Washblog

Watching the rise of hate talk radio ratings while encountering even liberals who were buying into some of the crap KVI and others were serving up, caused me to think of the attraction as not unlike what attracts some to sports. People want to find common ground and belong to something. They want to have a basis for conversation provided for them without working for it. Sports as it turns out, became less convenient for busy and or lazy folks since the details and first hand experiences do not occur at commute time. When the right dominated commute time radio and the radio channel owners learned that almost as many who disagreed tuned in as those who agreed, the money flowed in and any effort at balance was shot down. Years of bombarding the same people with the same tone and message has had its effect and it will take years to gain back balance. So for now we have a wave of wingnuttightasses who really believe the dribble they spew.

by Particle Man on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 10:22:17 AM PST

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who wasn't hateful, but so lacking in respect for my perspective in relation to what is happening politically so lacking in a willingness to consider my point of view that my feeling of friendship died.  This is something about ideology -- it  demands that its believers place it above relationship.

You think that anger is not innate?  Hmm, surprising -- it seems like one of the most basic emotions that can, yes, cascade when you get hooked on the chemical high of it....

I have experienced anger in relation to what the Bush-ites/neo-cons are doing that has seemed to me to be the most powerful and simple force-of-nature response that is not personal, not under my control.  My actions and my words are under my control.  And I have a choice of whether I focus on the anger or let it go and move on to other things.  But the feeling itself does not seem to be under my control.  And it's always there, ready to get kindled, whether I am focusing on it or not.

This is not a mean-hearted feeling -- although I guess it could be directed that way if I had a pre-existing notion that in every case where a person does a bad thing -- or many bad things -- that he or she should be punished or hated.  I have been very interested about it....

by noemie maxwell on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 10:45:25 AM PST

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Thanks for the book recommendations!

I think anger IS a natural emotion.
I experience many physiological changes when I'm angry: feel blood rushing to my face, and my senses are blunted.
Consider if you hit somebody when you are angry: does it hurt your fist? Doesn't it hurt more if you hit something when you are not angry? We don't notice this much, mostly because we don't even think about hitting things with our bare hands when we aren't angry (because it hurts!)

We have lots of natural responses that need to be redirected to live in the civilized world. It is also natural to be afraid, but reacting to fear as animals do (by running or hiding) doesn't work because it doesn't address the causes of fear.

I recommend "Anger" by Thich Nhat Hanh, here is a quote:

If you think that compassionate people do not resist and challenge injustice, you are wrong. They are warriors, heroes, and heroines who have gained many victories. When you act with compassion, with non-violence, ... you have to be very strong.
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Human beings are not our enemy. Our enemy is not the other person. Our enemy is the violence, ignorance, and injustice in us and in the other person. When we are armed with compassion and understanding, we fight not against other people, but against the tendency to invade, to dominate, and to exploit. We don't want to kill others, but we will not let them dominate and exploit us or other people. You have to protect yourself.

by Lefty Mama on Sat Feb 11, 2006 at 01:08:37 PM PST

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