Quote:
Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
I agree, but he's not alone in seeing something that is labeled tribalism in America today. For most, it's the idea that people separate themselves from others.
This really isn't true. We have a high degree of mobility, and as a result few people live isolated lives never leaving the Shire. Almost everyone I know here in the heart of Bluedom has trumpish family members somewhere (mostly in southern retirement communities or other places where we came from, since we generally do screen them out at our border.) What is really happening is more of a move toward regionalism, something that we've cycled through before in this country.
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You can have a diminution in traditional forms of social attachment (labor unions, churches, Bowling Alone) without everyone identifying with tribes. The former is doubtless happening, for all sorts of reasons. Even before the internet, access to cars drove a lot of this. With the internet, e.g., my son is less likely to play with friends on our block and more likely to play XBOX with new friends in Iowa and Georgia.
When Sebby refers to tribalism, I think he describing something different, and I think he is describing conservatives. The idea that the left is like the right, but with different priorities, is really important to the Disciples of High Broderism, the sort of people who pride themselves on being centrist. Most of its adherents come from newspapers and TV media, where business imperatives meant that editorial content in one-outlet towns had to be center-right, but not too right.
