Apologies for the digression here, but I'll leave it at this.
Take an example like Fox news. Popular with the right, loathed by the left. If everyone who hated Fox didn't watch, their ratings would dive. But the haters can't quit watching. They have convinced themselves that they must watch to see what they're up to and spread the word far and wide. Now every story that's true, false, or in-between, is getting twice as much play on every interactive media channel. All that viral activity boosts ratings which ultimately means more money and influence for Fox news with an even greater reach than it could ever achieve by itself and for no extra investment on their part. Apply this model to anything that people hate but can't stop raging about.
One could probably even turn that into a political brand without even realizing it. Of course, that would probably never happen in our lifetimes...
I gave a talk one time on the Ongoing Zombie Apocalypse. It was a lunch presentation for a political group. So there was much interest in the title. People were curious why they didn't see the Zombies, etc. So my point in a nutshell, pun intended, was everyday 50% of our population watched a virus news organization that programmed people's minds so they were effectively walking around like zombies. They looked at life, parroted information, and lived as the parasitic news service told them to do. Many heads nodded. People assumed that I was talking about the "other side." And I was. Then I said, "imagine if you will, I could make the same speech to who your are imagining, and it would be true for them, too." I got comments after a long pause to what I meant by that. I said, "How many of you watch network X, or Network Y?" Almost every hand in the room went up. I then asked, "Do you agree mostly with what you see?" Show off hands, almost all again. "Would you agree you see life in the views and terms used by these networks, be honest?" Everyone started laughing at that point. We all see the OTHER side as bad. It's often funny to point out at the base level how similar we are even if ideology is different.
I ask people all the time why they are Republicans or Democrats. Most say, they grew up that way. So you were zombified early on! Others say things like, "I like how Republicans stand for Family Values." Then I ask if Democrats do, and usually I get, well Republicans do it MORE than Democrats. I usually get ideals that are noble from Republicans, like people should not depend on government to get by. Everyone should try and be self sufficient, etc. These are things all of us would agree on. I ask Democrats the same things. Usually they distinguish themselves by saying they want a social safety net for those who can't manage without help. They want government to provide that. It's a noble goal to want to care for your fellow man. Even Republicans I know don't want people to starve to death, etc.
My point is, we aren't that far off on goals, just the way those goals are solved. Whenever you have a community, from the smallest size ever of two people, to huge communities like Maricopa County, people have different views on how that should happen, and what resources to use to in living in those communities.
Long winded way of saying Qanaon based individuals have their viewpoint, no matter what we think of it. We have our viewpoints on their viewpoints according to this thread. They think about us differently, too. At the end of the day, we all are in this community. Our board is its own small community that passionately argues these points, I am assuming for fun. We are more alike than different. Mods try and keep us playing as gentlemen and ladies. Don't try and see each other in extremes on this board, because at the end of the day, we are probably more alike than different. Let's argue philosophies and subjects. Not who is better or worse than us!
Just kidding BIM. I think the way BIM does because I was way into magic as a kid, and mystery novels. It's all about misdirection. You never trust in either of those. They can misdirect. Same with media, internet, etc. I too am skeptical sometimes when someone is showing me something like that.
