this election, i heard a lot of people complaining about polarization and how the political climate is dividing the people or something. it seems this sentiment is increasing more and more. i find this to be a very disturbing trend. why? because such a sentiment is ripe for fascist exploitation. truly, the seemingly benign longing for common ground is far more insidious than one would think. a fascistic, antidemocratic opportunist is happy to prey on such a disenchantment with our pluralistic party system, thrusting in a self-serving third position into the mix to clear away the political mess and trample checks and balances. the fact of the matter is that a divided country is a free country, and democracy thrives when political tension is lively. irenicism is the trojan horse of tyranny.
United States