On: In-Party Love, Out-Party Hate, and Affective Polarization in Twelve Democracies

[spencerflem]

Gtfo with this. The problem is not ‘polarization’ it’s that so many people are willingly and knowingly cruel when they get the chance.

[dmichulke → spencerflem]

Cruel as in

- physically violent,

- destructive to others' property, or

- expressing negative opinions verbally?

[jasonsb → dmichulke]

None of the above. Cruel as in manipulating others and taking advantage of others for their own personal gain whenever they get the chance.

[mock-possum → dmichulke]

All of the above, of course! Why should it be otherwise?

[spencerflem → dmichulke]

They are sending the military into cities to shoot people.

ICE prisoners are made to lap water off the floor like dogs.

My trans friends are making plans to flee the country in advance of their existence being criminalized

[Muromec → spencerflem]

EU denies asiel requests already filled by trans people from US citing no real threat to safety.

[pavlov → Muromec]

German Jews fleeing in 1933-39 couldn’t get asylum in most countries either (including USA).

They say shit isn’t bad enough, until it is, and then it’s too late to leave.

[zpeti → spencerflem]

Cruelty is your perceived behaviour of people on the other side sticking up for their values.

I can both argue that it’s cruel to not have housing for everyone,

while also arguing it’s cruel to tax away 40-50% of an entire country’s productivity (people’s actual work) to pay for houses for people who have never worked or paid taxes in their life.

Who’s right? Who’s cruel? Both sides and both. This is why I find this cruelty argument so bad.

[Nasrudith → zpeti]

Those values all come from straight up your ass. Both the numbers and the idea that the other side has any values to stick up for other than cruelty. They operate in bad faith consistently and are more than happy to pay for far things more expensive than just housing if it leads to more suffering. ICE isn't cheap you goddamned evil hypocrites.

[spencerflem → zpeti]

If your values allow for what ICE is doing, your values suck and I don’t like you

[Muromec → spencerflem]

But if my values allow it, thats just isolated incidents in the execution of otherwise very nicel policy

[spencerflem → Muromec]

The only explanation for supporting what they’re doing is a desire to know that there’s another group more oppressed. To ‘win’.