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Millions of Americans, depressed by the ideological divide in America, harbor a wish that something or someone can bridge this divide.
This wish is understandable. But it is fantasy. The divide is unbridgeable. One might as well wish that daily consumption of a hot fudge sundae will lead to weight loss.
To cite a few samples:
How are we to bridge the gap between those who believe men can become women and women can become men and those who don’t believe this? Between those who believe men menstruate and those who believe only women menstruate?
How are we to bridge the divide between those who believe “colorblind” is a racist notion and those who believe “colorblind” is the antidote to racism?
How are we to bridge the divide between those who believe Israel is the villain and Hamas is the victim and those who believe Israel is the victim and Hamas, which openly states its dedication to annihilating Israel and its Jewish inhabitants, is the villain, morally indistinguishable from the Nazis?
How are we to bridge the divide between those who believe young children should be brought to drag queen shows and those who believe this sexualization — and sexual confusion — of children is morally detestable?
How are we to bridge the divide between those who believe reducing the number of police will reduce violent crime and those who believe reducing the number of police will increase violent crime?
How are we to bridge the divide between those who believe in suppressing free speech if they deem any given speech “hateful” or “misinformation” and those who believe in free speech?
Every one of these positions is mutually contradictory. And this is just a partial list.
Ironically, even those who hold these mutually contradictory positions agree that these positions are unbridgeable. Only the naive (usually meaning non-left liberals) believe otherwise.
I recommend that any American who believes the left-right gap is bridgeable read the comments submitted by New York Times readers to any column that discusses a left or right position. These comments are a superb indicator of what those on the left, including liberals (I often distinguish between liberalism and leftism) believe. To submit a comment to a New York Times article or column, one must be a subscriber to the New York Times. So, virtually all those who comment are on the left, graduated from college and have enough disposable income to subscribe to the New York Times.
This came to my attention again this past week when reading all the most popular comments reacting to a column on “Christian nationalism” written by Ross Douthat, the one New York Times columnist who defends Christian conservatives.
“Christian nationalist” is the latest left-wing smear of conservatives. It joins “sexist,” “racist,” “homophobic,” “Islamophobic,” “transphobic,” “xenophobic,” “fascist” and “threat to our democracy” as the left’s way of smearing — rather than responding to, let alone debating — those with whom progressives differ.
Douthat wrote an intelligent column explaining four distinctive conservative Christian positions and groups.
The comments rated highest on the list of “Reader Picks” are not only left-wing; they are irrational. Few, if any, actually define “Christian nationalism.” They simply declare conservative Christians “Christian nationalists,” just as they declare “transphobic” anyone who opposes hormone blockers for minors or opposes men who say they are women competing in women’s sports.
These comments also reveal a lack of self-awareness I believe is a defining characteristic of leftism. Nearly every commenter writes that any American who seeks to advance policies rooted in Judeo-Christian values is a Christian nationalist and therefore a “threat to democracy.” But if you seek to advance policies or laws rooted in a secular value system, that is perfectly in accord with American democracy.
“We progressives can advance our agenda based on our values, but when our opponents promote their values from a biblical perspective, they threaten democracy.” In other words, leftists can bring their values into American life, but conservative Christians (and Orthodox Jews) may not.
As for the lack of self-awareness, the Left never perceives itself as imposing its values. The Left forced as many Americans as possible to get the frequently harmful COVID-19 vaccine. The Left forced young people who were at minimal risk from the virus to get vaccinated and forced children to miss school for nearly two years. But New York Times readers do not see themselves as imposing their values on Americans. In their minds, they never “threaten democracy”; only conservative Christians who wanted open churches and open schools did. And they never explain how, if a majority of the citizenry wants and votes for a particular value (or candidate) deemed conservative, democracy is “threatened.” Isn’t that the very definition of democracy — the candidate or policy with the most votes wins?
If you still think the left-right divide is bridgeable, it is only because it is too painful to confront the tragic reality of contemporary American life: Today’s left-right divide is at least as great as the North-South divide before and during the Civil War. The only thing that remains the same is that it was the Democratic Party that opposed freedom then, and it is the Democratic Party that opposes freedom today.
I could be very forgiving and all with those who were leftist who were ignorant. Who were unaware of what they didn’t know. Who still trusted the media and government.
Those who were radical I knew there was no bridge to be found. They wanted to lynch Trump for sharing the same common sense positions I held (and still do). They were followers who were pure evil in their ideology.
Now, I want no bridge. I want separation. I don’t want to sink with their ship. I don’t want doctors letting me die for my skin color (white). I don’t want to discuss anything with them.
There is no longer any excuse. I leave vengeance to God, and dream of living FAAAAARRR away from other humans.
I gave up flying six months after reading that United Airlines would be selecting their next group of pilots based on skin pigmentation and not experience or skill.
Let the politicians/corporations who made that ruling bear their misplaced decision. Me?, I’m driving thank you.
And Biden’s latest campaign slogan was “ Freedom” Dishonest. Just typical of the Left.
Biden’s definition of “Freedom”, reminds me of the way we give our pets pills. We get these things called pill Pouches and what Biden calls “Freedom”, we put the pill that the pets would other wise take inside the pouch and our pets happily swallow the pill. This is Biden’s “Freedom”.
Sadly, Prager speaks the truth. His examples of Democrat voters’ beliefs highlight their foolishness. The only hope for the country is that these fools become more wise, but I am not holding my breath.
Some Democrat supporters may understand the foolishness of these ideas, but they have vested interests in supporting them. A corrupt people elects corrupt leaders.
Our divide is much greater than before the Civil War. Both sides in that era held all the same beliefs, except re slavery. Today, we can’t even agree on the definition of a woman! Also, in that era we were a much more homogenous people re ethnicity, race, and religion (or lack thereof).
Hang on to your hat!
Good news is that liberals do sometimes pull their heads out, but it’s rare.
To wit, a former BLM, and former AntiFa member have videos on PragerU.
Another black guy did research to refute Kimberly Strassel’s book. The more he studied; the more conservative he became. (The epiphany came as he realized who was really lying to him.)
There’s hope, if we can change how our children are taught. Public schools are nothing more than woke madrassas. (Filthy trans-freaks touching 1st graders. Never imagined such garbage could even be considered.)
The left NEEDS division, without it they have no purpose in life and without it Marxism is doomed.
The only way forward that I can see is proportional representation, particularly as the islamics get their feet under the political table.
Btw in the UK every mosque remained open during the lockdown hysteria whilst all the churches closed like sheep. Mosques are now thriving whilst churches are closing.
It’s the ruling class elites and their pawns versus Christians and conservatives.
You are right, we must divide them. They will certainly try to divide us.
The divide is very disturbing but Kulturkamph or Intellectual and social civil war won’t change the heart or mind if someone who has never had the opportunity to explore traditional moral values
I do not understand the response of the normal people to being called racist. It usually arrives with a shriek. If you are so insecure as to reply “no I am not” you have lost. The shrieking then devolves into some story “proving” the respondent is not racist. Just say “so what.” Then watch and enjoy their response. You are dealing with people that are valium addicts. Do not forget it.
“Not bridgable”? Good, we don’t want a bridge with the Left-wing-nut-zombies. We want a further divide.
Mr. Prager is an admirable person for his thinking skills.
On another note, one addressed on a different page of these articles today referring to the treatment of animals: he once said that he believes in another 100 years or so we humans will have stopped killing animals to eat them. The thought is really barbaric for sure.
The left-right chasm has been unbridgeable for decades. There used to be a patriotic, anti-communist wing of the Democratic Party (people like Scoop Jackson). No more! Those liberal types are all gone; replaced by hard core leftists who openly reject America’s founding values, reject the Constitution’s limitations on central government power, and who reject democratic means in favor of bureaucratic edict, judicial fiat, and executive diktat. We could change the White House and all of Congress to Republican tomorrow and it won’t get in the way of the central tyranny, because these elected branches don’t run our government in post-constitutional America. The entrenched leftist bureaucrats do! In the absence of destroying their lawmaking power and returning it to the people’s representatives in Congress (no appetite for this in either Party), American decline is inevitable.
Oil and water do not mix. Alphabets living for the next exotic sexual experience have their own destiny and I want none of it.
The National Radio lnterview starts at 13:53…