The Culture Wars with Michael Moynihan - WBD511

Michael Moynihan is a correspondent for Vice News and co-host of
The Fifth Column podcast. In this interview, we discuss identity
politics and its effect on framing issues such as the Russia
Ukraine conflict. We also cover culture wars, toxicity,
mainstream media, and freedom of speech.


- - - -


US polarisation has turned society into isolated camps with
defined ideologies and narrow cultural perspectives. Issues are
expressed in binary terms: you’re expected to have a for or
against a position. And the determination of which position to
take is increasingly made as a reaction to what the other side
believes. Politics is tribal.


There are obvious issues with this trend. People become
increasingly deaf to consideration of opposing views. The
Socratic method has been ditched in favour of blind alliance to a
given group. Critical thinking is decreasing; vitriolic rhetoric
is on the rise. Identity politics is resulting in a balkanisation
of our communities, as like seeks like, reinforcing the divide.


The impacts are becoming increasingly disorientating, as both
sides of the political divide align with beliefs that were
previously antithetical to their respective ideologies. For
example, the right and left have changed their relative positions
in terms of support and distrust of government agencies.


And, instead of trying to break down these barriers, our
representatives and media are increasingly fermenting and
exploiting these culture wars for financial gain. Media is
becoming beholden to audience capture, both in terms of the large
mainstream media corporations, and the wave of independent voices
rising from social media. Real journalism is on the wane.


The result is the true nature of life becomes clouded, including
events of huge geopolitical significance such as the Ukraine
Russian conflict. We’re unable now to distinguish fact and spin.
The real problem is that people are unable to unite and coalesce
around nationally vital policies. And as the world problems
become more complex, how will this all play out?