- File this under, "More Trouble Brewing."
Aside from dirty tricks and name calling, implementing a boycott program has become the tactic of choice for voicing displeasure with a political opponent. Boycotts are certainly not new, but their use in politics has accelerated in leaps and bounds over the last ten years. Back in 2010, I discussed the left's attempt to muzzle Glenn Beck's program on Fox News whereby they called for a boycott of the sponsors of his show. We may not know how effectively this worked, but we all know Beck is long gone from Fox.
This was all kicked up a notch when Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president and called for a cleanup of our immigration problems. Shortly thereafter, the liberal boycott machine went into overdrive and called on companies to sever ties with the billionaire, such as Macy's who dropped his line of ties and apparel. In turn, this backfired on Macy's when thousands of Trump supporters registered complaints with the store and destroyed their Macy's cards.
Three of the Cooking Channel's celebrities have also taken Trump to task on his positions, such as José Andrés, Geoffrey Zakarian, and Anthony Bourdain. Again, Trump supporters are pushing back and boycotting not only their shows, but the network itself. It is hard to imagine a cooking network becoming politicized, but it has.
Liberal Democrats are also actively encouraging the boycott of Trump hotels, golf courses, television programs, and to stop conducting business with his television sponsors. Scared of losing revenues, many of the companies withdrew their support of Trump. Yet, Republicans have taken notice and are now boycotting the boycotters. It is getting to the point we cannot conduct business without first verifying the other person's political inclinations.
The press actively contributes to the polarity of the country as well. Shortly after Trump's announcement, the Huffington Post refused to place any news about the billionaire in their political section, instead posting it under "entertainment." Univision also severed their relationship with Trump and is assuming the role of leading Latino opponents. Latinos also protested NBC's Saturday Night Live for allowing Trump to host the show on November 7th.
It appears the more belligerent the liberals become, the more conservatives are willing to stand up and push back. This extends to the press who has not been kind to GOP candidates. For example, the ratings of Megyn Kelly's show on Fox News took a beating after her run-in with Trump in the first GOP debate. This became uglier following the third GOP Debate in Colorado where the CNBC moderators baited and attempted to assassinate the character of the candidates. However, instead of taking it, as they commonly do, the candidates collectively fought back much to the moderators' surprise. Even though the debate generated the highest viewership in CNBC history, plus record setting advertising revenue, the GOP candidates were so angry with the network they cancelled another NBC debate scheduled for February. Again, for every attack by the left, the Republicans have learned to counterattack.
Not appreciating criticism of any kind, the press is stepping up their attacks on the candidates. Understanding the rift, the integrity of the press is now questioned by the public. If it is discovered the press is distorting the facts, or misrepresenting the candidates, they will lose whatever trust the people had in them.
Between boycotts, inflammatory accusations, and confrontations among protestors on the streets, the polarity of the people are at a flash point where I suspect fisticuffs and perhaps a lot worse may be in the offing. For example, consider last year's confrontation in Nevada between rancher Clive Bundy and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Other examples include the anger of American vets over the Government shutdown two years ago, or the Occupy Wall Street movement. We also are witnessing the rise of Black Lives Matter, a group recommending violence to what is perceived as police brutality. We also see a resurgence of the Black Panthers, and the Nation of Islam.
The fact is, the polarity of the American people is reaching new heights. If we are not careful, we will explode into violence and bedlam. Maybe this is what the anarchists want who desperately yearn for a revolution to change America.
It is difficult to hold a conversation about politics today without it turning heated. Whereas the Republicans historically were more sedate when confronted, they are now more inclined to sharply refute derogatory comments. This may very well be caused by conservatives such as Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Sean Hannity and others who are teaching their audiences to oppose liberals as opposed to allowing them to have their way. The same is true in Congress, which explains our culture of gridlock.
Plain and simple, we have become less tolerant of the other side's viewpoint and are willing to go to any length to fight back for what we believe in. Aside from violence, boycotting has become the tool of choice to hurt opponents economically.
If you think the disparity between the Republican Congress and Democratic President Obama is bad, wait until the next president is elected. Regardless of who it is, the other side will simply not roll over and accept it. This speaks volumes in terms of our deteriorating culture.
Related articles:
Keep the Faith!
Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.
Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com
For Tim's columns, see: timbryce.com
Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.
Copyright © 2015 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.
NEXT UP: ARE WE GETTING LAZY? - some interesting statistics describe a change is underfoot.
LAST TIME: PEARL HARBOR DAY - Remembering the day of "Infamy."
Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) "The Town Square" with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern); WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington "The Morning News" with hosts Dave Ettl & Lance Tormey (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube.
No comments:
Post a Comment