> I assume by your description that you do not consider identity politics to be a contributor for polarization?
I don't even agree that the category "identity politics" exists, or that it's a meaningful distinction.
> It might just be a coincident, but from my perspective, the more aggressive rhetoric and polarization by the right coincided very close to period when the political discussion shifted focused towards gender and race being the top political issues by the left. I could be wrong, but what I remember of before that period, the political discussion was mostly on wars, taxes, social support, and abortion. Scandals had occurred before during elections, but no where near the scale and impact that we have seen in the last 10 years.
Orrrrrrrr the right was exactly as ruthless and shrewd as I described and they shifted the narrative so any topic addressed on the left would be seen as divisive? I grew up in the state that held the capitol of the confederacy and "rebel yell" was a normal staple of our summertime parties. No one had any problem with statements that there was an historical racism problem in the country (even while saying racist shit) until it was defcon 1 must shut down discussion of racism on Fox and [friends intentionally lowercase].
I don't even agree that the category "identity politics" exists, or that it's a meaningful distinction.
> It might just be a coincident, but from my perspective, the more aggressive rhetoric and polarization by the right coincided very close to period when the political discussion shifted focused towards gender and race being the top political issues by the left. I could be wrong, but what I remember of before that period, the political discussion was mostly on wars, taxes, social support, and abortion. Scandals had occurred before during elections, but no where near the scale and impact that we have seen in the last 10 years.
Orrrrrrrr the right was exactly as ruthless and shrewd as I described and they shifted the narrative so any topic addressed on the left would be seen as divisive? I grew up in the state that held the capitol of the confederacy and "rebel yell" was a normal staple of our summertime parties. No one had any problem with statements that there was an historical racism problem in the country (even while saying racist shit) until it was defcon 1 must shut down discussion of racism on Fox and [friends intentionally lowercase].