"The effort to raise the level of sociopolitical discourse has failed miserably"

I was going to say something similar - because when you stop to consider all the information we have available to us today, compared to even just 10 years ago, its just amazing. but perhaps the quality of information we look at, choose to zero in on, select, has gone way down due to very short attention spans (due to our heavy duty TV watching starting in the 70s... due to...).. aw hell, who knows?

we should be better educated and more globally aware. but as a nation, I have to say we are headed in the other direction. and I believe that was the author's whole point.

I agree with you completely. Too much info and too much "analysis" of this info. With the advent of CNN (twenty years ago?) we now see the same one line news story all day long with so many stupid talking heads adding more and more of the same @#$%. I yearn for a "just the news" network. Hell, I yearn for the Cronkite era...

I agree with you completely. Too much info and too much "analysis" of this info. With the advent of CNN (twenty years ago?) we now see the same one line news story all day long with so many stupid talking heads adding more and more of the same @#$%. I yearn for a "just the news" network. Hell, I yearn for the Cronkite era...

I could do without cable news except during elections. But I certainly would not want to do away with the internet and bloggers. Their depth and analysis is incredibly valuable. I'd hate to go back to a time where everything going on the world had to be crammed into three, one hour nightly news casts.

I think this has possibly always happend as Skunky noted, we simply were not as aware of it.

It was not shoved in our face 24/7 by media on TV, Internet, our phones, etc.

Civility in discussion of opposing views is something very rare these days. So many people can't seem to state their opinion without insulting everyone that disagrees with them.

I think this has possibly always happend as Skunky noted, we simply were not as aware of it.

It was not shoved in our face 24/7 by media on TV, Internet, our phones, etc.

Civility in discussion of opposing views is something very rare these days. So many people can't seem to state their opinion without insulting everyone that disagrees with them.

Instant 'news', sound bites and the internet's enablement of anyone to be 'the media'.

I think these are major changes in politics since my youth.

Couple these with much lower standards of civil behavior and discourse in general and you end up with the messiness we have now.

Instant 'news', sound bites and the internet's enablement of anyone to be 'the media'.

I think these are major changes in politics since my youth.

Couple these with much lower standards of civil behavior and discourse in general and you end up with the messiness we have now.

agree!

people & politics are the same, as skunky states, but society has changed in ways its hard to even begin to fathom. TV and internet, cell phones, and all manner of technology has changed everything about the way we live and interact. there are other factors, such as how we raise our children, that enter into the equation. have children and young adults always been so "entitled" and so seriously immune to manners, with absolutely no shame? or is this what all "old" people say about the younger generation? (skunky may have a point - seems like I remember my grandparents railing about the young people having no manners, etc)...