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This week's comic: "Polarization" is a reality-obscuring weasel word#media #journalism #authoritarianism
DJ [REDACTED] π¨π¦πͺπΊπΊπ¦
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Afternoon T
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •ββ¦ our gracious host would really _like_ to be just a little bit to the left of a technocratic center, and to debate those just a little bit to his right about optimal policies within a shared objective function, and pretending that it is a technical and not a political discussion..."
Harald Werner
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •craignicol
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •in physics, polarization of light means that you can only see a tiny sliver of reality.
Basically, polarisation looks like this youtu.be/aiMLJAZajxg
Keep up the great work π
T. Mohammad from Gaza
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Taran Rampersad
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •just because people use the word improperly doesn't mean the word should be canceled.
For example, a legitimate use: centralized social media polarizes as a byproduct of the incentives of platform owners.
True.
How it's used in the wrong contexts, though, is something that should be called out.
A simple question to ask the claimant is, "How?"
That generally stops them from abusing a useful word in future. π
Jen Sorensen
in reply to Taran Rampersad • • •Taran Rampersad
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Agreed. And it makes the point that it's not just social media, either. It's media.
Which is also a fair point.
Faraiwe
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •117% that.
You never fail to deliver, and we love you for that, and more. Keep trucking!
Jen Sorensen
in reply to Faraiwe • • •Peter Brown
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •That produces a range of political parties reflecting the range of political views.
Remy Whisker
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Nantucket Lit
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •mossyrua
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Regendans
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •π¦© Plastic Garden Fauna π¦©
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Polarization : 2020's :: Class warfare : 1990's
And 60% of America has no fucking clue what any of the above means or how to read it.
Nazo
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •It's hard to emphasize enough how much of the "polarization" is indeed just someone saying "those people should be dead" versus someone else saying "I'd rather not be dead."
But what's really sick is how much this country bends over backwards to give air time to the ones who say "those people should be dead." The person who says "I'd rather not be dead" has to word things very carefully to even be heard. The one who wants them dead gets quoted verbatim.
troy_friz_zell
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •disorderlyf
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •GhostOnTheHalfShell
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Zach
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •kupac^ESC:wq
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •8Petros [Free Radical]
in reply to kupac^ESC:wq • •Victor Westerhuis likes this.
Lucy Weir
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Cat!
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •I've often felt the same about the word 'divisive'. People who draw attention to a division are so often accused of causing the division.
All it comes down to is people who prefer ignoring problems over solving them. People who, as Martin Luther King Jr. said, "prefer a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice."
Randall Lee
in reply to Cat! • • •Passenger
in reply to Cat! • • •@Catriona
Yeah, absolutely this.
I get very annoyed by senior leadership types who use "divisive" to mean "disagreeing with me", ignoring their own instances of genuinely divisive behaviour.
Flipper π¬π³οΈβπ
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •This is also how I feel when (quite frankly: mostly conservative) people bemoan the "lack of civility" or "death of manners". What they really mean is: can the people who used not to be able to speak out just shut up again so I can enjoy my nice cup of status quo.
Love your comics.
Zoidberg For President
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Traveling OSM Salesperson Problem βπ³οΈβππ³οΈββ§οΈπΊπ¦
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •Thanks for making this…the word had been annoying me for a while, and now I know why 🙂
I improved the alt text a bit for sharing somewhere, figured it could also be useful here -
Four-panel comic.
Panel one: “It’s a common refrain these days.”
Nattering Noggins hosts: “The problem as i see it is that America has become too polarized.” “Yes, it’s so sad.”
Panel two: “But the term “polarization” can be a form of both-sidesing that obscures specifics.”
Armed extremist: I’m here to stop the transgenders from destroying the country.
Transgender person: I prefer not to die, and sometimes share this opinion!
Panel three: “When a movement becomes extremist, do we really want to see the opposition as part of the problem?”
Man: Anyone who helps a 10 year-old rape victim get an abortion should go to jail!
Woman: That’s barbaric and I’m going to do everything I can to fight it.
This panel has th
... Show more...Thanks for making thisβ¦the word had been annoying me for a while, and now I know why π
I improved the alt text a bit for sharing somewhere, figured it could also be useful here -
Four-panel comic.
Panel one: βItβs a common refrain these days.β
Nattering Noggins hosts: βThe problem as i see it is that America has become too polarized.β βYes, itβs so sad.β
Panel two: βBut the term βpolarizationβ can be a form of both-sidesing that obscures specifics.β
Armed extremist: Iβm here to stop the transgenders from destroying the country.
Transgender person: I prefer not to die, and sometimes share this opinion!
Panel three: βWhen a movement becomes extremist, do we really want to see the opposition as part of the problem?β
Man: Anyone who helps a 10 year-old rape victim get an abortion should go to jail!
Woman: Thatβs barbaric and Iβm going to do everything I can to fight it.
This panel has the warning, βPolarization Alertβ.
Panel four: βWould this be better?β
Man in military gear: You will do as I say, subhuman!
Latino man: I will politely acquiesce!
Nattering Noggins host: How nice! No more polarization!
ShiroBloo
in reply to Jen Sorensen • • •@jensorensen