I am so sick of everything getting politicized.

[grumpyduck]

I've said here before that I have an old out-of-town friend who's a Republican. Mostly, we avoid talking politics and just focus on common interests and the adventure of growing older by the day. But every now and then he sends me a clip or a link about something political, and recently it was about Covid-19 and how the Democrats this-or-that. I sent back a reply telling him that I detested the fact that an international tragedy is getting politicized, and that people seem more interested in talking about "the other side" than about the pandemic itself and what's being done about it -- and especially about how the MSM sells a lot more ad time talking about the cases and the deaths than about how many people have recovered.

It seems to be getting harder and harder to talk about anything without dragging "the other side'" in. Geez, a bird pooped on my windshield. If I'm a Democrat, it's the Republicans' fault, and if I were a Republican, it'd be the Democrats' fault.

Are we really getting to the point where everything is about politics? I'm getting to the point where I don't even want to talk to people any more about anything besides the weather and simplistic stuff. Even chatting about wearing a mask of not turns into politics.

And yeah, I know... I hang out in a political chat room.

[Hoyt]

1. I'm hoping someone like Biden can help temper that somewhat. It really is hampering life.

[Caliman73]

3. I don't hold out much hope of that. Not a knock on Biden.

He is a decent guy and tries to unite people.

The problem is bigger than Biden. President Obama was actually much better than Biden at using diplomacy. The problem is that President Obama was black.

The problem is that there is a concerted media ecosystem that exists to promote right wing propaganda.

We have always had political division in this country, but people would fight around the edges of shared information. Since the advent of Right wing radio and Fox, information is not even shared any more. Right wingers are fighting from a false, alternate reality. The majority of people have similar information but right wingers are very loud and support the wealthiest people so they have over sized influence on media discussion.

Until we deal with right wing media, there will not be temperance.

[Hoyt]

4. Actually, I think media -- except for those like FOX -- are down the middle. 50% say media is left

leaning, and about 50% say it's right leaning.

[Igel]

13. Somewhere out there in cyberland

there's a nifty chart that tries to rate media sources large and small by left/right bias.

A few tend to be close to the center. Many of the "tends right" sources here are ranked left-of-center on that chart. Seems about right.

It's not always what's said--often it's what's *not* said that is the bias. That's a lot harder to detect, partial quotes, funny things out of contexts, things that are quoted accurately but put in a setting where their meaning's a bit changed.

Most people assume others are much like them. Most don't typically assume they're anything but "moderate"--perhaps moderate Democrats or moderate liberals, but they're moderates. Those that disagree tend to be extremists.

Otherwise the media hostility bias holds reasonably well.

[Caliman73]

2. What about this is NOT political.

The response to a Public Health crisis by people and their governments is INHERENTLY political. Sorry that you are tired of the back and forth but why do you want to hear about "people who have recovered" when people are still getting the disease and GOVERNMENTS are talking about relaxing the tools we have been using to mitigate the spread and damage of the virus.

What should we discuss about "the pandemic itself and what's being done about it"? I don't even understand that statement. What is being done about the pandemic IS POLITICAL, how people living together in groups, and the governments which people use to organize, make policy, and represent their interests in staving off this pandemic IS POLITICAL.

You want to focus on the positive aspects of the pandemic? You want there to be less vitriol. Sure, those are valid desires. It can be difficult to constantly hear the fighting. But, then say that.

Politics is what we do about organizing how we live together in society. It is about what the people we elect to make rules about how we live and deal with things that come up. Politics influences Everything we do.

[Skittles]

5. it's repukes who politicized abortion, climate change, coronavirus, etc

seriously

[kairos12]

7. These

Freedom Fries

War on Christmas.

Dixie Chicks.

Monday Night Football Theme Song.

Reich Wing propaganda machine hits everything and never stops.

[Patterson]

12. Flourescent and LED lights. These people are nuts.

[Chainfire]

6. When your life is at stake because of the actions of politicians

It is important to your survival to be concerned about the politics.

I am not having issues with the "other side" now days, because the very few people I even chat anymore are of a like mind. I have completely discarded all of my conservative "friends." I just have nothing to discuss with them. My sister and her husband just could not leave their conservative politics out of conversations. Family gatherings became hateful, so I cut ties with them too, and I don't plan trying to mend things. It is a shame, because before they became staunch Christians and hard core Conservatives, (at the same time they began to gather in some modest wealth) we used to have a lot of really good times. I will always love my sister, but I just will not tolerate her, and her husband's belligerent and hateful rhetoric.

All but one of my friends from school have gotten on the red hat hate wagon too, I have no use for them. Life is too short to either have to do constant battle with them or to just give them a pass, bite my tongue, and listen to them to rant.

The real problems begin for the conservatives if, one day, their right-wing dreams all come true. It will be a rude and painful awakening.

[grumpyduck]

9. See, I wouldn't have any problem talking with him about issues,

but I get really disgusted when "The Democrats" comes up. Right now, the number of deaths, the spread, the drugs, the masks or no masks, are all perfectly "discussable," without what "the other side" is doing or not doing, or how dumb they are, or whose fault it is. That's what I meant in the OP, and sorry if I wasn't clear.

I remember days when I could disagree with somebody (and granted it was the type of people I worked or went to school or hung out with) and still talk and try to convince the other one, and (HEAVEN FORBID!!!) maybe learn something or even get to see the other side. And politics never came into it, because we didn't talk politics. But nowadays, geez, it seems you can't talk about anything without getting into politics. Let alone disagree without getting personal.

Maybe, as someone suggested, the MSM has pushed us in that direction, and we've swallowed it hook line and sinker.

[Mariana]

8. "Are we really getting to the point where everything is about politics?"

That seems like an excellent question to ask your Republican friend. Why does he insist upon sending you political bullshit, when he knows very well you don't want him to do that? Please tell us what he says.

[grumpyduck]

11. After my last response response to him,

I do believe he won't send any more.

[greenjar_01]

10. You don't think the response to the pandemic is about politics?

[qwlauren35]

14. The irony of where you are posting....

is extreme.

If you are sick of things getting politicized, I would think that you are uncomfortable here. At DU, we politicize EVERYTHING.

However, the DU Lounge is usually safe.

[grumpyduck]

15. I wasn't talking about DU in my OP

I was talking in everyday conversations with other people, and my bad if that wasn't clear.

And yes, I do realize it's ironic that I posted that here in a political forum.

[qwlauren35]

16. I have found...

that talking about the weather is very safe.

Equally safe is talking about the other person's hobbies.

Talking about kids, grandkids. Safe.

Talking about physical aches and pains. Safe.

Talking about sports usually involves friendly rivalry but safe. HOWEVER, since most sports has been suspended, that one might get political.

If you were a woman, the intricacies of mask-making might be a friendly toe-dip into COVID-19 without getting political.

Oh yeah, talking about cats and dogs is safe.

I work with an anti-Hillary veteran. I found out today that we probably couldn't even agree on the environment and definitely not the rate of deaths with COVID-19. So, we talk about his house, his kids, his ex-wife. I don't think I talk about myself with him at all.

It is almost always safe to allow a person to talk about themselves and their life, and just listen, with a "no politics" caveat.

Hopefully by next February, we will have a different president, we will have a vaccine, and some of the madness will be past us. Until then, if you cherish your friend, talk about grandkids. Talking about COVID-19 is going to get political. It's just not a safe subject.