In a broader sense, certainly the social media world has greatly exacerbated the polarization. But didn't most of us use to be able to talk politics and social issues without going nuclear in our desires to play active warriors on behalf of a single leader?Matnum PI wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 10:08 amIt's a focus group of one but that says worlds to me. I'm not suggesting anything in what i'm about to say, I'm just saying a thought, and... if, literally and metaphorically, we didn't have a Politics Forum, if people avoided political discussions, maybe, Lady Laker and you would still be friends. Maybe some of the people we've grown apart from and have grown apart from us would still be closer, literally and metaphorically, would still be at FanLax. Again, I'm not suggesting anything. Personally, I like knowing where people stand with more divisive issues, especially Trump-like stuff. With this said...MDlaxfan76 wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 9:57 amIMO, this Trump cult social media thing has had rather devastating effects.
Sure, an issue like abortion could generate a lot of heat at a dinner party (so generally avoided) but this is full on, all the time, all issues, attack mode. And flat out disinformation campaigns, toleration of flat out lying in the service of one's partisan interests.
For my part, I've avoided those other social media platforms that amplify, algorithmically, the most divisive such, the most outrageous such...LP and FL have offered a non algorithmic haven for discourse between people who may not agree, sometimes passionately, but in which some basic good conduct could be expected of one another...perhaps because of the other bond we share, our love of our sport held in common, but also because the forum is constructed differently and has some moderation as well as some self policing.