I get that it’s distasteful to give anyone their due when they have hate in their heart.
That said, people are mutli-faceted. We can engage with one another on one or many axes, and GP is suggesting that we pick and choose the ones where there is common ground. The key is to be mindful that this person is not your friend, but when it comes to some specific political point, they are aligned with you. Demonstrating that this is possible and fruitful is key to fighting back against polarization and black/white thinking.
The alternative is a permanently divided political landscape where everyone and everything is deadlocked, and we argue about wedge topics forever.
Hey, I hear ya - some people really are seeing the world upside-down.
I’m not saying it’s easy nor that everyone is reachable. But what I am saying is that a lot of powerful forces have a vested interest in keeping everyone divided. Whose game are you gonna play? Yours or theirs?
I get that it’s distasteful to give anyone their due when they have hate in their heart.
That said, people are mutli-faceted. We can engage with one another on one or many axes, and GP is suggesting that we pick and choose the ones where there is common ground. The key is to be mindful that this person is not your friend, but when it comes to some specific political point, they are aligned with you. Demonstrating that this is possible and fruitful is key to fighting back against polarization and black/white thinking.
The alternative is a permanently divided political landscape where everyone and everything is deadlocked, and we argue about wedge topics forever.
I don’t know if any of that is possible when “alternative facts” are treated as reality and their guiding force is some rando on 4chan.
Hey, I hear ya - some people really are seeing the world upside-down.
I’m not saying it’s easy nor that everyone is reachable. But what I am saying is that a lot of powerful forces have a vested interest in keeping everyone divided. Whose game are you gonna play? Yours or theirs?