Reddit reviews Demagoguery and Democracy

Rhetoric professor here.

Aristotle said 2300 years ago that ethos (which includes how we define us versus them) tends to trump logos.

For a more recent view of how this works, see Patricia Roberts Miller's Demagogeury and Democracy, written for a non-academic audience.

There's a distinct culture that we try to cultivate here. It looks like you haven't participated in it much. Hang around and get a sense of the place.

Install RES to help you keep track of people. There are all kinds of people. You'll learn who you like to talk with and who you don't. RES puts you on the path because you can take notes.

Read for a while and get a sense of who is who; take some time to learn your audience before you post. I hold back saying some things because I know they will trigger a portion of this sub, or any sub for that matter.

Short book recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/Demagoguery-Democracy-Patricia-Roberts-Miller/dp/1615194088

Culturally, I think westerners are more conflict prone than might be healthy. I've come to expect that encampments of people who are culturally western have a hard time getting along with people they disagree with. I don't think it's just a trading thing. There's a real cultural shift.

It is unfortunate, and of course this goes for republicans too who demonize democrats in general.

Have you read Demagoguery and Democracy? It discusses this topic at length in the context of our current political environment. (Came out in 2017) I highly recommend and it’s a very fast read.

https://www.amazon.com/Demagoguery-Democracy-Patricia-Roberts-Miller/dp/1615194088/ref=nodl_