The depolarization of America, handbook, (sort of)

The depolarization of America, handbook

The United States is facing a recurring enemy, seen everyday yet hidden. Because, of this enemy we fear things and people/peoples that are irrational to fear. Fear drives this enemy and bias fuels it, leading to unforeseen problems in our political landscape, where suffrage is granted to any non-federal criminal over 18. (i.e.: the gullible and easily uninformed are allowed to vote). The media is the exploitation aggregate for partisans. Our media outlets, today like Fox News and MSNBC; various newspapers from the New York Times to the Wall Street Journal, and the blogosphere; hype news stories in an echo chamber respective to its partisan side. The two echo chambers combined, coined “the conflictonator”, constantly bicker and the blogosphere stokes the flames for the next controversy. (i.e.: set of bickering) Though humans are biased we should expect our news to be as objective as possible, in order to make an informed and ultimately opinionated decision, although that is an ideal form of informed democratic society that is not the current situation. In fact, a Harris opinion poll says quite the opposite: the nation as a whole was misinformed about the Iraq War in 2004. 62% of people thought Saddam Hussein had strong links to Al-Qaeda, and 41% thought Saddam Hussein helped plan and support the hijackers who attacked the US on September 11, 2001.” (Harris opinion poll October 21, 2004) A diagnosis for the media’s behavior is that to make money you need partisanship in a significant part of the schedule, especially prime time. This leads to a misrepresentation of the facts when editorial shows are a large portion of the “24 hour news cycle”, or a majority, as in the case with Fox News. So instead of fighting this enemy on its terms, the sane majority must fight it with what it does best, reasonable dialogue.

People should lobby news organizations such as Fox News to renegotiate terms with inflammatory stars such as Glen Beck and organizations such as M.S.N.B.C., Ed Shultz, to find better rhetoric for his views.* This will keep pressure on organizations that display bias, and people that lie to fit a narrative. Narratives are important to the “lamestreem media” not discourse. Therefore any sort of pressure will influence organizations and media stars for renegotiations of terms, firings, and resignations. If even one voice that seeks to divide is toned down then “the conflictonator” as a whole is toned down, as a part of the feedback loop is ended. Therefore lobbying organizations is an effective mechanism to reduce noise from “the conflictonator”.

Since the media is inherently biased, we must read multiple sources in order to create our own opinions on the subject. A study by Harvard University found: “Free Republic’s apparent anti-Republican skew disappears, replaced with a slight (albeit insignificant) skew against anti-Republican stories, while Daily Kos appears even more skewed against Republicans” (http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/mbaum/documents/BaumGroeling_NewMedia.pdf) (page 353 starts on page 345); this was during the 2006 election cycle and these are both blogs on the opposite sides of the spectrum. If the American people, and people around the world relative to this situation, read both blogs then their view might not be as jaded if a person read one blog. When media becomes biased people must be able to influence their own readings as a way to stay sane. (i.e.: reasonable)

Protesting the “conflictonator” as a whole will equally if not more effectively than both of the proposals combined; this will continue the effort for media objectivity. The Rally to Restore Sanity/ and or Fear, was a protest on the national mall with comedians John Stewart and Stephan Colbert, to raise attention to the polarization of politics due to rhetoric in the media. The success of the protest was in that it created a new national dialogue on reasonability and rhetoric, for example Keith Olbermann, the (former) host of Countdown, suspended his hyperbolic series “Worst Person in The World” in honor of the protest. The left in some ways, visible at least, (as little as it was) the response and toned down redirect. Therefore protesting gives voice to reason and effects the “conflictonator”.

Lobbying, reading multiple sources, protesting, all being necessary for our democracy, will increase the chance of the demos not being manipulated for monetary purposes and partisan purposes. As a nation there is a choice to be made; to allow America to slip back into an abysmal period of zero compromise, or begin to begin understand others for their beliefs and finally compromise. The nation must choose the second; although both options are charted, the former is dangerous.

“I understand that people have a hard time with the concept that we get to decide what is news and what isn’t, and what is fair and what isn’t” (McCumber, 2007).

*Since Ed Shultz is a liberal Glen Beck of some sort. I put them together; however I feel that unlike Glen Beck; Ed Shultz can watch what he says. Glen Beck however I believe is completely crazy and no appropriate rhetoric can be found.