TED Talks
Discuss the Messaging of the Talks
Haidt (2012) claims that Americans need to be united to fight common problems, such as climate change. America has a history of being united during times of problems, such as global wars and economic recessions. However, the country is continuously becoming divided into two groups on issues related to politics and economy, among others. In another TED Talk, Haidt (2016) claims that American society is continuously becoming more divided as time goes by. Americans are focusing more on their differences than similarities. The focus on differences is playing a more significant role in national politics.
What Changed between the Initial and Subsequent Talk
The two talks were delivered five years apart. Several factors account for the worsening of the division of the American society within the five years. One of these factors entails the increased penetration of social media into American society. Additionally, other issues causing increased division among Americans comprise of rising immigration (Haidt, 2016). Over the recent past, there has not been any issue that has brought Americans together regardless of one’s political or racial affiliation. According to Haidt (2016), individuals who were already adults during the world wars are more united than their children and grandchildren. The latter have a stronger feeling of hatred against each other and those who are different from them.
Do You See Any Changes Since the 2016 Talks
I think that the problem of hyper-partisanship has worsened in the country since 2016. This was evidenced in the just concluded Donald Trump impeachment proceedings. During these proceedings, the facts of the matter did not matter much to either the Republicans or Democrats. Instead, what mattered to many members of the Congress was their loyalty to their parties and not the issues they were asked to deliberate on. At the moment, America is experiencing a heated campaign for the upcoming elections. I have noted that the elections are barely about the issues the ordinary Americans are facing, such as homelessness and rising costs of living. Instead, the political campaigns are based on the Democrats bashing the Republicans and the other way around.