I can’t be the only person who looks back at all the nonsense that has happened since 2016 and shakes their head. The bar for political debate and rhetoric has sunk so low I’d be shocked if James Cameron could find it with that submarine of his. Every story that makes the news that involves some sort of political bend is twisted and skewed to fit whatever narrative that particular news agency is selling to their audience, regardless of the damage that it causes. You can turn on just about any cable news network and find the spin, the agenda, the political leaning of the editorialists who wants to tell you just how significant this one particular issue is and why you should care, regardless of the fact that they are presenting it in a subjective, biased way. Hot takes make for great TikTok vids and reels on Instagram, dumbing down what are often incredibly important topics to short, divisive “gotcha” moments moments that deprive whoever views those short clips of the really important nuances of those issues.

I’ve pretty much given up on trusting any “news” source aside from a few journalists who don’t seem to have a political bias, or at least do whatever they can to cover the topics they present in an objective way. I can’t listen to anyone on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, or any other “legit” news agency. Even the New York Times has turned me off with their politically motivated coverage of a variety of topics. I’m tired of it. It’s not worth the time to let myself be influenced so negatively by people who have something to sell me. What are they actually selling? Outrage, direct to your T.V. and cell phone, has been monetized in a way that it’s become a hell of a drug for the consumer.

I “walked” away from Facebook in 2020, I even wrote about it here. I stopped paying attention to a lot of political and social discourse, after spending several years up to my eye balls in the culture war. That war up to that point, was being waged between the Far Right, Leftists, and the middle of the road moderates that felt compelled to speak out against the ridiculousness of the fringe elements. It became apparent after a few years that debates about what is now ignorantly called “woke-ism” were going mainstream. Gender, sexuality, race relations, medical sovereignty and a host of other hot button topics were being opined about in written and digital media, as if everyone was suddenly an expert in these topics. My sense of it tells me that a lot of these editorialists hopped onto the bandwagon in search of fresh content to present to the masses, which started on podcasts and YouTube and eventually bled into the mainstream news outlets in a big way.

The worst part of this to me is how this has caused people to obsess over politics, as if every issue is an existential threat to the future of America, almost like it’s presented that way by the editorialists and their political allies. They want us to believe that they are the arbiter of the correct narratives, which of course their audience agrees with because the editorialists confirm their ideological bias. Who doesn’t want to be told they’re correct and their anger is warranted? Once the hook is set, it’s really not hard to keep followers engaged, simply keep them angry. Present them with an enemy, not just an ideological enemy but a tangible one in the form of a person or institution that has run afoul of one belief or another. Those followers will tune in with alarming regularity, as if waiting for another kernel of “truth” from the arbiters on their televisions or social media feeds.

Once this is done, and a person is helplessly plugged in, it seems to go from just being political to truly being their most cherished of beliefs. Akin to those who find religion, these people find community and belonging amongst others who view the world through the same lens, one colored by political views. There is a shared sense of disdain for those who view the world differently, the “other” that is seen as worthy of contempt and ire. My greatest concern is how often these beliefs culminate in the belief that violence against the “other” is warranted, often seen as a foregone conclusion and longed for as a way to set things in order. I’ve seen this in my own circle, individuals who call for violence against groups they see as their natural enemy. In reality, these “others” are simply Americans, who have different circumstances that led them to viewing the world the way they do, often in way not dissimilar from those they too often see as their enemy.

This progression of beliefs from simple political views to desires to commit violence are, in my opinion, traceable back to the editorialists. Those people hold great sway and influence because of their ability to set a narrative, to convey a message to the masses that find themselves tuning in. It’s often done subtly, as if they know that to go any further might be deprive them of the ability to deny that the had any influence over those who took their message to heart. I could draw parallels to a recent event, but doing so would immediately turn off the people that I think need to read this the most.

This is starting to feel like I’m rambling, so it’s probably time for me to sign off. Christmas is in a few days and the last thing I want to do is spend one of my favorite times of the year thinking about the cycle of stupidity we find ourselves in. Do me a favor, don’t talk about politics over Christmas, even with people you aren’t likely to argue with. Don’t stew in shit. Enjoy the time you spend with your loved ones and be kind to the people around you. We all deserve to have a happy holiday.