Harsanyi - How Obama Divides America

Hard hitting stuff over at Reason.com posting an op-ed from David Harsanyi.

Excerpts:

Seemingly every political battle waged by the modern Democratic Party—gay rights, immigration, climate change, inequality—is imbued with a kind of spiritual certitude that justifies circumventing debate. If a person who opposes the Obama administration's transgender bathroom policy is just like a Klansman, why even discuss the matter? In this context, the histrionics of Democrats in Congress over guns or the media's melodramas make all the sense in the world. [.......]

If you continually claim that every problem in America is driven by hate, people may start believing you. According to a new Pew Research Center poll, Americans' perception of race relations is more negative today than it has been in 20 years. About 48 percent of those polled claim that "race relations are generally bad." And 36 percent of adults say that "too much attention" is paid to race and racial issues today. Are things really worse today than they were 30 years ago? Fifty years?

When Obama calls for unity (you'll recall this was a big part of his first campaign), he's not talking about a nation that maximizes its freedom so that there is space for an array of cultural outlooks and ideas. He means a nation of diverse people who can all agree that progressivism is right for the nation.

Reading my Facebook newsfeed each day is a window into the divide --
Friends who are gun owners defending gun rights and other friends demanding more gun control ...
Friends who think the UK is crazy to do Brexit and others posting articles explaining it isn't such a bad idea ...
Friends who support Hillary and friends who don't ...
Friends who support Trump and friends who don't ...
Friends who think there is no room for objections to LGBT at any level and those who have reservations for religious reasons ...
Friends who think groups and people that are skeptical of global warming are criminal or crazy and those who link to articles that question climate change ...
Friends who support more immigration and others who thinks maybe it is time to slow down ...
Friends who are atheists who think theists are stupid and theists who think atheists are stupid ...
Friends who hate the 1% and businesses and there are those who question government over-regulation ...

And on and on ... and both sides blast the other side ...

People have always had differing opinions but now in the world of social media, it is available for everyone to see. On one hand, maybe it can open up real conversation? On the other hand, it may feed into polarization?