going down a downward spiral unless you actively and consciously stop it.
/rant
Geez... What'd you do, buy your local hardware store's entire stock of whitewash for that comment?
Oh, you're one of those people. I'm sorry your family doesn't talk to you anymore, man. It really sucks being unlikeable.
lmao
That's exactly what I'm talking about. I am trying to have a serious discussion and you're just throwing around insults like a manchild.
No, no, you misunderstand.
We just disagree on what's best for this conversation and how to solve the problems it's facing.
I think we should compromise. I get to call you a little bit of a bloodthirsty lunatic, and you can write 12 paragraphs, that's half, about how Netanyahu is doing a great job routing Hamas from every single Palestinian ice chest or whatever.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Oh, my gosh thanks for the laugh.
Should we go full godwin and mention Nazi Germany?
Or should I mention Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, China, North Korea, Zimbabwe.........?
After all, all those nations have "the same people all thinking the same way," according to you.
You just proved the poster of the image's point.
"We can disagree and still be friends" only works (and then it is a good sign of political culture) when both sides agree to respect each other as equal citizens and acknowledge to have the same rights. The "friend" relationship is generally perceived as an equal one - in this case it is implied, but might (depending on the context entirely) be anything but that.
I don't know where the pic from OP comes from, but I think it's a pretty clever caption.
It is from the Handmaid's Tale
One side has concrete evidence.
The other side just "says".
These are not the same.
Neither faction is acting in good faith. I’ve seen plenty of folks on both sides who simply want to kill the other side. That is not conducive to constructive politics!
I have some water in my bath tub but that doesn't make it equivalent to an ocean.