Sarah Palin is joining Fox News.
Cue the cheers from her fans and loyalists who will get her fresh and mavericky take on world events and politics.
Cue the jeers from her detractors, who are already writing punchlines that reinforce their existing opinions.
The fact is we now live in a strange age, one where there really is no common ground.
Years ago, one could read an analysis from the left and one from the right, and somewhere in the middle there would be an intersection from which one could reconstruct an objective truth. But that doesn’t happen anymore. The circles have split, and those in the left bubble can’t even fathom the cognitions of those in the right bubble (and thus conclude those in the right bubble are incapable of anything approaching reason and cognition.)
We’re now seeing the consequences of feeding your brain with only one side – selecting and never leaving your ever-deafening echo chamber: ultimately, you surround yourself with more noise, and get no closer to objective truth.
I think the disjoint is more likely to boil down to the wildly different philosophies than who we hear; frankly, everyone I know over the age of 30 hears a lot of the liberal side, and almost nothing from anyone who agrees with them. They’re still majority conservative, because their philosophies don’t agree with those of the majority liberal media.
Just off the top of my head, there’s a massive divide in who is responsible for actions, the nature of being a human, the purpose of government, the morality of self defense…
Perhaps the lack of critical thinking/logic in schools? Or the habit of many folks to go with the “never just wrong, but evil” way of dealing with conflict?
Good point. The left-right divide is amazing.
The challenges we face as a people probably don’t have a “left” or “right” answer. Even little disputes between my 7 year old and nine year old come as cleanly as only two sides. That we’re forced to choose between “left” or “right” leaves us destitute.
Love the title of your blog. Since you’re into philosophy, I’ll quote one of the folks I enjoy reading:
“There are no brute facts. Facts are not independent of their interpretation” Cornelius Van Til
Thank you. ^.^
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I’ve got a shirt from the Cardinal Ratzinger fan club that says “truth is not determined by a majority vote.”
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(still trying to figure out how this platform works….)
This is a great thought starting post, Ike. Like you say, mediums are merging all over the place. “Traditional” and “new” media, print and online, marketing and social media, and people and roles they play.
Long may it continue, I say – I’m tired of the status quo and doing something because everyone says that’s just the way it goes.
Cheers!