Is outrage the new single thought ?

The present presidential campaign is described by the experts and the medias as “one of the worst” of the American history, especially during the presidential debates. The following video clearly mocks the poor quality of the political stage (from 2.22 to 2:56) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm8UgpWvxjY. At first, we could think that this violence is quite new, due to the personality of Donald Trump only. Instead this violence names “outrage” has been in existence since the 1980s according to J.M Berry and S Sobieraj in The outrage industry : Political opinion media and the new incivility and represents now a real danger for the ideal of civilized debate as the fundament of American democracy.

The outrage is so powerful that the authors described it as an “industry” presents in talk show radio or blog, which content is mostly based on emotions and not on reason. In theory, according a better place to emotions in political debate may had positive effects like bringing more life to deliberation. But in reality, the rise of outrage has endangered democratic life by increasing the use of insults, personal attack, rumours or even lies, which are seen by millions of people. The reason of outrage medias existence is not so much the polarization in the political field, but to the synergy between the medias, the political parties and the social movements.

However, if the outrage industry has not been created by the polarization (and had not created this polarization either) between the two parties, it contributed to the aggravation of this polarization. However, the power of the outrage medias is mostly reduced in changing/altering the terms of the debate, it’s very rare that it is able to impose its own agenda, even if it’s now possible: it’s the outrage medias that launched the rumors about President Obama not being American. Outrage is present in both side of the political chessboard, but is far more powerful inside the GOP, it is significantly responsible for the party’s hard position on immigration, any attempt of moderation being framed by the outrages medias as “treason”. Indeed, immigration is always presented as a massive threat, as we can see here https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7363/sweden-death-by-immigration so of course, no change is easily possible.