The Effects of Dehumanizing Language in Political Discourse

#2
#2
RockyTop85 said:


Thought this was an interesting read/listen. A few years ago, this was one of my soapbox issues, but if I’m being honest I believe I have slipped into engaging in it at times.
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It's part of the social media/internet problem. Or at least it all exacerbates the issue, going both ways.

Humans naturally get more communication from people in face to face encounters than just the spoken message. Tone, facial expressions, body posture, eye contact, etc all tell us subconsciously that this is a human we are speaking with and we naturally empathize at least a bit. Remove that connection and we naturally treat people as just avatars instead of real people.

Another for instance is the Off Topic Thread, @luthervol gets hated on out here. But in there sharing details about his kids, or chili, he is treated with respect. Because it's a natural response like the above. The details make it difficult to assume the worst because we dont get to "fill in the blanks" as much.

It's all part of tribalism, digital or otherwise. It's as natural as breathing for leaders to dehumanize their opponents or outside enemies. It makes it that much easier to sell their positive traits if you only have negative associations with the other.

It's like racism or most other real "isms". They stem from ignorance and lack of open interaction.

Both parties shape it, push their followers to use it, and directly use it themselves.
 
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#3
#3
RockyTop85 said:


Thought this was an interesting read/listen. A few years ago, this was one of my soapbox issues, but if I’m being honest I believe I have slipped into engaging in it at times.
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If you stop and think about it, everyone is guilty of this. They mentioned Trump amplifying this, but this was bad before he came along.

The biggest culprit is social media. Politics, like religion, used to be an unspoken topic, and it worked. Now, even the media is terrible at this. The way they demonize people that do not share their same views is astounding.
 
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#5
#5
bUTchLookin4Dimez said:
If you stop and think about it, everyone is guilty of this. They mentioned Trump amplifying this, but this was bad before he came along.

The biggest culprit is social media. Politics, like religion, used to be an unspoken topic, and it worked. Now, even the media is terrible at this. The way they demonize people that do not share their same views is astounding.
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It's also not ok to be wrong or disagree with someone anymore.
 
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#6
#6
RockyTop85 said:


Thought this was an interesting read/listen. A few years ago, this was one of my soapbox issues, but if I’m being honest I believe I have slipped into engaging in it at times.
Click to expand...


The Trump presidency has been terrible for my family. My parents have the version of TDS where they endlessly defend Trump and troll the left and my 4 sisters (2 of whom are conservatives) have the version of TDS where they can't tolerate my parents' trolling. It really sucks. All 6 kids have unfollowed my parents on social media because it's just constant politics and trolling. Every time I see my Mom, she's telling me about her lifelong friends and favorite cousins, etc. who are no longer friends with her. My sister is gay and my Mom posted something that was an attack against Biden where the crux of the joke was he's gay, and my sister took offense. When she called attention to it, instead of saying "I didn't think of it that way." my Mom lamented the death of comedy. They're not on speaking terms now.

I just had a long drive with my Mom where she introspectively said something along the lines of "I'm not ready for the Savior to come. I don't like who I've become. I'm part of the divisiveness." but then I check her FB feed the next week and it's just more trolling. It truly is TDS. She can't help herself.

It's so stupid. I can't believe I live in a world where I'd say this, but I hope Biden wins for my family's sake. And no, I won't vote for him.
 
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#7
#7
n_huffhines said:
The Trump presidency has been terrible for my family. My parents have the version of TDS where they endlessly defend Trump and troll the left and my 4 sisters (2 of whom are conservatives) have the version of TDS where they can't tolerate my parents' trolling. It really sucks. All 6 kids have unfollowed my parents on social media because it's just constant politics and trolling. Every time I see my Mom, she's telling me about her lifelong friends and favorite cousins, etc. who are no longer friends with her. My sister is gay and my Mom posted something that was an attack against Biden where the crux of the joke was he's gay, and my sister took offense. When she called attention to it, instead of saying "I didn't think of it that way." my Mom lamented the death of comedy. They're not on speaking terms now.

I just had a long drive with my Mom where she introspectively said something along the lines of "I'm not ready for the Savior to come. I don't like who I've become. I'm part of the divisiveness." but then I check her FB feed the next week and it's just more trolling. It truly is TDS. She can't help herself.

It's so stupid. I can't believe I live in a world where I'd say this, but I hope Biden wins for my family's sake. And no, I won't vote for him.
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Interesting story there about your Mom. I sense that a lot of people get worked up or even rant and rave about a political position or candidate and then in a moment of quiet reflection catch themselves and wonder "Where the Hell did that come from?" But then they are back at it in short order.

2020 sucking in pretty much every other respect on top of politics doesn't help.
 
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#9
#9
RockyTop85 said:


Thought this was an interesting read/listen. A few years ago, this was one of my soapbox issues, but if I’m being honest I believe I have slipped into engaging in it at times.
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After listening I am shocked/not shocked about how slanted this piece is.

It focuses on the attacks by the Rs. He mentions attacks on Kamala and the militias, nothing about the arson etc. But then he summarizes by stating it's part of society. Granted you wont get too deep a conversation in 6+ minutes, but I felt this piece was doing exactly what it was complaining against.

They mention diplomas without going into the why behind it or mentioning that its present across the board in order to be not partisan. The guy goes out of his way to bring up the general lack in the R party, and the way it is negative.

Absolutely no mention of democract examples. It's impossible to say it was unbiased when they only talk about the stupid Republicans.
 
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#10
#10
RockyTop85 said:


Thought this was an interesting read/listen. A few years ago, this was one of my soapbox issues, but if I’m being honest I believe I have slipped into engaging in it at times.
Click to expand...


I agree that both sides have slid into this madness...a long long time ago, it was conservatives calling all liberals "commies" and liberals calling conservatives everything under the sun including racist, sexist, "wants grandma to eat dog food instead of having meds" etc. This emotional illogical reasoning of you disagree with me you must be a ________ is stupid. Just as calling everyone who disagrees with you a white supremacist and "punch a nazi", etc. have carried us further down that rabbit hole.

MSM capitalized on this first, and from the early 90s on, has fostered it for ratings and social media likes from the sheep on both sides
 
#12
#12
LouderVol said:
After listening I am shocked/not shocked about how slanted this piece is.

It focuses on the attacks by the Rs. He mentions attacks on Kamala and the militias, nothing about the arson etc. But then he summarizes by stating it's part of society. Granted you wont get too deep a conversation in 6+ minutes, but I felt this piece was doing exactly what it was complaining against.

They mention diplomas without going into the why behind it or mentioning that its present across the board in order to be not partisan. The guy goes out of his way to bring up the general lack in the R party, and the way it is negative.

Absolutely no mention of democract examples. It's impossible to say it was unbiased when they only talk about the stupid Republicans.
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NPR seems to have held a bit of a grudge over Pompeo trying to **** on their reporter.

I agree that the prevalence of the behavior is close enough to equal, and he didn’t get into the evil/fascist/racist stuff that’s being used the same way by liberals at all. I didn’t think it invalidated the theory, though.

The Hunter Biden story, of all things, is what got me thinking about this. After the RNC, there were a lot of anti-Trump pundits making fun of Kim Guilfoyle and Don Jr. for seeming high. I thought it was amusing at the time.

Fastforward 2 months(?) and some of those same people are clutching their pearls over Trump surrogates calling Hunter Biden a crackhead.

I think the latter response is appropriate, but it needs to be principled and therefore applied equally to both sides.
 
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#13
#13
RockyTop85 said:
NPR seems to have held a bit of a grudge over Pompeo trying to **** on their reporter.

I agree that the prevalence of the behavior is close enough to equal, and he didn’t get into the evil/fascist/racist stuff that’s being used the same way by liberals at all. I didn’t think it invalidated the theory, though.

The Hunter Biden story, of all things, is what got me thinking about this. After the RNC, there were a lot of anti-Trump pundits making fun of Kim Guilfoyle and Don Jr. for seeming high. I thought it was amusing at the time.

Fastforward 2 months(?) and some of those same people are clutching their pearls over Trump surrogates calling Hunter Biden a crackhead.

I think the latter response is appropriate, but it needs to be principled and therefore applied equally to both sides.
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Did I miss the Volnation talking points? There seem to be an awful lot of post concerning clutched pearls.
 
#14
#14
Sandman 423 said:
Did I miss the Volnation talking points? There seem to be an awful lot of post concerning clutched pearls.
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Well, there’s been an awful lot of pearl clutching, lately. I assume there’s some big political event coming up soon that has everybody feeling indignant.
 
#15
#15
Nice thread,
poo-poo head.

Now where the hell did that come from?

If Biden wins it will all go away and Huff's family will all hold hands and sing Kumbaya, no hard feelings, rainbows and unicorns.

tumblr_prnsvyMMKK1qicspho4_r1_540.gif
 
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#16
#16
37L1 said:
Nice thread,
poo-poo head.

Now where the hell did that come from?

If Biden wins it will all go away and Huff's family will all hold hands and sing Kumbaya, no hard feelings, rainbows and unicorns.

tumblr_prnsvyMMKK1qicspho4_r1_540.gif
Click to expand...

IMO, the Biden base actually does want the parties to get along. That issue always polls well and no-name Buttigieg was giving Bernie all he could handle before the SC primary by running on the exact same message.

I don’t see the extremes of either party cooperating, though.
 
#17
#17
What
RockyTop85 said:
IMO, the Biden base actually does want the parties to get along. That issue always polls well and no-name Buttigieg was giving Bernie all he could handle before the SC primary by running on the exact same message.

I don’t see the extremes of either party cooperating, though.
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Who are the "Biden base" that hold office in the Democrat party?

Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Chuck Schumer, Eric Swalwell, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Adam Schiff, etc. (won't even list members of The Squad)? Can't see it happening as long as those folks behave the way that they do. "#resist" existed after the election and before the inauguration and the Women's March on Washington occurred the day after.

So who exactly is this base that wants the parties to get along?

I'd say that this base wants the parties to get along, as long as they give them everything that they want, when they want it and nothing less.
 
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#18
#18
RockyTop85 said:
IMO, the Biden base actually does want the parties to get along. That issue always polls well and no-name Buttigieg was giving Bernie all he could handle before the SC primary by running on the exact same message.

I don’t see the extremes of either party cooperating, though.
Click to expand...

LOL

Who is Biden's base? Dems have shown zero desire for the parties to get along. They want the Dems to go back to dominating the Rs and the Rs capitulating to their every move.
 
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#19
#19
I deleted Twitter just yesterday. I don't think Democracy is close to being dead in this country, there's still one person, one vote and it counts the same as it did 40 years ago. But it does feel like we've slipped a bit, and I think it's social media and press driven. Folks have gotten bolder with the labelling and propoganda. And it's gotten worse with the lockdown. We need to get back to family dinners.
 
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#20
#20
n_huffhines said:
The Trump presidency has been terrible for my family. My parents have the version of TDS where they endlessly defend Trump and troll the left and my 4 sisters (2 of whom are conservatives) have the version of TDS where they can't tolerate my parents' trolling. It really sucks. All 6 kids have unfollowed my parents on social media because it's just constant politics and trolling. Every time I see my Mom, she's telling me about her lifelong friends and favorite cousins, etc. who are no longer friends with her. My sister is gay and my Mom posted something that was an attack against Biden where the crux of the joke was he's gay, and my sister took offense. When she called attention to it, instead of saying "I didn't think of it that way." my Mom lamented the death of comedy. They're not on speaking terms now.

I just had a long drive with my Mom where she introspectively said something along the lines of "I'm not ready for the Savior to come. I don't like who I've become. I'm part of the divisiveness." but then I check her FB feed the next week and it's just more trolling. It truly is TDS. She can't help herself.

It's so stupid. I can't believe I live in a world where I'd say this, but I hope Biden wins for my family's sake. And no, I won't vote for him.
Click to expand...
Suggestion, get your mom banned from facebook....you'll get her back. The AI in facebook drives her (and everyone else) off the cliff in the direction they are going.
 
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#21
#21
RockyTop85 said:
NPR seems to have held a bit of a grudge over Pompeo trying to **** on their reporter.

I agree that the prevalence of the behavior is close enough to equal, and he didn’t get into the evil/fascist/racist stuff that’s being used the same way by liberals at all. I didn’t think it invalidated the theory, though.

The Hunter Biden story, of all things, is what got me thinking about this. After the RNC, there were a lot of anti-Trump pundits making fun of Kim Guilfoyle and Don Jr. for seeming high. I thought it was amusing at the time.

Fastforward 2 months(?) and some of those same people are clutching their pearls over Trump surrogates calling Hunter Biden a crackhead.

I think the latter response is appropriate, but it needs to be principled and therefore applied equally to both sides.
Click to expand...
I agree. Both are guilty, and if you (the guest) want to be taken seriously about how this is an issue at large, you cant spend your whole 6 minutes talking about one side. Because it came across as it's a major R issue, while barey there for the Ds, and it's only a D issue cause the Rs started it.

It's like the Biden ads, not sure they are still on, but he was arguing we needed to get rid of the partisanship in DC and tone back the language. Then he spends a minute attacking Trump calling him all sorts of stuff.
 
#22
#22
37L1 said:
What

Who are the "Biden base" that hold office in the Democrat party?

Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Chuck Schumer, Eric Swalwell, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Adam Schiff, etc. (won't even list members of The Squad)? Can't see it happening as long as those folks behave the way that they do. "#resist" existed after the election and before the inauguration and the Women's March on Washington occurred the day after.

So who exactly is this base that wants the parties to get along?

I'd say that this base wants the parties to get along, as long as they give them everything that they want, when they want it and nothing less.
Click to expand...
And the Rs havent done anything to help either. Either under Trump or Obama.
 
#25
#25
37L1 said:
So who/where are these people who want the parties to get along?
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You wont find them in the parties. Go out and vote beyond the parties if you want change.

Right now we are the 350lb fat arse complaining about how being fat sucks, doing nothing himself, while waiting on his McDonalds delivery.
 
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