Is politics becoming too tribal and polarized?

[lombardo]

Unless I am mistaken this forum has a higher proportion of non-tribal individuals than most other places on the Internet. If you visit other forums you get mostly tribal people with group think. It's almost as if there is no place in this society where a free thinker can go without being given a label. And I get this impression that this society is only getting more and more polarized, in an aggressive way.

You are not allowed to not belong to either the left or right entirely. You can't agree with only some aspects of left wing or right wing beliefs. And if you fall slightly out of line you get labeled right-wing, socialist, communist, alt-right, TREF, snow-flake etc.

Take the example of trans issues. You can't have a slightly nuanced view such as some trans people may be genuine cases and others might not be (e.g. a confused kid or a male athlete looking for medals). You have to have an all or nothing approach.

 

[dougless]

I think politics, by its nature, has always been tribal.  I am not sure I agree that this forum is that open as I frequently come across posters who seem to spout right wing rhetoric; however I suspect I am overly sensitive to this as a left leaning individual.  As someone born in the 1950's, I have never seen our society more divided and I am not feeling optimistic about the general direction of travel at the moment.

In terms of issues being claimed as right or left wing, I would agree with the opening statement.  Many of the problems the UK is facing in 2020 cut across political beliefs and as such need a broad agreement on progress.  For examples of issues that hold this country back how about these; housing, health care, social inequality, levels of pay that will not give people enough money to live on, an emphasis on taxing income not wealth, the list goes on.  These all impact the UK, affect us all and should cut across political boundaries but unfortunately don't.