Fear of the Left . . .

[_honorentheos]

ceebs -

One of your very first questions in this thread was about whether or not racial bias was meaningful in the US. Not that it was out there, but that it had real effects on the outcomes of people's lives. It was clear you didn't think it did, and seemed to believe that people make their lives into what they become by skill, will, and ability. No excuses.

The thread took a surreal turn. It became weird, in a word. And at the center of that was this disagreement over racism and whether it mattered in the outcomes of people's lives. It was in this discussion where you commented that there was no bridging the political divide.

Now, I'm simply asking you to point out the biggest issue that makes this either insurmountable OR, as your post above implies, should not be surmounted because whatever is at the core of the political division should be regarded as requiring too much compromise it would do far more harm than good.

It's that simple. Give a point or two that you believe meets that criteria as either so significant it can't be bridged or where the opposing sides position is so vile it should not be negotiated with.

[_Themis]

I used to think that building bridges, politically, was mandatory and critical for America and all of us who are fortunate enough share this country as our home. I no longer believe that and I absolutely believe that the political divide in America is unbridgeable.

You need not agree with me, it's just my belief.

I sometimes wonder that as well, but then I hear many stories like a black man befriending white supremacists and totally changing their world view of race.

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[_Themis]

I believe in small government.

I believe in government just big enough to effectively represent it's people and accomplish it's purpose of protecting it's people.

I believe in a very strong military.

I believe in a military strong enough to do it's job and the size may fluctuate depending on risk benefit assessments.

I believe in freedom of speech (And I believe this is at risk in America today)

So do I, but it seems some want freedom for themselves but not necessarily for everyone. I notice you didn't think Trump was a good candidate for president. Do you think he has been promoting free speech or advocating against some of it?

I believe in absolute and protected borders (Nations have borders)

No such thing as absolute, but borders are being protected long before Trump came around and I don't think he has made it more protected.

I believe socialism, if it ever gains significant traction, will destroy America (Socialism sucks!)

Really, even though socialism has been around the whole time. With things like military, police, fire, education, mail, and health if you live in all those terrible western countries that are so damn happy, etc?

I believe the bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

Only if they lose their power to vote.

I do not believe that President Obama was good for America - But I damn sure understood that he was my president too and I damn sure accepted each of his two victories and I damn sure respected the millions and millions of my fellow American citizens that cast their vote for him and that feel completely differently about his impact on America .......................... and I double damn sure didn't/wouldn't/couldn't apply the kinds of disgusting and despicable labels upon the millions of American citizens who cast their vote fro Obama like the kinds of disgusting and despicable labels that have been applied to the millions and millions of American citizens that cast their vote for Trump.

I can understand why many view Obama poorly, but even you saw Trump was not fit for President and did not vote for him. He is the biggest security threat to US. Even bigger then the Russians who most likely have some control over him.

[_canpakes]

Your turn: What are you doing to bridge that divide?

Trying to understand folks of differing opinions by asking some questions, in order to better know how and what they think.

I don't believe you. At all. I read the thread.

Are you referring to the pics that I posted early on? If so, how is posting these pics any different than posting what Prager had written, aside from the pics showing an unvarnished reality of actions freely committed by the folks shown?

Ceeboo, one thing that I've come to believe is that if there's a seemingly insurmountable divide to be bridged out there, then it is almost impossible to argue someone across that divide. But one thing that might help nudge them in that direction is to persuade them to examine their own thinking process.

So here you've laid out the claim that leftists are choking off free speech and creating a huge divide between many of the good folks in this nation. In presenting that POV, you've offered up a piece from Prager that is thin on anecdote or fact, while you simultaneously admit that you don't believe that any claimed divide can be bridged anyway.

At this point, I'd ask just what Prager is doing to help bridge the divide, since you are promoting his work here that complains about this problem.

How about, say, Fox News? Have they been working to bridge the divide, or to deepen it?

Has our own President been acting to bridge that divide, or to deepen it?

When the fellow who created this thread opens his argument with Prager's screed, dodges all challenges to it, and states that the so-called divide isn't able to be bridged, then that tells me that the problem isn't restricted to leftists, but might actually exist in significant measure because of the attitudes of the other side and the arguments like Prager's that they uncritically believe that feeds those attitudes.

[_Themis]

How many of you are there on this board?

No idea.

[_Themis]

It seems a little weird that some people want small government but a very large military. Military is part of government, and if Political leaders want to turn your country into a dictatorship they need two important things. Support of the military and one large enough to control the population. US military seems plenty large enough to control the US population.

[_canpakes]

Ceeboo, I would also like to suggest that being the political figurehead for one of the two major parties in this Nation, and being President, need not and are not mutually exclusive positions.

I'm curious as to why you are reading bad intent within this belief.