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No, it hasn't always been like this; I think Watergate changed it, and maybe Vietnam. Joel Send a noteboard - 02/10/2009 02:13:07 AM
It has been this bad since the election of 1796 (i.e., after Washington retired). Campaigns and politics were every bit as brutal back then when compared to today. Obviously, 24/7 news makes more people aware of it, but I think Friedman is ignoring history on purpose in order to make the point he wants.

Politics have been brutal since the dawn of time, of course. But this current polarization, the constant scandals, that hasn't always been that way. Couldn't have been - they lacked the technological means for it, honestly. In an era without omnipresent cameras and microphones, without pundits constantly giving their opinion on everything and everyone on TV or radio, politicians had much less opportunity to profile themselves with words and as a result were busy more with actions.

Sure there were always demagogues and extremists, but the '60s seem to be the era more than any other when BOTH sides claimed the moral highground and began dismissing their opposition as not only wrong on policy, but humanity. The leftwing extremists painted the right as blood thirsty, cynical greed mongers and the rightwing extremists painted the left as godless, cowardly sex and drug crazed hedonists. We often forget (and I'm definitely part of THIS "we" ) that very people truly want to see their country fail, and almost no one self-identifies with evil. As cynical and murderous as they were, I bet even Mao, Stalin and Hitler genuinely believed they were doing the right thing, which, if nothing else, should be an object lesson in why we shouldn't lend extremists are ears.
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Where Did "We" Go? Legolas - 01/10/2009 09:30:12 PM 697 Views
Good column Mad Cow Bomber - 01/10/2009 10:20:26 PM 367 Views
Just some kid random thoughts - 01/10/2009 11:31:46 PM 428 Views
How do you change this though? nossy - 01/10/2009 10:51:10 PM 330 Views
Good question. Legolas - 01/10/2009 11:06:10 PM 321 Views
i've always said political districts should be cut by zip code moondog - 02/10/2009 06:22:54 AM 304 Views
Pelosi is part of the problem random thoughts - 01/10/2009 11:10:45 PM 319 Views
She's a good example of two wrongs don't make a right. nossy - 01/10/2009 11:31:29 PM 313 Views
that was hyperbole, as he's said OVER AND OVER imlad - 02/10/2009 06:21:16 PM 298 Views
really which elected leaders on the right talked about death panels? random thoughts - 02/10/2009 06:41:05 PM 319 Views
Dumb column from Friedman.....read a history book..... trzaska2000 - 01/10/2009 11:15:46 PM 339 Views
politcas has always been a full contact sport random thoughts - 01/10/2009 11:40:19 PM 307 Views
I disagree, obviously. Legolas - 02/10/2009 12:11:48 AM 403 Views
No, it hasn't always been like this; I think Watergate changed it, and maybe Vietnam. Joel - 02/10/2009 02:13:07 AM 404 Views
remarkably, i agree with the troll moondog - 02/10/2009 06:27:40 AM 333 Views
Partisanship, yes, but this is more than that. Joel - 02/10/2009 06:57:14 AM 399 Views
i see things at a different level than you do moondog - 02/10/2009 07:31:24 AM 325 Views
Personally, I think you're seeing the cart rather than the horse, but that's just me. Joel - 02/10/2009 08:14:46 AM 433 Views
Not true Roland00 - 02/10/2009 12:32:58 AM 325 Views
why did we fight the Spanish American War and the War of 1812 again? random thoughts - 02/10/2009 04:18:56 AM 285 Views
You just completely undermined your point Roland00 - 02/10/2009 06:22:54 AM 336 Views
No you simply missed the point random thoughts - 02/10/2009 02:40:30 PM 326 Views
don't forget imlad - 02/10/2009 06:50:17 PM 287 Views
I didn't forget it, it was in my first line for part A Roland00 - 03/10/2009 12:53:18 AM 318 Views
honest??? imlad - 02/10/2009 06:46:30 PM 291 Views
all things are relative random thoughts - 02/10/2009 10:11:27 PM 296 Views
maybe we should go back to the good old days of Aaron Burr imlad - 02/10/2009 06:25:37 PM 330 Views
I think the role of cable news is over played random thoughts - 01/10/2009 11:29:26 PM 329 Views
Possibly. Legolas - 02/10/2009 12:02:05 AM 338 Views
To many people distrust the media for it to be just the right who distrust them random thoughts - 02/10/2009 04:15:50 AM 382 Views
Why thoughts on British politics TheCrownless - 02/10/2009 01:55:59 AM 336 Views
i agree that the fringe has way more power than it should, but... moondog - 02/10/2009 06:38:41 AM 324 Views
I think Friedman puts it very well when he says... Legolas - 02/10/2009 11:24:02 AM 298 Views
did I read this correctly? random thoughts - 02/10/2009 03:00:33 PM 326 Views
As I already told you, this is not about "the left" complaining. Legolas - 02/10/2009 03:38:15 PM 409 Views
it didn't become an issue until it started hurting the left random thoughts - 02/10/2009 04:44:29 PM 302 Views
Eh, many aspects of it have been criticized for a long time. Legolas - 02/10/2009 09:12:22 PM 363 Views
a few points random thoughts - 02/10/2009 11:23:12 PM 547 Views
Re: a few points Legolas - 03/10/2009 12:52:03 AM 458 Views
one final point random thoughts - 03/10/2009 06:48:09 AM 287 Views
also, about clinton, since you say you were too young to remember... moondog - 02/10/2009 06:47:45 AM 426 Views
really because my memory goes back further then that and things were nasty then to random thoughts - 02/10/2009 03:04:58 PM 291 Views
Is it that bad ? AgentOrange - 02/10/2009 06:06:34 PM 291 Views
No, where did common sense go? Vodalus - 02/10/2009 10:27:22 PM 315 Views
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