Ben Werdmuller on How aesthetics destroyed privacy and polarized us:
So is it possible that what we’re seeing is not polarization but a lack of political masking? I’d offer that, perhaps, more people feel more free to express radical opinions, because there is more social proof of people having them in public. In turn, more people are exposed to those arguments and find themselves attracted to them.
I think this is definitely a huge part of it. I’ve lived my entire life in a backwoods Ohio town and I’ve never so much as found a place of employment where most of my coworkers weren’t openly racist and homophobic. When they think you’re one of them, they’ll always go straight for the bigoted shit talking. It’s their entire personality.
I’m a pretty average white guy, so they don’t usually assume that I could have any people of color in my family, let alone that I’m a bisexual commie liberal. It’s always awkward when I have to speak up about it.
In a small industrial town full of conservatives, people are much more open with their hatred of everyone different from them. I’d imagine it’s quieter in bigger cities, but they’re everywhere. And they’re getting more and more comfortable “coming out” about it.
Original post by Tracy Durnell
