Has "hating" become so endemic in our society..that we can no longer work together

[Peacetrain]

I think "hating" your opposition has reached such point that it may be a generation or two before we will be able to back down, and work together in that doing what is best for the country.

Bipartisanship might be a impossibility, due to our societal acceptance of hate and promotion of hating your opponent seen in the medias.. radio, paper, TV, internet.

We certainly saw it here at different times, and to think I guess to think that our political opposites the republicans would work together with us from the get go..may have been a pipe dream fr

Even with all this, I still think President Obama is doing the right thing, to keep reaching out, even though the opposition would rather howl and scream.

We will keep reaching out, but we are moving on also. We got only three (R) senators to sign on to the stimulus. I know it was disheartening, but at least we moved forward.

Now we are getting more on the ground republicans such as Crist, Schwarzenegger etc at least trying to do some team work with us.

So reaching out is paying dividends in the longer run, but again, we are dealing with a "hate" culture that has got to blow it out of its system.

[opihimoimoi]

1. The GOP id highly responsible for this Hate Shift...them and their EXCLUSIONARY CRAP

[DemocracyInaction]

2. It's in more than politics

Look at the TV shows Americans suck down. How many of these "reality" and "talent" shows are all about back biting, hating, embarassing others and trying to "get" the other person. America loves it because we are a blood-sport nation. And in the end, we are going to "hate" ourselves to out of existence.

[dcindian]

4. I could not agree more.

A matter of fact the so called reality shows are called hate TV in our house.

[treestar]

6. The one that bugs me is "survivor"

I see bits of it when at friends' houses.

It is the same thing over and over and always comes down to the fact that to win, at some point you have to betray a friend.

Every single series of it has players claiming that they had to do what they had to do to win the game. It's playing the game well that counts, and the game is set up so that you can't win without screwing somebody over.

Of course it's not life, but they make it sound that way.

[Blue_In_AK]

3. I think a few people are trying to work together.

Here's a piece from The Mudflats this morning discussing Alaska's Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Democrat Mark Begich, making attempts, at least.

http://www.themudflats.net/2009/02/22/bedtime-in-alaska-odds-and-ends/

Murkowski and Begich…

They’re like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (you decide which is which), or a Black & White cookie, or Peanut Butter and Jelly, lichen and fungus…. oh, heck. There’s just no proper metaphor for a Republican and a Democrat getting along and trying to do their best for their state and their nation. Here’s Richard Mauer’s wrap-up of the two Senators’ doings during their week at home in the Anchorage Daily News.

In back-to-back press conferences in Anchorage, Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski proclaimed their allegiances to the moderate wings of their respective parties and vowed to put governance ahead of partisanship.

The partisan flare-up in Congress over the $787 billion economic stimulus bill doesn’t necessarily foreshadow a new wave of ferocious inter-party bickering in Washington, Alaska’s two senators said Friday. <snip>

Murkowski, a Republican who has begun rising into the minority leadership ranks in the Senate, flatly rejected the idea voiced by some in her party that the failure of the Obama presidency would help them regain the White House and Congress.

“I need President Obama to succeed. This country needs him to succeed, because if he fails, the economic recession that we are in now gets worse,” Murkowski said. “If I were to go to work every morning with the thought in mind that what we need to do is tear down the other guys to build us up, I wouldn’t want this job.”

(clap clap clap)

[QC]

5. I think that our society always becomes coarse and hard when conservatives are in power.

It happened in the Reagan years, too: remember the vulgarity, the worshiping of wealth, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," yuppies, red-baiting, Willie Horton, etc?

America always becomes hard and mean when the Right is in power. But, like you, I fear that we have been so immersed in that meanness for so long that we might never recover.

[treestar]

7. The 80s were the era of economic success being everything

An end in itself. Baby boomers in their 20s with nothing else to think of.

I used to listen to tapes about how to handle people, be assertive and be positive so I could allegedly get to the top. It was an era where one was praised for knowing what one wanted and going after it. Like what you wanted was justified in and of itself and whatever you needed to do to get it was admirably done.

[incapsulated]

8. When the republicans cease being a radical and obstructionist party we can talk

Until then, they are just that.

Ask them.

[DatManFromNawlins]

9. Choosing a side and hating the other is the new national pasttime

Not only has hating become more and more acceptable as a default reaction to opposition, but people also tend not to see reasons why someone may or may not have voted for something at a state or congressional district level.

If our way of government is to survive long term, then we need to vote for the best person to represent us, and sometimes that may be a Democrat, and sometimes it's an independent, and there are even cases where it might be a Republican (god forbid). When they get to Washington, their goal should be to represent the people they were elected to represent, not just toe the line because the national party wants them to.

Look at Rep. Cao in the 2nd congressional district in Louisiana. He beat William Jefferson because Jefferson's political machine wasn't enough to put him over the top given all the clouds hanging over his head. Cao's district is very black and very Democratic. So what's one of the first things he does when he gets to Washington? He votes against a stimulus bill aimed at helping the very people he represents.

Now his district is furious with him. He voted according to the will of his party, not to the will of his people. It bothers me when any politician does this, regardless of party affiliation. If politicians stopped playing exclusively for the red team or the blue team, and started playing for the home team, then perhaps we'd have more civil discourse in Washington, because then the issues really should be about the people and not the agenda.

[KittyWampus]

28. Welcome to DU and say hello to NOLA for me :)

must have been busy there this past weekend.

[Ratty]

10. Thank the corporate media

The rise of the corporate media seems to coincide with the rise of rancor and the decline of civil discourse in American political life. They have the biggest profit incentive to keep us all at each others throats.

[countingbluecars]

11. Obama has his work cut out for him.

The republican culture of hate is strong.

[Still Sensible]

12. Absolutely it is, one of the most important by products

of the "Reagan revolution" and the subsequent "Contract for (on) America" was the complete demonization of "liberal" thinking and policy. This led to the rise of assholes like Rush, Hannity, Ingraham, Beck and the whole Faux News abomination.

While Reagan himself saved his use of the word 'evil' for the Soviet Union and attacked liberal policy and big government as misguided and "the" problem, his surrogates and successors went farther and sold to a lot of the simple minded electorate the idea that these things were evil too. The marriage of the fundamentalist, evangelical Christians (and their virulent anti-abortion stance) to the GOP made this almost inevitable.

[Robeson]

13. Just remember, it has been worse...

...in the past. Fist-fights and beatings took place in Congress over bills. Armed guards had to be called in at times before a vote could be taken, so that the various reps didn't kill each other. Heck, we had a Civil War over the intransigence on positions.

[Runcible Spoon]

15. Your reply makes me question what is meant by "hatred"

Is it rhetoric or action? I still believe politics has always had a modicum of theatrics, and ours are no exception. This violence you refer to...the conflict was real and palpable, and can be said to transcend rhetoric.

Today, the conflict is largely manufactured and I doubt any of us could imagine Kucinich punching out Cheney. So I amend my points above and by this framework, there is a considerable LESSER amount of "hatred" in political theater.

[Posteritatis]

18. The rhetoric-action line is crossed a lot more below the legislative level

I can't really see Kucinich punching out Cheney, much as I'd sorta like to at times, but in the 'right' places I could see me being harassed, attacked or killed for having the wrong election sticker on my car.

Hell, it's infecting Canada too; there were people cutting brake lines of known Liberal supporters in Toronto during our last federal election campaign.

You're right, though, that the level of hatred in 'political theatre' is, with a few exceptions, a regular Kumbaya convention compared to soem points in American history.

[Runcible Spoon]

20. Oh yes, in a lot of ways small town politics are far dirtier

In terms of immediate action...

OUTRAGEOUS to hear about the attempt to KILL liberal supporters in Toronto!

[Runcible Spoon]

14. What a lot of people don't realize is that all this "partisan hate" is political theatrics.

I'm sure there are some bitter feuds on Capitol Hill but for the most part they don't get emotionally wrapped up when they disagree. They are often friends, go out for whiskeys or golf and laugh about it. It's a necessary part of being a high profile political figure, I'm sure there are certain psychological abilities required to emotionally disengage from conflict. I don't think people who are unable to accomplish this could ever become successful politicians. I guarantee you that any real hatred and drama happens behind very closed doors; first and foremost a politician must remember damage control to his/her image and reputation...even the most bitter nemesis respects this. There is an extremely complex set of ettiquette that is followed in Washington.

So it always worries me when people try to extract the "mood" of national politics and try to make it somehow relevant to what is happening on "the ground". If anything, I think politics is a heck of a lot more polite than in many other eras of the past, but I recognize that as a shift in rhetorical style more than any indication of more or less hatred among politicians.

It is human nature to create and maintain boundaries of identity to differentiate one's self from "Other(s)". EVERY CULTURE IN THE HISTORY OF HUMAN EXISTENCE HAS DONE THIS. It's a necessary psychological mechanism, but it also leads to a lot of conflict. If there is anything close to a notion of universal human rights, it includes the right to not be abused or killed for how you identify (race, religion, ethnicity, gender, orientation, etc.). However, there is absolutely no way to protect anyone from being offended.

No, I don't think there is any more or less hatred than any other time in our history. If there is, there's no qay to quantify it. Perhaps the media can be shown to spin conflict at times.

I know it FEELS like there is more hatred because it's "our guy" getting the heat, but I'm sure if you asked fervent * supporters they would tell you the same thing.

[NorthCarolina]

16. It became ingrained in our society as a result of *Religious*

Fundamentalists gaining some measure of Political Power and Authority. These fundamentalists brought their revenue generating *boogeymen* along with them to DC, and tried to use their new found political influence to lend legal credibility to their prejudices and their *anything-BUT-Christ-like* behavior.

[AllentownJake]

26. The Apostate church of the Right and Dominionist Theology

Trying to establish God's Kingdom on Earth instead of focusing on improving yourself as a representative of Christ's love.

[Bicoastal]

17. I think it points out the fallacy that our nation has become united in a Post-Obama America.

It's not Obama's fault, of course. The lines in this so-called "culture war" used to split our country right down the middle, 50/50, so around 65/35 is a vast improvement. And I give him and his rhetoric a lot of credit for doing so, although the awful way Bush's Presidency winded down didn't hurt neither.

But what seems to have happened is that, as their numbers have depleted, the surviving "Flat Earthers" have become more and more hateful and unhinged. And we should NEVER underestimate what whackjobs are capable of.

[WinkyDink]

19. Sorry, but I think it is MORAL to hate greed, prevarication, propaganda, torture, indifference

to human suffering, and every OTHER "value" held dear by Republicans.

Thus, Obama or no, I hate Republicans.

[Orsino]

21. Big Money *wants* us to hate each other.

Only by dividing us can Big Money continue to rob us with impunity.

[symbolman]

22. EXACTLY

The 50/50 "Hate Ratio" foisted upon us constantly is an invention of the Corporate Media, bandied about like a Prize Bass every chance it gets.. And it's pretty fairly ingrained by now..

Remember, these are the same Assholes that have forever convinced the Public that "something" is "wrong" with them, and the only Cure is to BUY Something.. You pay $200 for sneakers and Somebody will LIKE you, if you don't you are Doomed to a Long Friendless Life.. Includes Zit Cream, cheaps cars that must be driven very fast, and anything comprised of Salt, Sugar and Fat.

Obama is Revolutionary in more ways than One... The very word "Hate" is a trigger word used to Control and take command of a conversation/situation..

Don't buy it, mainly because I love you All, there, now, see how much Money I just Saved Everyone?

Donate it to the DU :)

[depakid]

23. You can't reach out to those who'd cut your hand off

Doing so is beyond naive.

[cornermouse]

24. Bipartisanship = gridlock.

If gridlock what you want the Obama years to produce, knock yourselves out.

[AllentownJake]

25. This is mild compared to other periods in our country

Think Andrew Jackson, Pre-Civil War, the red scare, the Civil Rights movement etc.

There are two issues that are really at the center of this. Abortion and Gay Rights. Evangelical Christianity has provided a group of religous people who are active in politics to prop up one side in its partisan battle and since the other side supports two beliefs that these religous people believe is evil its easy to demonize any of the oppositions ideas even if the other sides ideas are for the interest of those people and also inline of their religion. Their religous leaders do not serve their God or biblical principles but have become purchased by the corporate interest. The leaders use those two issues to distract their members and enrich themselves from corporate America.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

27. Hating has always been around. Individualized media has not.

I think that's the biggest difference between today and years past. If you want to, you never have to listen to a liberal or conservative news broadcast, radio station, read a liberal or conservative newspaper or blogs, visit liberal or conservative websites. In other words, we have a system in place that promotes shoving fingers in your ears and shouting "LA LA LA LA - I CAN'T HEAR YOU" to any view point that might oppose your own worldview.

Hate has always been there - but you at least had to get the other person's point of view once in a while in the past, where there was no internet, there were 3 TV channels, and likely only one or two newspapers to choose from.

[santamargarita]

29. Hate is only fueled by the fascist media and hate radio

Their viewers/listeners whose IQ is equal to the number of their teeth left have never heard anything else.

[Odin2005]

30. The spiral of violent rhetoic disturbs me.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

31. There's nothing new about it.

There have been plenty of times America has been more divided than it is at present.