Things America's far right and far left actually agree on?
As divided as they are today over Trump I still believe there are a few things they have in common even if they refuse to admit it.
For example they both have a deep distrust in the media these days, though Leftists have more distrust in things like FOX News while the right has distrust in things like CNN and The New York Times.
Also in my honest opinion both are against the idea of free speech nowadays. The left is hyperfocused on silencing anything regarded as "hate speech" (even when it's really a critique and not true hate speech), and the right is now hyperfocused on silencing any criticism of Trump or MAGA. Either way they're both against the First Amendment it seems.
They also both seem to have a total disregard and contempt for poor working class white voters, though Trump has successfully exploited their grievances to win votes while Democrats succeeded in alienating us by referring to our demographic as "deplorables" and treating us all like our votes don't matter. Either way classism is very strong in Ammmmuuurrriiicca and nobody gets dismissed and ignored like the poor white trash here.
Oh and Jew-hatred appears to be very strong on both sides, now that the Left has shown their true colors with the war between Israel and Gaza.
They both agree that 2 + 2 is 4, but they disagree on what that really means.
The Far Left agrees that it means Math is sexist, racist, and homophobic.
The Far Right agrees that it means Math is Woke.
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For example they both have a deep distrust in the media these days, though Leftists have more distrust in things like FOX News while the right has distrust in things like CNN and The New York Times.
Also in my honest opinion both are against the idea of free speech nowadays. The left is hyperfocused on silencing anything regarded as "hate speech" (even when it's really a critique and not true hate speech), and the right is now hyperfocused on silencing any criticism of Trump or MAGA. Either way they're both against the First Amendment it seems.
They also both seem to have a total disregard and contempt for poor working class white voters, though Trump has successfully exploited their grievances to win votes while Democrats succeeded in alienating us by referring to our demographic as "deplorables" and treating us all like our votes don't matter. Either way classism is very strong in Ammmmuuurrriiicca and nobody gets dismissed and ignored like the poor white trash here.
Oh and Jew-hatred appears to be very strong on both sides, now that the Left has shown their true colors with the war between Israel and Gaza.
^^^^
This
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The Far Left agrees that it means Math is sexist, racist, and homophobic.
The Far Right agrees that it means Math is Woke.
Man that's another true one!
Also both sides seem to agree that they really hate their current country. Although the MAGA think they're showing 'patriotism' by waving silly American flags everywhere the reality is they hate this country for being "too woke", while the left hates this country for being sooo ireedambly racist and capitalist that they would like nothing more than to see it all burned to the ground.
And neither side has a realistic plan for how to rebuild the country should that actually happen.
Also I kinda get the feeling that both sides want a new Civil War on American Soil because they think it'll somehow solve all our problems (which it won't).
AND one more thing, they both depend on exploiting Trump to stay in power. The Right clings to him because he gets votes and support from the crazies who come flocking to their fascist agenda, and while the Left claims they hate Trump so much the reality is that without him being able to stir the hornets nest and anger liberal and leftist voters by being able to crush every taboo in the book for an American president, these people would have no real reason to support the left or the Democrats either. I personally believe that backfired on the left big time
Also both the left and the right seem ok with exploiting very old men in poor mental and physical health to run the country while they try to grab power behind the scenes and gaslight those who suspect something was off about both Biden and Trump.
Seriously, having a late grandfather who suffered alzhiemers myself that sorta thing had really bothered me about how both Biden and Trump are used. I'm not being agist here I'm being realistic about the fact that neither man was really fit for running the whole country but the government on both sides covered up their health issues.
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For example they both have a deep distrust in the media these days, though Leftists have more distrust in things like FOX News while the right has distrust in things like CNN and The New York Times.
Also in my honest opinion both are against the idea of free speech nowadays. The left is hyperfocused on silencing anything regarded as "hate speech" (even when it's really a critique and not true hate speech), and the right is now hyperfocused on silencing any criticism of Trump or MAGA. Either way they're both against the First Amendment it seems.
They also both seem to have a total disregard and contempt for poor working class white voters, though Trump has successfully exploited their grievances to win votes while Democrats succeeded in alienating us by referring to our demographic as "deplorables" and treating us all like our votes don't matter. Either way classism is very strong in Ammmmuuurrriiicca and nobody gets dismissed and ignored like the poor white trash here.
Oh and Jew-hatred appears to be very strong on both sides, now that the Left has shown their true colors with the war between Israel and Gaza.
Most of the left doesn't want the government to censor people, its more if the people don't like what someone is saying we're not required to give them a platform and if that means they get fired or criticized then so be it. And to be fair a lot of people on the right also don't want the government to censor people they disagree with even Tucker Carlson is criticizing the administration's response to Charlie Kirk criticism and some right wingers have expressed they don't think Charlie Kirk would even approve. So Idk I think for a start a lot of us do agree that the government should not be allowed to censor speech outside of threats of violence.
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For example they both have a deep distrust in the media these days, though Leftists have more distrust in things like FOX News while the right has distrust in things like CNN and The New York Times.
Also in my honest opinion both are against the idea of free speech nowadays. The left is hyperfocused on silencing anything regarded as "hate speech" (even when it's really a critique and not true hate speech), and the right is now hyperfocused on silencing any criticism of Trump or MAGA. Either way they're both against the First Amendment it seems.
They also both seem to have a total disregard and contempt for poor working class white voters, though Trump has successfully exploited their grievances to win votes while Democrats succeeded in alienating us by referring to our demographic as "deplorables" and treating us all like our votes don't matter. Either way classism is very strong in Ammmmuuurrriiicca and nobody gets dismissed and ignored like the poor white trash here.
Oh and Jew-hatred appears to be very strong on both sides, now that the Left has shown their true colors with the war between Israel and Gaza.
Most of the left doesn't want the government to censor people, its more if the people don't like what someone is saying we're not required to give them a platform and if that means they get fired or criticized then so be it. And to be fair a lot of people on the right also don't want the government to censor people they disagree with even Tucker Carlson is criticizing the administration's response to Charlie Kirk criticism and some right wingers have expressed they don't think Charlie Kirk would even approve. So Idk I think for a start a lot of us do agree that the government should not be allowed to censor speech outside of threats of violence.
Maybe you have a point there and it actually goes four ways? On both the right and the left you have some who encourage the censorship of free speech but for different reasons, but you also have some on both sides who are strongly against censoring free speech.
For example they both have a deep distrust in the media these days, though Leftists have more distrust in things like FOX News while the right has distrust in things like CNN and The New York Times.
Also in my honest opinion both are against the idea of free speech nowadays. The left is hyperfocused on silencing anything regarded as "hate speech" (even when it's really a critique and not true hate speech), and the right is now hyperfocused on silencing any criticism of Trump or MAGA. Either way they're both against the First Amendment it seems.
Yes, it's true that there are people on both both the far left and the far right who don't place a high value on free speech.
However....
By "deplorables," Hillary Clinton did NOT mean to refer to all working-class whites. She was referring to bigots of various kinds, regardless of class. (See Wikipedia, Basket of deplorables.)
That's true, and it's mainly because of the weakening of organized labor over the past 60 to 70 decades. When labor unions are strong, they have lots of money to contribute to political campaigns, which makes politicians pay at least a little bit of attention to working-class interests.
WITHOUT sufficiently strong labor unions, nearly all politicians, of both major parties, are in the pockets of rich folks who don't like worker-friendly policies. Republicans have tended to be worse in this regard, but the Democrats only slightly better.
Unfortunately, labor union organizing is very hard work. It's much easier to organize marginalized minority groups, which is why the left has tended to focus more on the latter.
But there still do exist leftist groups that do focus on working-class issues. See, for example, More Perfect Union.
Denouncing Israel's genocide in Gaza is NOT the same thing as hating Jews. Not all Jews support Israel's behavior in Gaza. Fortunately, more and more young American Jews are rejecting both the behavior of Israel and Zionism more generally. (See the thread Critiques of Zionism by Jews.)
At most, it seems to me that leftist groups and leaders can be criticized for not doing enough to counteract the waves of Judeophobia that are likely to erupt as large numbers of Americans, especially young Americans, become disenchanted with Israel. (For some info useful in counteracting Judeophobia, see the thread Traditional anti-Jewish tropes and debunkings thereof.)
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Both sides get everyone voting for the wrong prime minister, through catastrophizing and scaremongering.
The right: Death camps!
The left: Death camps!
What's this obsession with death camps all of a sudden?
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For example they both have a deep distrust in the media these days, though Leftists have more distrust in things like FOX News while the right has distrust in things like CNN and The New York Times.
Also in my honest opinion both are against the idea of free speech nowadays. The left is hyperfocused on silencing anything regarded as "hate speech" (even when it's really a critique and not true hate speech), and the right is now hyperfocused on silencing any criticism of Trump or MAGA. Either way they're both against the First Amendment it seems.
Yes, it's true that there are people on both both the far left and the far right who don't place a high value on free speech.
However....
By "deplorables," Hillary Clinton did NOT mean to refer to all working-class whites. She was referring to bigots of various kinds, regardless of class. (See Wikipedia, Basket of deplorables.)
That's true, and it's mainly because of the weakening of organized labor over the past 60 to 70 decades. When labor unions are strong, they have lots of money to contribute to political campaigns, which makes politicians pay at least a little bit of attention to working-class interests.
WITHOUT sufficiently strong labor unions, nearly all politicians, of both major parties, are in the pockets of rich folks who don't like worker-friendly policies. Republicans have tended to be worse in this regard, but the Democrats only slightly better.
Unfortunately, labor union organizing is very hard work. It's much easier to organize marginalized minority groups, which is why the left has tended to focus more on the latter.
But there still do exist leftist groups that do focus on working-class issues. See, for example, More Perfect Union.
Denouncing Israel's genocide in Gaza is NOT the same thing as hating Jews. Not all Jews support Israel's behavior in Gaza. Fortunately, more and more young American Jews are rejecting both the behavior of Israel and Zionism more generally. (See the thread Critiques of Zionism by Jews.)
At most, it seems to me that leftist groups and leaders can be criticized for not doing enough to counteract the waves of Judeophobia that are likely to erupt as large numbers of Americans, especially young Americans, become disenchanted with Israel. (For some info useful in counteracting Judeophobia, see the thread Traditional anti-Jewish tropes and debunkings thereof.)
ya Reagan busted a lot of unions starting with the air controller's strike. I dont get why so many Republican workers hate unions. My own family worked for a living and they all hated unions. I think the Republican Party needs to be more like Eisenhower when it comes to unions. Right to work really means right to work for less. I can understand why a business owner would hate unions but not a worker who thinks unions are evil.
Here's something I'll give right wingers their due.
If a person is conservative/prejudiced its likely that's how they are. I take them on face value.
But...a lot of left wingers are left leaning because they aren't accepted my the majority. But the moment they have social or financial success and social acceptance they "miraculously" transform overnight into social conservatives. that's probably who they were all the time.
If a person is conservative/prejudiced its likely that's how they are. I take them on face value.
But...a lot of left wingers are left leaning because they aren't accepted my the majority. But the moment they have social or financial success and social acceptance they "miraculously" transform overnight into social conservatives. that's probably who they were all the time.
Or they transform into what I call "limousine liberals" like the people in Hollywood lecturing to us common folk about the importance of morals like using less fossil fuels, being more 'tolerant' of other cultures (including the ones that would love to see us burned to the ground), and becoming vegan while hugging more trees and banning all hunting all while they live a life of spoiled luxury most of us in Ammmuurrica will never have the chance to enjoy and engage in pretty shady behavior themselves like sexual rape, drug abuse, and occasionally murder and get away with it due to their high status as celebrities.
And to make it worst they're always surrounded by rabid fans and Hollywood buddies who think they can do no evil. Even though Trump became a Republican it's exactly this amount of celebrity worship that made him what he is today.
Hollywood can pretend to hate Trump all they want but they created that monster.
Ah yes, I grew up with plenty of this kind. In Australia we call them weekend warriors.
A lot of far left and far right people seem to not be the biggest fans of the free market. I am saying this because the Republicans are quite a bit less free market here in the Trump years with tariffs and trade wars and the feds buying Intel. The far left has pretty much never been a fan of the free market. The right-wing populists dont seem to be the fans of the free market with their anti-globalism and anti-free trade beliefs.
Both see each other as the same.
Left: You're brainwashed!
Right: No, you're brainwashed! We're independent thinkers!
Left: No, we're independent thinkers! You're brainwashed!
Right: Woke!
Left: Racist!
Right: How dare you!
Left: How dare you!
See how unintelligible that argument is? Nobody wins it, so I've found it's best to not get involved in these arguments in the first place. It's boring.
Also neither are going to change each other's views by mindless name-calling, so they might as well just discuss and rant about it to others who share the same political views instead of trying to convert others.
Sometimes our political viewpoints can be influenced by our lifestyles, religious beliefs, cultural backgrounds, and just the way we've been socialised. I grew up in a small town in the country, where a lot of people were quite old-fashioned and conservative. So that's all I ever knew. Sadly as a kid I had never met a black child, as every kid at my school was white and a few were dual heritage, and a few Chinese children, but that was it. Everybody's first language was English, and so that's all I knew.
It wasn't until high school was when it became more diverse, and a Muslim family from Bangladesh had moved to the UK and I made friends with the girl who'd joined my class, not seeing her as any different from the rest of us really.
I like diversity. At work we have people of different cultural backgrounds, skin colour, gay people, and neurodiverse people too. The only people I have a problem with are bullies.
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