Interesting quote.

[nothumb]

Sure would. Unfortunately I've decided not to get a graduate degree in Politics or I might do a little research on similar conditions in other declining societies. As it stands, I'd rather play Boggle.

NT

[bholdr]

Obviously you're trying to draw paralells between the subject of this quote and the current political climate in the United States. I think that maybe you're seeing things a little out of perspective.

To believe that it's really any worse (in terms of the partisan bickering and un-cooperative tone in Washington) than it has been over the last two centuries is silly. It's always been more or less the same, sometimes (civil war, jefferson presidency, veitnam) much worse.

Despite the current appearance of rancor, the 'system' is functioning quite well, even somewhat hobbled, the U.S. economy dwarfs all competitors, and militarily we're still 5x as powerful as our nearest rival.

[sam h]

[ QUOTE ]
"It is characteristic of a society in decline that political discourse becomes polarized to extremes previously unimagined, with each side increasingly unable to pose practical, balanced solutions to even the simplest of problems."

[/ QUOTE ]

The real problem is that this quote obscures the important fact about the polarized environment of today. This is that while we are experiencing a very high degree of polarizing rhetoric and "side-choosing" the substantive policy positions of the two sides are incredibly close by historical standards on the issues that have traditionally been most salient in modern societies - redistribution and market governance.

If you want polarization, take a time warp back to 1968.

[Felix_Nietsche]

"It is characteristic of a society in decline that political discourse becomes polarized to extremes previously unimagined, with each side increasingly unable to pose practical, balanced solutions to even the simplest of problems."
*****************************************
Discuss.....
How about this, a lame arrogant quote by a political moderate (defintion: a person who does not know their own political beliefs so they mindlessly take the middle ground on every political issue) who wants to feel superior over the conservatives and liberals by wrapping themselves in the cloak of being 'above the fray'...

[Aytumious]

This quote could have easily been written by your namesake Nietzsche about when the "herd" mentality has taken over the political discourse in a nation.

[EarlCat]

[ QUOTE ]
Politics forum is full of morons. Conservatist and liberal morons.

This is my last post in the politics forum.

Bye morons!

[/ QUOTE ]

Why do people feel compelled to tell us this? Are we supposed to send a good-bye present?

[Felix_Nietsche]

Mindlessly taking the middle position takes no courage...
As a famous radio personality says, 'they will never write a book called the 'Moderates Who Changed the World''.....

By the way, what qualifications do you have to KNOW Nietzsche's opionion on the mentioned quote?

[Kaz The Original]

The us is not polarized to extremes. The democrats and the republics, while they both have differences, are no where near as different as say many european political parties, or even Canada's political spetrum.

[InchoateHand]

Its fascinating this vision of a "polarized" America---the Dems and Reps. are closer in terms of actual policy than at any point in the last Century. Not only that, but vast empirical studies (for what they are worth--and feel free to google what I'm talking about) show that the majority of the citizenry agress on most issues. This gigantic gulf simply doesn't exist--but constantly ragging on it serve interests on both more extreme sides.
Ah well.

[InchoateHand]

Both economically and militarily we will be China's bitches inside the next four decades. I'm hardly xenophobic, so I'll leave my value judgements out of this, but within most of our life times China will come to dominate the world stage. There is nothing that can stop this except the Chinese themselves, so I suggest others learn Mandarin. (It is actually a reasonably easy language to learn, despite the vast efforts of memorization if you want to more fully appreciate its ideographic calligraphy).