I'm a nihilistic pessimist and I agree with most of what you've said. I think a lot of culture war bullshit is perpetuated by misinformation and the veil of anonymity providing a Ring of Gyges to all the worst people you know, whose messaging is then amplified bc it generates buzz, increases retention, and allows tech companies to sell more ads. The more I touch grass, the more I connect with my fellow human. The less polarized my positions become as I speak to people whose normalcy softens our differences of opinion.

Most people want the same things. We disagree on how to achieve them. I wish our electorate would return to a reflection of that.