Beyond the Bubble is an interactive news and discussion community of individuals who embrace the free exchange of ideas. Our goal is to create a rich environment where open minded individuals can engage in a deeper examination of issues than contemporary sources typically provide. We offer blogs, videos, podcasts/audios, and debates. Ideally, each new posting is only the beginning of the discussion. We invite our audience to participate through comments, and express themselves passionately, and freely.
Why We Feel So Passionate About This Project:
Apathy, one dimensional thought, and polarization are the single greatest threats to American democracy! At a time when we have the greatest communication tool ever developed at our disposal; when we have it available at our fingertips nearly 24 hours a day; somehow we increasingly ignore our responsibility to be engaged, informed, and thoughtful participants in the democratic process. We are losing the art of nuanced thought, critical analysis, and true debate. Instead we choose the path of least resistance, and retreat from honest discussion.
Even those who would consider themselves educated and informed, often lack the intellectual fortitude and honesty to truly challenge their belief system with valid, contradictory information. We personalize, vilify, and label the opposition. We dismiss opposing points of view, and those who express them with words like: juvenile, racist, elitist, uneducated, idealistic, hate speech, uninformed, dangerous, evil, wrong, bad, un-American, unpatriotic, misogynist, denier, hypocrite, fake, antisemitic, fascist, socialist, communist… (the list could go on to infinity). We engage in character assassination and personal attacks against the people who share opposing points of view, or pursue policies with which we disagree.
We use these labels to justify our retreat into our bubbles, where we limit our exposure to new ideas. We embrace the comforting illusion of political debate, while limiting our world view to a self induced, ideological feedback loop. This results in extreme polarization, and tremendous divisions in our nation. Even reasonable policies and assertions, seem catastrophic and we massively overreact to ANYTHING the “others” try to do. We lose the ability to find common ground. Our government becomes gridlocked. Our political discourse becomes toxic. Our very form of government becomes endangered. This has been a downward trend spanning the last few decades. We feel that it has hit a critical mass with the tone of the entirety of the 2016 election, and the aftermath of the result.
American democracy is unique and precious. For it to function properly, we need an engaged, informed, and thoughtful electorate. We need to tone down the blind, mindless, impassioned opposition/support of extreme ideology. We need to start to approach issues as multi faceted, not bilateral. No matter what your political ideology, if you think your “side” is always right, and/or the other side is evil, or bad, you are part of the problem! STOP being part of the problem! Open your mind, engage your critical thinking, and become part of the solution! Those willing to engage in that process should find a home in our community.
About Our Contributors:
Lack of bias is an illusion. Many who claim to be unbiased do so with the best of intentions, and often make an honest attempt. However, they always fall short. There are a million subtle ways that preconceptions and bias can flavor and skew the presentation of information. Further, many who claim to be unbiased are intentionally dishonest and manipulative. They deliver their viewpoints under the guise of “news” and “just the facts” while intentionally pursuing an ideological agenda.
Skepticism is the ONLY solution. Every listener/reader/viewer should receive all information from all sources with a healthy degree of skepticism. The only way to form a balanced opinion nearing anything that could be deemed fact based is to realize that ALL sources are biased, and to expand and diversify the input. This takes effort. Perhaps it is time that we stop taking for granted the fact that we live in the richest, most prosperous nation in the history of mankind, and put forward a little more personal effort to keep it.
Toward that end, our approach is one of truth in labeling. Each contributor will have and disclose their own political ideology in their biography (found at the bottom of each posting). They will freely express their viewpoints based on their perspective and ideology. Some will attempt to offer very balanced and relatively objective information and analysis. Others will deliver their respective point of view with passion, and directly in support of their world view. That and everything in between is perfectly fine. We leave it up to our audience to decide the truth and merit of a particular point of view.