The political atmosphere in America continues to descend into deeper partisan divides and the media’s frenetic spinning the news keeps perpetuating confusion and keeping America’s politics in a state of constant chaos.
Believing the worst of political opponents and those who hold differing views is the new normal. Extreme partisans feverishly work to launch vicious smear campaigns to destroy the character of political opponents, without any concern for the veracity of their scurrilous attacks in this endless scorched earth information war. With American partisans so entrenched in this self-destructive, by-any-means necessary, war of words, the Russians don’t have to do much to “influence” or work to destroy our democratic institutions. Our own partisans are burning them down rapidly, while Putin sits back and laughs at “America developing political schizophrenia”.
Here are two reading recommendations
David French’s piece: To Defend Trump, The GOP Is Becoming a Party Bill Clinton Would Love
The other is a book, Stopping Words That Hurt, Positive Words In a World Gone Negative, by Dr. Michael Sedler. I read this book a couple years ago and last night I started reading it again. I have it in kindle format, but it’s available in paperback at amazon now. While the book is written from a Christian perspective, the lessons really are universal and just plain old common decency. He explains why, what biblically is referred to as “evil reporting”, lying, gossiping, spreading negative stories about others, is only half of the issue. He explains why listening to “evil reporting” is very destructive and he offers many positive personal strategies to “stopping words that hurt”. I need to work a lot harder on this.
In a country where the media and politicians are consumed by their scorched earth war of words, to win the news cycle, I think all of us need to start demanding a truce in this “cold civil war”.
libertybelle diaries 