Why is the divide between the left and right Greater than ever?

[TJ1892]

In recent years we have noticed more political movements across western society on the more extreme side of either divide, people seem to be less tolerant than ever regarding people's views and opinions, what happened to a society where people respected each others ways and views.. things are rarely as clear as they may seem. We've seen a rise in LGBT dislike, we've seen trump elected the leader of the most powerful country in the world, things need to change.

[abc3643]

OK, this is what you asked:

"Why is the divide between the left and right Greater than ever?"

Let's represent this mathematically...

Let X = LEFT/RIGHT.

X_BEFORE is the divide between left and right before

X_NOW is the divide between LEFT and RIGHT now.

So:

X_BEFORE = LEFT_BEFORE / RIGHT_BEFORE

and

X_NOW = LEFT_NOW / RIGHT_NOW.

But, your question is asserting that the divide is greater than ever...

Thus:

X_NOW > X_BEFORE

Let's divide across by X_BEFORE and what do we get...

X_NOW / X_BEFORE > 1

Plugging back in the LEFT and RIGHT terms...

[LEFT_NOW / RIGHT_NOW] / [LEFT_BEFORE / RIGHT_BEFORE] > 1

Simplifying...

[LEFT_NOW / RIGHT_NOW] * [RIGHT_BEFORE / LEFT_BEFORE] > 1

[LEFT_NOW / LEFT_BEFORE] * [RIGHT_BEFORE / RIGHT_NOW] > 1

Assuming 4 of these values are > 0 means, at minimum, one of these 3 cases:

CASE 1:

LEFT_NOW / LEFT_BEFORE > 1
and
RIGHT_BEFORE / RIGHT_NOW > 1

CASE 2:

LEFT_NOW / LEFT_BEFORE > 1
and
RIGHT_BEFORE / RIGHT_NOW <= 1
but
[ LEFT_NOW / LEFT_BEFORE ] > [ RIGHT_BEFORE / RIGHT_NOW ]

CASE 3:

LEFT_NOW / LEFT_BEFORE <=1
and
RIGHT_BEFORE / RIGHT_NOW > 1
but
[ RIGHT_BEFORE / RIGHT_NOW ] > [ LEFT_BEFORE / LEFT_NOW ]

So, in words, what do these 3 cases mean?

CASE 1: The Left is better now than it was and the Right is worse now than it was.

CASE 2: The Left is better now than it was before and so much so, that it more than compensates for any improvement in the Right.

CASE 3: The Left isn't as good now as it was before, but the Right has degraded much worse than the Left that, relatively speaking, the Left has gotten better than the Right even more.

The bottom line with these 3 cases is that, compared to the Right, the Left is greater.

So, there you have it. The mathematics don't lie...

Thank you for this question.

[Datboi65]

From a Black man's perspective (yes this is relevant to the answer and I will explain) I think that the whole partisan debate is a total waste of my energy.

I don't identify anywhere on the political spectrum due to neither group doing anything for my community. Democrats only offer symbolic victories without dealing with the biggest issues that affect us, like appointing a Black supreme court judge that probably won't do anything for her people/painting BLM on a street in New York, while Republicans are openly anti-black and all they have to say is "what have the Democrats done for Black people" without adding any better solutions.

A Democrat's method of recruitment is based on false promises and hope, while a Republican tries to shame Black people into voting for them and not "playing victim". Once they both get our vote, they forget about us until the next election. For this reason I never cared about their hatred for each other, and I always chalked it up to an existing internal problem in White society while Black people are being used as pawns.

Seems to me like they are both white believe in White supremacy, they just disagree on the approach taken to maintain it. Justifying degeneracy/moral degradation vs justifying use of guns after mass shootings? Passive aggressive racism vs open racism? Eugenics (mixing like in Latin America) vs anti-miscegenation? The end result is the same (White supremacy), the approach is different and they seem to disagree on the approach which is a fundamental disagreement (Democrats = democracy, Republicans = Republic). Some are too deep they are beyond compromise. Social media and online forums have made the disagrees visible, but according to my parents polarization between both parties always been there.

Far as I'm concerned, to hell with both of them. Voting will not fix anything when you have to pick between 2 terrible, senile candidates with a bad track record. Might as well be considered 3/5ths if our vote doesn't mean anything.

[Aerissa_Jade]

Left keeps going left, some on the right move right. Some like me are considered right but I'm really a constitutionalist, Liberian. I believe in following the constitution and not using courts to make law, most things I align with the right but some things I align with the left.

The right is more about freedoms and keeping them, the left is all about controlling our lives. They find a reason a good or bad reason and use that logic to enact government control. Sad thing is most on the left either would never exercise that right to begin with so they have no issue giving it up or they think it is for the greater good.

A few examples is I was told to give up my car and use mass transit by several leftists. I pointed out that there is no mass transit around here, was said not their problem. That I should give up my car to help cut pollution under penalty of law and if I chose to live somewhere without mass transit that was my own fault and not theirs.

He wanted me to do something that would hurt me but not himself.

That makes a pretty big divide when the other side is supporting policy to hurt others but not themselves. It creates a bigger divide and more hatred.

Other examples are things like gun control, I live very rural. Police are 90 mins out on average. Give up my guns, rely on police? Right... that may work in a big city but not here.

In my case when the left keeps trying to take away rights and telling me what to do, it makes me really despise them.

[Anonymous]

Because the Left has lost their f—king minds.

.

Back in 2004, it was fine. Yeah, this Nation is a bit racist. Yeah, in job applications they ask for your skin color and also your sex. WE GET IT. @tj1892

But today these clowns want to strip in front of children. And change people’s natural biological sex with meds?

UNACCEPTABLE!!

You have a problem with a President being outspoken and straight to the point; like Trump? Cause that’s exactly what he was doing. He got straight to the point and he was serious about everything. Then you have the DEMON-CRATS who behave like utter Robots. That’s what you want? Emotionless robots as your Leaders? These Robots letting in criminals into the Nation like if this Nation is nothing? That’s what you want?

You want mentally unstable people stripping and twerking in front of minors and toddlers? You want people to change their biological sex with meds. One of the most unnatural, most demonic, most sick.. things you can do it yourself? That’s what you want?

Mutilate yourself? You’re ok with this?

Your ok with the social contagion from the phones and internet and from the leftards, snowflakes and libtards? Thats what you want? Convincing people that they’re not in the correct body?

WTF?

.

[Opinion Owner]

@tj1892
you're OK WITH THIS HUH?
https://youtu.be/5aHGK3Y1SUU

https://youtu.be/mPMdxPufMkU

https://youtu.be/AXhsPP_gZNw

[Opinion Owner]

@tj1892
IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?

https://youtu.be/8ZAooi3SXqk

https://youtu.be/rpGoJfv9phM

https://youtu.be/zdDB8wU73NA

[MuskratLove]

The current left makes Obama look like an ultra conservative. The left has lost their minds.

[Bricealan]

@EmyyWolf I thank you for this. It is beyond my understanding why the left hates Donald Trump. He was honest, blunt, yes, and he meant what he said. Putin was afraid of what Trump would do if he invaded Ukraine, and obviously know just how weak Joe Biden and the Democrats really are.

[Opinion Owner]

@Bricealan
@muskratlove
Following you guys. The asker tried to remove my comment 👆👆

[MuskratLove]

@emyywolf

Your comment was spot on.

[TJ1892]

I was merely asking the question.. and I haven't tried to get anybodies responses "removed".

[Opinion Owner]

Well someone reported it

[normalice]

When two sides can not agree on anything at all it usually means one side is being lied to. And as Rupert Murdoch plainly stated under oath that he lies to his audience for money, it should be clear which side that is. Unfortunately, someone in power admitting that they lied doesn't turn people against them. Instead the audience tends to double down because no one wants to believe they have wasted their life. And when you have millions of people who don't want to believe that, all for the same reasons, suddenly you get a palpable stubbornness that is effecting the real world for the express purpose of irritating the other side. Sort of like kids who knock the board over when losing at checkers, it feels better than admitting they were played for a fool.

Anyway the left or even the center can't really do anything with this. The point of a hostage is to negotiate trading it back for something better. But the modern right just wants as much attention as possible while they kill the hostage. They have no intention of trading it back to the rest of us who would like to just go on with our lives without needing to think of which brands at the grocery store are funding fascism or whatever. Right wing misinformation has made them so stuffed with rage and grievance it would require a global effort to train and deploy psychologists to ever reverse it. But even that wouldn't really work because these people wouldn't show up. They are addicted to their rage because it makes them feel powerful and young. The fact that they are not powerful or young doesn't enter into it - they prefer the lie that it does and get angry when anyone suggests otherwise. I don't know what to do about it short of buying up all the local rural media and give them things to think about that are relevant to their lives instead of all this engineered grievance. Of course I dont have the resources to do that..

[MuskratLove]

And yet you couldn't list a single example.
Would you like me to give you 100 examples of how the left has lost their minds?

[normalice]

I'm familiar with the far right misinformation already, thanks. We say "we shouldn't let cops beat black people to death" and you respond with something like "the left thinks you are racist if you don't like navy beans." We say "we shouldn't let homophobes beat Trans people to death" and you respond with "the left wants to force your daughters to share a bathroom with men." We say "we shouldn't let Muslims or Jewish be beat to death" and you respond with"there's a war on Christmas." We say "we shouldn't let school kids get beat or shot to death" and you respond with "they are coming for your guns." We can't have a conversation with you brainwashed trolls if we can't agree that protection of life is a priority even when it includes the protection of others in addition to white christian lives.

[MuskratLove]

The left needs to stop beating people.

[normalice]

Can we agree that both sides should stop beating people?

[Alessa13]

The left keeps moving left while the right stays the same. Depending on your point of view, you might think the right is unmoving and old fashion or that the left has gone too far left to the point of communism, socialism and loss of freedom.

I will say from what I know, tolernace of LGBT is greater now than it was in the past 30 years when people were killed for simply being gay.

Don't include transgender though, the hatred seems to be directed to them, not the gay, bi or lesbians. Simply because transgenders scare people.

As for Trump, I never got the chance to vote for him but I would if I could. He had great policies for the US even if he has a attitude problem but a bad attitude and being a jerk doesn't make policies bad.

We need more people like Trump, and the left can all move to Canada like they said they would... but of course they lied about that too, just like everything else. The left never lives up to their promises.

[Bricealan]

I agree that Trump could be abrasive, but then again, he HAD TO BE to deal with North Korea, China and Putin.

[Alessa13]

@Bricealan Beinig abrasive does not make someone have bad policies though, they can talk shit be jackasses and still have good policies on the other side they can be polite, kind, gentleman like and have shit policies.

I have never bothered to list to a politician talk though and never will, instead I read EO's they sign and what they are about and laws that passed or get vetoed. I don't give a shit what comes out of their mouth. What matters is action not trash talk that is probably lies.

[Bricealan]

Exactly, and I agree with you, and feel that we need a strong, strong leader today with the world situation.

[Soteris]

Its because things are changing that the divide is greater, more specifically the dying gasps of the right wing trying to prevent the current changes after they lost the culture war. As a result they are now lashing out and giving up on trying to change public opinion through civil means and instead force their will through authoritarian means instead. This will blow up one way or another and either they achieve control over the situation again and we regress in a very ugly way such as what happened with the Nazis or we squash them and they are forced "underground" again as their behavior becomes socially unacceptable and they go back to appearing civil while building up their support.

[DarkWinterNights]

“Dying gasps of the right wing trying to prevent the current changes”

Dying? No. We are however, desperate to stop the sexual predation of our children by monsters.

[Soteris]

@DarkWinterNights No, you are the last of the last. For starters, most of the developed world has already passed you by, you are the stragglers making up the rear. Your future is already predicted by the example of the rest, that is the direction the world is moving and you trying to resist it at this late of a stage only shows how fringe and ultimately, doomed you actually are.

You are not given a choice in this, the decision on where the future lies was decided decades ago. This is just the ultimate conclusion finally manifesting.

[DarkWinterNights]

“Ultimate conclusion finally manifesting.” Okay Satan lol.

[Soteris]

@DarkWinterNights As an Atheist, you flatter me.

[lightbulb27]

Changes in 1960's and in education, removal of "God" brought about changes. Most of the divide is along religious boundaries, which are references points to what is good or true.

That turned into a media narrative, people aren't looking for middle ground, they are looking to the extremes and arguing about their feelings, often from the past. Even Ukraine war... divide in viewpoint, and it's digging up WWII past.

It may be, we haven't had enough war to create fear, thin out the herd as in the past, and make us thankful for the crumb of bread we eat. In other words, we are fat and lazy and medicated with too much time on our hands.

That leads to... how to bring us together...

[Miristheiss]

Things are changing more than ever.

I mean, men becoming women and playing on the girl's teams, open borders to the country, you blink the wrong way and it being called racists, misogynist and calls for you to be fired from your job, news organizations each spouting their agenda points instead of just reporting the basic news... etc.

These are NEW things... new trends, this did not happen 50-70 years ago.

These radical new things are going to cause vast divisions in the land. These are just some example agendas but these are tip of the iceberg. There are tons of new vast shifts going on right now.

[WanderingLoveWizard]

It's social media that has given the loud mouthed nut cases the megaphone (on both sides).
In real life though, I think you'll find more people agree with each other on most issues than you think.
All anybody wants is a good life for them and their family, and the freedom to do it the way they want.

[Leopard23]

Distraction. Neither left or right parties has any intrest in solving problems. They are making too much money.

[abc3643]

LOL... I got that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8xhwQ8KK-M

[Agape93]

Partisan psycho dipshits and those who believe them. From the woke mafia, to the conservative freedom killers, fuck every last one of them.

[TJ1892]

Agreed! Live and let live, and respect others. It's not a hard concept on the face of it, but one many fail to grasp all to often these days.

[Agape93]

Exactly. Way I see it, nobody else speaks for me, so stop trying and leave me the fuck alone. If everyone did that, we'd be a better society.

[TJ1892]

Preach 💯

[Bricealan]

We've also seen Joseph Biden elected as president of the most powerful country in the world, and look at the mess we are in domestically and internationally, and we have Kamala Harris as Vice President, who expressed on national television that Ukraine was a NATO member by saying: "The U. S. will always protect our NATO countries" and of course Ukraine is not a NATO member. I am really dismayed by the content of your question/follow o

[Bricealan]

With Joseph Biden as President, our international prestige has fallen to the lowest level since Jimmy Carter was president. and history records that. Putin Invaded Ukraine under Biden's watch, and Putin would NEVER have done that if Trump were President' and NOW we are sending Billion of dollars of equipment to Ukraine to help them and that invasion would never happened under Trump. Putin KNOWS that and I'm sure NOW the American people know that as well. SHAME

[Heterosketero]

Where, for one thing, right and left meant basically nothing until about 5 years ago. The other observation I have made is there is essentially no middle ground now. Final observation, if we are this divided, why aren't we killing eachother in the streets? My answer to that would be, because we are poweless. And powerless against what? Same things as always, classim. So who do you think is dividing us?

[jshm2]

It isn't, dumbass, quite the opposite. More people are in agreement over stupid shit than ever before.

Political vote banks and media ad revenue pay a lot of bills. So they both pick out the extreme views to rile up the crowd and make them look bigger than they really are.

[Cubus]

You talk about USA?

I believe because both parties has adopted more extreme policies in recent years.

In most of other countries, there is a smaller gap between left and right.

[TJ1892]

I mean general to be fair, I don't think it is solely an American problem. I think it's become a Real issue across the west in general on both sides💯 I am all up for difference in opinions on either left or right but what I don't like is the level of hate which is used in directing personal views and frustrations upon others. Personally I think a lot of this did start with Trump, in the aspect of people feeling the need to attach blame to certain people, and showing lack of empthay to people from different circumstances or backgrounds, Trump definitely taught that it was okay to say what you wanted as outlandlishy as you desire.💯👍

[Cubus]

In Europe it started in 2015 because of emmigration crisis. Most right-wing parties adopted anti-immigration policies and the left-wingers were pretty pissed about it.

I belive in USA it's slightly different, although I know you also had immigration problems and Trump won presidency on "building the wall". But still it's a bit of different story.

[legalboxers]

This is the cause. And the lies by him.

[TJ1892]

Yup, I think he's largely to blame. He's definitely encouraged people to point hate towards people who may hold differences of views to themselves.

[legalboxers]

@tj1892 and they still stand by him and his shit

[TJ1892]

It's a sad reality in a sad state of affairs. 🙄

[legalboxers]

its not gonna get better

[bolverk]

The Right and Centre have remained as they always have been but the Left have moved further left.

[llorando]

Because the wealthy elite needs to keep us divided, can't have us setting aside what disagree on to focus on the few areas we agree on. A divided population is easier to control then a united population,

[Rangers]

Cause leftists won't stop destroying our country and they won't stay out of our lives

We're sick of playing nice with them while they destroy our way of life

[Pterodon]

Because the left just keeps getting more and more insane

[TJ1892]

I'd say it was more than right tbh

[Pterodon]

Really? We’re not the ones that hate the constitution, we’re not the ones that want to cancel history and literature, we’re not the ones that don’t know our gender when we look between our legs. Shall I go on?

[TJ1892]

No but you're the ones who signal aggression and a lack of empathy. You're talking of a very small minority there that dosent represent the majority.

[Pterodon]

Lack of empathy? Let’s talk about empathy. You voted for a fuckup that doesn’t care about the deaths from illegal border crossings. They die because of abuse from trafficking or exposure to the elements or drowning. Trump stopped the deaths when he closed the border. You voted for a fuckup that doesn’t care about 500 deaths a day of Americans from fentanyl that his open border enables. You voted for a fuckup that puts illegal border crossers in five star hotels while at the same time forces American veterans to sleep on the streets

[Pterodon]

Want to talk more about empathy? How about you voting for a fuckup that won’t give Ukraine what it needs to win but only gives enough to keep the killing going on. You voted for a fuckup that is a culture of death from open borders and the deaths it causes to the war to late term abortion. Democrats are all about death

[TJ1892]

I didn't vote for either of them 😁🤣 And calm down shouting at me it isn't my fault! Trump stole my tan

[Pterodon]

You brought up empathy. You ready to take it back?

[TJ1892]

Yes empathy means compassion and respect for others views. You barraging me with a tirade of anti democrat views dosent change my opinion and I doubt it will make you feel any better.

[Pterodon]

Aggression. We practice peace through strength. You just want to join hands and sing kumbaya. How’s that working for ya?

[TJ1892]

I mean I've got a pretty loud mouth, I don't think I'm exactly quite that way 😁

[Pterodon]

Putin invaded Ukraine twice with a pussy kumbaya singer in office. That ought to tell you something

[Amarasimmons7]

Wow. Could not have been better said. 99.5% of all of our presidents have failed us and worsened our country's situation. The fact that people are trying to blame the divide between the left and right on Trump just shows what government is trying to do to us. They are trying to get us to rely more and more on the government. I just want people to wake up one day!!!

[Pterodon]

@Amarasimmons7 thank you 🙏

[Anonymous]

It returned to normal. Historically, peaceful co-existence is rare and short-lived. Nothing happening is rare or unusual.

[TJ1892]

Well we should be striving for a better way. Its the 21st century after all.

[Opinion Owner]

We're the same people we were 20,000 years ago. I don't think the specific century matters too much. Always strive to be better, sure. That's a noble goal. However, we also have to accept there are some things we just simply can not do. It's in a bird's nature to fly. In a beaver's nature to build dams. In a human's nature to war.

[TJ1892]

Bet I woudnt get daft daily jokes about my tan "20,000" years ago and I bet they were tolerant to others beliefs and cultures.

[Juxtapose]

One side is literally castrating and mutilating minors. This is no time for middle ground nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Trump made everything 100 times worse and it has gone downhill ever since.

[Bricealan]

Tell me EXACTLY HOW, Donald Trump made EVERYTHING 100 times worse. Give me examples of what you are saying, not just Hyperbole. What exactly is 'everything' and WHAT exactly is 100 times worse? To make such a outlandish statement, you should have some facts and 'statistics, not just resentful generalizations.

[boobliker]

become the Rich have gotten very much richer But the poor have stayed very low paid

[Fuentes]

The left is a 🤡 🌎 everyone should run from them.

[Jersey2]

Identity politics and foreign interference.

[Anonymous]

done by design

[TJ1892]

Expand.. I'm curios?

[Opinion Owner]

the illuminati the global elites divide and conquer easier to control the masses when they're fighting with each other

[TJ1892]

Interesting 🤔

[LemiaOfThunder]

I'm not sure