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It isn’t hard to find examples of the contentious state of American politics. Social media is overflowing with bile and vitriol. Having been the administrator of several political debate groups on Facebook, I can say with some authority that this election cycle has been one of the ugliest in recent history. For both the left and the right.
As a progressive, I’ve lost quite literally dozens of liberal friends. But the interesting thing is, I have actually gained many friends who lean conservative. And the reason for that is a stark reminder that it really does take two to tango.
It is easy to mock Trump supporters, and if my newsfeed is anything to go by, seems to be the latest craze among liberals. Trump’s rhetoric certainly gives the left plenty of ammo. But what many people overlook in their rush to prove Godwin’s Law is that both sides of the ideological divide are polarized…not just the Republicans. This election has been a case-study in the deep dissatisfaction with business-as-usual politics felt by a large swath of the electorate.
This election has seen the rise of populist candidates in both of the establishment parties as well as the fringe parties, and it is no accident; people are fed up. They have watched their country crumble under the influence of big money and corporate cronyism. They have watched their jobs shipped overseas to maximize corporate profits, they have seen their children poisoned in order to preserve tax breaks that primarily benefit the wealthy, and they are angry. And that is what the left is missing about the reason Trump enjoys such massive support among blue-collar conservatives. It isn’t because they necessarily agree with what he says, although some undoubtedly do. It is because they see him as a political outsider; a potential remedy for the disastrous neoconservative and neoliberal policies that have driven this country to the edge of a cliff. So when liberals frame Trump supporters as proto-fascists, the conversation ends before it has begun. Because when you make sweeping generalizations without asking questions or listening to the answers . . . you will be wrong.
Every time.
My experience has been that some vocal liberals can be as stubborn and close-minded as the conservatives they argue with, wherein both sides say that they are right, and if you disagree, you are wrong.
The hard truth is that whether you are right or not is irrelevant; it’s how you frame the discussion that matters. Because assuming a combative and dismissive posture from the outset will only have the effect of placing the holder of an opposing viewpoint in a similar combative posture. Then there is nothing left to do but trade insults, which, while momentarily satisfying, is toxic to the goal of real detente. You’d be amazed how civil people can be when you take them and their opinions seriously, even if you disagree. Some of my most satisfying encounters in political debate have been seeing a person ostensibly diametrically opposed to my own viewpoint stop, consider, and say . . . well, maybe you have a point.
To me, that is a victory. And you will taste it only if you listen and ask questions.
The rise of social media has created an environment that in some ways has been beneficial to discourse…and in many other ways, toxic to discourse. We live in interesting times, but the glaring problem with communicating almost exclusively through text is that all of the normal social cues have been removed; gestures, body language, tone of voice…these things are absent. I’m sure we have all experienced misunderstandings at some point. Indeed, I think it would be fairly accurate to say that social media is in part responsible for the degree of polarization extant in political discourse. I like to think I’m a decent writer, able to articulate my feelings pretty well through the written word…and yet, even I have experienced gross misunderstandings. I imagine for a person who doesn’t consider writing an avocation and passion, it is worse.
Much worse.
So what is the answer? I think it is simple: Listen. Abandon your echo-chambers—actively seek out opposing viewpoints—and listen. Listen even when someone tells you #AllLivesMatter when they tell you that Trump will make America great again, when they suggest that refugees are terrorists. Listen, and counter with facts . . . not insults. You will fail to reach 97% of the people you speak with. But that remaining 3% is where you get to change someone’s mind.
And that 3% is how you change the world for the better.
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Photo credit: Flickr/Misha Popovikj