Got into a little bit of a running discussion today on a Facebook post regarding Trump's culpability in threats of violence or actual acts of violence (the body slamming of a reporter, for instance; the bomb sent to the home of George Soros; the Charlottesville killing, and so on).
What struck me most about this "discussion" is how very rude and hateful Americans have become. Or maybe they've always been that way and I'm just not used to it anymore, having lived in Bali for the last seven years. During this discussion, I was told to Shut my stupid mouth, Go F--k myself, and Just die. Not much was said of the actual issue at hand, though I take it (just guessing) that they were offended by the suggestion that Trump's demonizing of reporters, colored folk, immigrants, Muslims and so on could have anything to do with the threats to the same that have surfaced in society.
Here in Bali, this sort of speech would be considered extremely inappropriate and unseemly. It would strike the people here as shameful, an embarrassment. It's not that they never disagree. Of course they disagree. But there is a civil way of handling these things, a socially acceptable way. And silence itself is always distinctly possible. They are not "an angry people", I guess you would say; while Americans seem a very angry people indeed.
Whether or not Trump's violent rhetoric results in violent action is a question for honest debate; but honest debate is the last thing on the mind of the typical Facebook commentator. There is no debate. There is merely dueling curses, and lots of talk of 'libtards' and 'Trumptards'. It's all quite nauseating.
I guess this is what they call 'tribalism'. I often preface what I say by pointing out that I don't do the whole 'left and right' thing. I mean, a discussion is not bound to go far if you're going to pigeonhole somebody as a 'lefty' or a 'righty' from the outset. What does that even mean? It means that you have already decided that the individual you are talking to is a certain sort of person with certain sorts of views that may be defined as liberal or conservative, while in fact you know nothing whatsoever about that person or his views.
Of course, the obvious answer to the problem is to simply avoid expressing your viewpoint on Facebook! No-brainer, there.
What struck me most about this "discussion" is how very rude and hateful Americans have become. Or maybe they've always been that way and I'm just not used to it anymore, having lived in Bali for the last seven years. During this discussion, I was told to Shut my stupid mouth, Go F--k myself, and Just die. Not much was said of the actual issue at hand, though I take it (just guessing) that they were offended by the suggestion that Trump's demonizing of reporters, colored folk, immigrants, Muslims and so on could have anything to do with the threats to the same that have surfaced in society.
Here in Bali, this sort of speech would be considered extremely inappropriate and unseemly. It would strike the people here as shameful, an embarrassment. It's not that they never disagree. Of course they disagree. But there is a civil way of handling these things, a socially acceptable way. And silence itself is always distinctly possible. They are not "an angry people", I guess you would say; while Americans seem a very angry people indeed.
Whether or not Trump's violent rhetoric results in violent action is a question for honest debate; but honest debate is the last thing on the mind of the typical Facebook commentator. There is no debate. There is merely dueling curses, and lots of talk of 'libtards' and 'Trumptards'. It's all quite nauseating.
I guess this is what they call 'tribalism'. I often preface what I say by pointing out that I don't do the whole 'left and right' thing. I mean, a discussion is not bound to go far if you're going to pigeonhole somebody as a 'lefty' or a 'righty' from the outset. What does that even mean? It means that you have already decided that the individual you are talking to is a certain sort of person with certain sorts of views that may be defined as liberal or conservative, while in fact you know nothing whatsoever about that person or his views.
Of course, the obvious answer to the problem is to simply avoid expressing your viewpoint on Facebook! No-brainer, there.
1 comment:
They have always been rude. They have been given a green light to say whatever they are thinking now.
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