The Hate
Published April 30, 2004
Right Wing radio exists to blast away at those evil liberals. And Left Wing radio just launched what they hope will be their biggest show, the title of which (The O'Franken Factor) is a clear indication of its chief goals. We have gone from doing the debate to doing the dozens. And we get it twenty-four hours a day. The pundits go off the air. The haters just move on to the next show (often times, we don't even need to touch the dial). The coverage never stops. The game is never over. The hate becomes institutionalized.
And now the hate that has been marketed into the very fabric of the American public consciousness is working its way back up (or down) to the pundits and the politicians. If hate sells, how do you (why would you) ever turn it off? There is less hand-shaking at the end of the political shows and less respect among colleagues in the Senate and the House. We don't want compromises or solutions. If someone offered Red Sox fans a salve that would make them feel better about Yankee successes, think anyone would use it?
Would you want something wonderful to happen in America even if it meant that the opposing party got all the credit and was, in fact, right all along? Ever sort of hope that Osama gets caught at a moment that is most beneficial to your man in the presidential race? We are in fact addicted to the hate. What gets your juices flowing more: A great, new policy idea From the guy you're supporting or an offensive gaffe by the guy you hate? We thought 9-11 would bring us together. Instead we use it to attack the other party. And that gets to the heart of the problem. This isn't a game. Somewhere along the way the contempt will become too extreme (if it isn't already). Carville and Matalin may stay married, but the creative intimacy will disappear and the metal trunk filled with whips, chains, handcuffs and an industrial-grade buffer will remain un-opened at the foot of their two twin beds.
Again, I don't want to put myself in some kind of a category of higher thought or meaning. I hate you even more now that I've written several paragraphs worth of content without letting off some steam and attacking you. I sort of hate myself for hating you so much but I mostly hate you for making me feel this way. I am as much a victim of this disease as anyone and I don't see a cure for any of us anytime soon.
If it gets much worse, I may have to hump a Republican.
- The Hate
- Published: April 30, 2004
- Type:
- Section: Politics
- Filed Under: Culture: Media
- Writer: davepell
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This is nothing new, nor is it as bad as it has been in the past. Readers of a Certain Age and politcal persuasion will no doubt have heard stories of how you couldn't even mention FDR in the house for fear of tirades. He was hated by many in ways to make Clinton- and Bush-hate look mild. Heck, Lincoln and even Jefferson got it. Stories about Clinton fathering a child by a Little Rock prostitute only mirror stories about Jefferson fathering a child by one of his slaves.
Deep vitriolic nastiness is not a modern development. I suspect it's only that we lack the ability to compartmentalise that the more formal society of the 19th century had that makes today's ugly politics more pervasive. "All politics is personal" has also smeared the nastiness over every part of life today. Maybe rampant commercialisation has had an effect, too.
The pervasiveness and invasiveness of the media is a big factor in stoking the fires.
Certainly the hate among politicians has been around forever (I actually edited out a paragraph about that topic before submitting the post). What i am mainly interested in is not the hate between Bush and Clinton, but rather that the hate has spread so completely to the masses, including those who really don't care that much about politics or follow any of the day to day action.
This is an interesting topic. I like the analogy of the football fans. I'd add to it that the hate that carries over after the football game is similiar to - no acknowledgement that the other team might have had one or two good plays. They might not see that play as a good offense but a bad defense. So it becomes harder to give the other side ANY credit over time. And then of course there's always blaming the bad defense on the previous coach.
"Instead we use it to attack the other party. And that gets to the heart of the problem. This isn't a game. Somewhere along the way the contempt will become too extreme (if it isn't already). "
politics has been like this for awhile. It may be gradually worsening, though. the reason is because almost all, if not all, serious politicians are serious because they are self-absorbed, selfish individuals. Anyone who'd actually be any good is too busy doing something else. I dunno enough about the situation in the US, but here in the UK, i feel very little motivation to vote, as i don't believe there is anyone in politics who'd do even a halfway decent job of running the country. Anyone who would is far too clever to even try.
I don't hate someone just because he/she doesn't like Bush and won't vote for him. But I may begin to dislike them if they call him a Nazi, or call him a moron or a habitual liar.
Politics is supposed to be about ideas and policies. When it degenerates into name-calling against the guy I support, I will naturally argue with the individual spewing this bile.
A dialogue ensues, usually not of any value other than to polarize the two participants, as well as those just reading the discussion. And "hate" is then just a hop-skip-and-jump away...
It's sad, but it's human nature. We are all captive of it. So be it.
I absolutely fucking HATE John F. Kerry.
So sue me...
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Brilliant essay Dave, it's a huge problem and we even see some of the ramifications here.