One thing that is becoming more and more apparent is that it is far easier to stir up "conservatives" than it is "liberals". I put those terms in quotes because the people I'm talking about while assuming those labels are sort of a new breed from the traditional groups.
At one time conservatives were know for people like William Buckley who brought an educated argument to the issues. Whether you agreed with him or not, it was something that could be argued and discussed in a civilized fashion. Similarly, liberals had their own champions who also argued based on facts and logic.
We have now entered an age where facts and logic have become irrelevant. Now you see the most blatant lies spread by "news" sources without any consequences. The lie are believed and spread and dominate our social media.
Even worse we have a president-elect who buys into these sources without question.
Now while both sides have their sites, the "conservative" or alt-right have tapped into an audience that is much more receptive to the lies being spread. Most likely its because they are angrier about what they perceive to be the erosion of values and economic opportunity while the far left is home to less angry people.
It seems that in general the things that drive the alt-right stir stronger emotions and perhaps some of the advances made by the left have made them more complacent.
The fact that voting rights are being denied to many minority communities via restrictions similar to Jim Crow or that gerrymandering in the States have led to a republican majority in the House is just not as upsetting as the abortion or gun control issues.
The process is such that we have fact checkers who challenge these inaccuracies but the people I'm talking about aren't reading liberal crap. The only news you can trust is from the very sources that spread these lies.
Liberals or progressives did show some passion during the Sanders campaign, but anger at the banks and the student debt weren't sufficient and didn't carry over to the general campaign.
I don't really know if there is a solution to this problem, it is likely to just get worse since it seems to be working.
Its scary when you see how these very things have cost other nations their freedoms.
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