05 August 2020 – The Political Divide

 

  1. [A] 1st story – summary of the migration article – quote “1st world can work on the problem NOW and help us stay where we are, greet us on the beach or shoot us on the beaches. Pick one.”
  2. [B] 2nd story – IPCC population growth models are looking lower – some good news
  3. [A] 3rd story – climate sensitivity – changes with more research, but the low end of the range is moving up over time
  4. [B] 4th story – the political divide
  • We are today more divided than at any time in recent history. Some ancestral divides
    • 1850s – US
    • 1935 – Spain
    • 1960s – US
      and some ancestral joins – in our myths
    • 1770 united we stand! (sort of)
      History celebrates winners and often forgets losers. Yet it is worth remembering on this Independence Day that Americans both won and lost the Revolutionary war. The struggle for independence was as much a brutal civil war fought between Americans (“Patriots” versus “Loyalists”) as it was a conventional conflict between American and British armies. Americans killed Americans in large numbers.
      20% were thought to be Loyalists.
    • 1941 – a common threat (but even then …
      https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/06/06/how-world-war-ii-almost-broke-american-politics-227090
    • 2001 – a shared threat but still …
      The initial response to the horrific attacks had been national unity, exemplified by the near-universal support for taking on Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. But that spirit soon dissolved amid rising political polarization and anger, largely over the strategy and rationale for launching a pre-emptive war to oust Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Following Sept. 11, members of both parties, but especially Republicans, grew more supportive of an assertive national security policy – as seen in attitudes on the use of force and other issues.
      https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2008/12/18/part-1-divided-nation/
    • It always interests me when I compare Republican anti-war activists with Democratic ones.
      • Republican anti-war activists in their echo chambers must demonstrate exaggerated fealty to other Republican ideals even if those ideals are somewhat in conflict with their anti-war sentiments
      • Democratic anti-war activists may not have that problem.

 

   Some personal perspectives.

  • My story of talking to a Rotary Club about Braver Angels and finding a local version of the April 2019 revelation
  • My working to champion a Braver Angels Action Team in CCL
  • How we are first in a group – then we use the echo chamber to build a strong group with groupthink and some form of bullying within the group, then we are amazed that we cannot reach easily across the aisle.

Interview special guests, the Co-Chairs of the Braver Angels Action Team in Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Related Posts

Local Events

Easter Egg Hunt – Dundas

Saturday, March 30, 2024 @ 10:00 am – The Dundas Easter Egg Hunt will be Saturday, March 30, 10:00am at Memorial Park in Dundas. Bring your own basket. Suggested donation is $1/child.

View Event »

The Okee Dokee Brothers

Saturday, April 6, 2024 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – The Okee Dokee Brothers presented by Northfield Youth Choirs. Saturday, April 6, 3-4pm, Northfield Middle School. $20 general admission. Tickets available at www.northfieldyouthchoirs.org.

View Event »

Northfield Community Market Fair – More than a Home & Garden Show!

Saturday, April 6, 2024 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Community Market Fair – More than a Home & Garden Show, Saturday, April 6, 2024 at the Dundas Dome. Browse dozens of vendor from landscaping to remodeling, from sustainability to catering services, from insurance to real estate. There is so much to look forward to as you read below. Help keep Northfield in business. 100++ […]

View Event »