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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH
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To: Howard C. who wrote (536787)2/6/2004 4:39:53 PM
From: cnyndwllr  Read Replies (2) of 769667
 
How do they become like that? I've thought about that a lot. I know many good people that live good lives and are good friends and neighbors, but are closed doors when it comes to rationally discussing "hot topic" issues.

When it comes to religion, politics or matters of personal importance, the curtains close on any ideas that fail to conform to their views. Alternatively, they tend to demonize those that hold such views and attribute "slick talking-lying-bad motives" to such people. The more persuasive such "bad" arguments are, the more they feel compelled not to listen.

The problem becomes extreme when the issues can be framed in an "us vs them" context, when those in religious or govermental authority encourage their views and when they find a forum (talk radio) that lends further credibility to their beliefs.

I saw the first seeds of this years ago but what really scared me was the Bush team's full frontal attack during the Florida election controversy. Gore was talking up the process and the institutions of our democracy as being well capable of handling the controversy; the Bush people were engaging in a scorched earth policy that would have left us a deeply divided, deeply distrusting nation if they had not succeeded in securing the presidency.

When you elect leaders that think in black and white terms, your black and white thinkers will be empowered and the result will be extreme extremism. We should beware the fate of such countries led by such thinkers in the past.
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