Given a list of four options and asked which they hold most responsible for divisions among Americans, voters say social media (35 percent), political leaders (32 percent), cable news channels (28 percent), and other countries (1 percent).”
“The group that holds social media most responsible for divisions among Americans is voters 18 – 34 years old. Forty-five percent of voters 18 – 34 years old hold social media the most responsible, followed by cable news (27 percent) and political leaders (26 percent).”
The correct answer is “40 years of Reaganomics.” Even without modern media, this level of income inequality inevitably leads to unrest.
If you’re defining Reganomics strictly within the bounds of government policy, then that’s an answer provided by way of politicians.
If you want to expand your definition to include the societal notions that became internalized as a result of the policies and how they’re perpetuated, the news and social media are a part of that too.
At this point, you’ve covered every answer except foreign states.
So you can maybe try and map the existing answers to:
-politicians being the policy enforcers (of Reganomics)
-cable media being the billionaire class mouthpiece to maintain those policies
-social media being the internalized perpetuation of those policies
Like a wheel rolling on a bicycle, which which is the spoke most responsible for keeping the machine upright?
I guess my point is that just saying “Reganomics” is just an incanation that some people mutter to conjure broad, bland, completely unspecific injustice. Internalizing it as a single word to dunk on people isn’t very useful.
I actually think the answers provided by the quiz have significantly more value than if there was an option E, of “40 years of Reaganomics”, as you suggest.
The “answers provided by the quiz” just serves to allow for the demonization of critical, democratic entities/institutions with no regard for nuance or root cause.
Unchecked capitalistic exploitation ≠ politicians
Information manipulation and exploitation ≠ mediaMedia (& social media) & politicians are not inherently bad. “An incantation some people mutter to conjure broad, bland, completely unspecific justice” indeed.
40 uninterrupted years of Reaganomics.
40 uninterrupted years of Reaganomics so far.
and other countries (1 percent)
Russia laughing in the background
Multiple external factors have contributed heavily, but we still have to take responsibility for having let it happen. We have re-elected the politicians behind it, continued to watch the media that propogates it, and failed to act against the massive income inequality that ultimately drives it. Most of us have been going about our lives hoping this would go away. I include myself in that. We will have to put in a lot more time and effort if we really want this fixed.
It’s dark money interests paying for astroturfing and lies.
Those other guys, obviously
