Polarization Archives - Brain Dumping in Retirement

America At War With Itself and With Me

By Jim Bauman October 27, 2025Books and CommentaryCivil War, Omar El Akkad, Polarization, Predictions

Sci-Fi novels aim to be prophetic, the closer to the present time they're situated the greater the likelihood that the prophesies will come about. It's predictions that this piece is focused on, those that work out and those that don't.

Intractable Conflicts

By Jim Bauman June 1, 2025Opinions and EditorialsIsrael Palestine Conflict, Polarization, Politics

The Israel Palestine conflict is in 2025 in its most brutal phase yet. It's a worst case example of the effects of rigid polarization turned savagely violent. Thousands are being killed and both sides are living at the edge of despair. It's a testament to the inflexibility and moral failures of politicians who incense their populations into hate.

The Mind of Your Better Angel

By Jim Bauman December 9, 2024Opinions and EditorialsBelief Systems, Better Angels, Points of View, Polarization

People are guided in their voting choices by their underlying belief systems. Assuming that most people's guides are kindly motivated, let's assume that these guides are angels. What would be the difference, though, between a good Left bending angel politically versus one on the Right?

That Awkward Feeling

By Jim Bauman March 26, 2023Life and LivingDiversity, Groupthink, Journalism, Opinion, Polarization

Political polarization weighs heavily on people who don't feel comfortable at either pole. How do you find a comfortable position on the spectrum?

Realigning the Middle

By Jim Bauman December 31, 2022Opinions and EditorialsConservatism, Identify politics, Polarization, Political discourse, Progressivism

This column was a reaction piece to the nastiness of political discourse, but also a defense of so-called identify politics when the current political atmosphere is so disregarding of the rights and welfare of certain groups.