General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Question for the older generation.... [View all]Igel
(35,300 posts)Have the worst utterances been as bad as they are now?
Sure. At times.
Has it been as widespread among the fervent supporters of a party as it is now?
Sure. At times.
Has it been as widespread in the media?
Even to that, sure. Individual publishers have used the media as their mouthpieces at times.
However, has it been as widespread among politicians interactions with each other?
Rarely. Now politicians are on the record all they time, and they have to play to their fervent supporters. Now to interact with an opponent as would have been the standard 50 years ago is to be branded a traitor, to be outed, and to be pilloried by the true believers.
Has it been as widespread in society as it is now?
Rarely. Consumers of public media were rarer in the past. Now we are logged in 24/7 to our own private channels. Public media doesn't play to the public. It plays to a hundred of different sub-publics, and each little group is self-reinforcing.
Is it as accepted in common discourse as it is now, occupying as much time as it does now?
Rarely. So you get far more over-the-top utterances than before. Moments of disrespect are now routine lifestyles.
Has it ever been as hypocritical as it is now?
Probably not. We've routinized the hypocritical. Instead of recognizing cat calling as hyperbole we take it as Gospel truth. We can't accept--and that's neither "we" (D), (R), liberals, conservtives, libertarians, etc., etc.--that our side says anything non-factual or hypocritical or that the other side(s) could possibly say anything factually true or not hypocritical.