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Why do Americans hate each other while Canadians love each other? Robert Reich [View all]
*snip*
Some thirty years ago, my dear friend, the late Republican Senator Alan Simpson, told me Democrats viewed Republicans as stupid and Republicans viewed Democrats as evil. “I’d rather be in the stupid party,” he chuckled.
I asked him why Republicans saw Democrats as evil.
He took a deep breath. “Religion.”
I said I didn’t understand.
“It’s the Christian right,” he said as if talking to a five-year-old. “Since Reagan, my party has been a magnet for religious conservatives and Christian fundamentalists, where it’s all about good and evil. Too bad, pal. You’re on the evil side.”
That was thirty years ago. Since then, the divide has only sharpened.
In 2012, Mitt Romney told supporters that “47 percent” of Americans would vote for Obama no matter what because they’re “dependent upon government ... believe that they are victims ... believe the government has a responsibility to care for them ... [and] pay no income tax.”
Insulting 47 percent of Americans was no way to win an election. It was also no way to unite the country.
I asked him why Republicans saw Democrats as evil.
He took a deep breath. “Religion.”
I said I didn’t understand.
“It’s the Christian right,” he said as if talking to a five-year-old. “Since Reagan, my party has been a magnet for religious conservatives and Christian fundamentalists, where it’s all about good and evil. Too bad, pal. You’re on the evil side.”
That was thirty years ago. Since then, the divide has only sharpened.
In 2012, Mitt Romney told supporters that “47 percent” of Americans would vote for Obama no matter what because they’re “dependent upon government ... believe that they are victims ... believe the government has a responsibility to care for them ... [and] pay no income tax.”
Insulting 47 percent of Americans was no way to win an election. It was also no way to unite the country.
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/why-do-americans-dislike-other-americans]
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