Can We Talk? The Changing Meaning of Connection - Essay Sample

Introduction

The word "can we talk, "according to the article, is often given the answer "no" in the current American society. People have grown distant and don not view the term as humorous as it used to be when Joan Rivers, the great comedian, used it during his comedy show and made it a common phrase to connect with her audience. By giving the answer no when asked, the phrase means that people do not want to connect with others or don't want to be bothered; people in the current society mind their own business.

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For a very long time, people have always been separated by the social, economic class, gender, race, politics, geography, and age, but currently, people are just distant from each other. Social media has been seen to be one of the greatest influencers of the distancing as people interact with only those who have the same views s theirs. The article also states that the American people are "angry and suspicious toward each other," hence the distance.

Also, according to the article go to hell by Jason Szep, the Americans take a long time to heal after coming from an ugly election. According to the writer, the 2006 election turned the American citizens against each other (Szep) Most of the citizens, though, believe that their communication needs to be improved and the general understanding among communities. The first step towards fighting divisions is getting out of comfort zones, listening attentively to points of view, and responding in a respectful way. Another way is by showing concern towards the other side, as stated by Sean Blanda, who is an author, healthy ways of diversifying the interactions that are done socially in the community. Equality should be achieved in social justice in order to make everybody feel equal in the country (Szep). Most people that are incarcerated are African Americans; also, the youth should participate in the elections in order to elect a worthy leader that will fight for equality.

The Other Side is Not Dumb

According to psychology, as written in the article by Sean Blanda, false-consensus bias is when people think that all other people are like them (Blanda). The writer and his friends play a game that is called "controversial opinion" where they don't argue but only as questions regarding someone's opinion. In the game, there are reactions like "I did not know you were like those people," which he explained that it meant you are on the opposite side (Blanda). Most people think that others are fools or have a low understanding of things if they don't support the same ideology as theirs. It also explains in the television ratings where some people wonder if some shows have viewers because they don't watch it. Most people think that others are not clever or not intelligent enough if they don't support or have the same ideologies as them; they usually wonder what the others are thinking. This is also seen during the election polls, where according to the article, some people might wonder, "what was someone thinking when electing Ben Carson for president" (Blanda).

The perception is that the other side is not as intelligent as we are, or they don't get it. The funny part is that all the sides think the same about the other side. Everybody has his side of view, understanding, and opinion, and that should be respected. Everyone has personal reasons for doing something, and that doesn't make them dumb if it is so, then everybody who has a side is dumb, and that will make us all dumb.

Why America is Self-Segregating

The United States of America has always been that way, according to the author, but also diverse. That has been the shaper of the nation's politics; people have different and divert views, experiences, and ideologies regarding politics in order for the country to be how it is. The democracy that governs the country allows its citizens to be that way, as there have been very sad experiences due to the same where some people have been oppressed and taken through slavery. There have been battles in the country that are about laws and cultures because people are different, and in most cases, the minorities are oppressed. When people are seen as different, they are not always treated fairly, and their voice is not usually heard . There are various medium platforms that include the social networks that the citizens might use to connect, but still, the citizen is seen to self-segregate (Dron). The tools that were built to bring positivity in the country and help in connection are seen to do the opposite, and it is very demeaning. Right now, the is the misconception that a person like Mark Zuckerberg's intention is to make money out of Facebook because of the role that it plays in the society that that was not his sole idea and vision while creating it. The social connections should be diversified; a better and perfect should be found because everybody has a different opinion.

Tax Systems Stacked Against the 99 Percent

"Only the little people tax" was the words that were said by Leona Helmsley, who was convicted of tax evasion; he was a hotel chain executive. The words were seen as prescient, which means she saw things way before they happened and for the American citizens should be able to reflect on the tax systems specifically at the deadline of filling individual tax in order to see the society that is created by it as stated by Oliver Wendell Holmes taxes are the expenses for a diversified community and no one likes to pay them (Stiglitz). According to the article, every six out of ten people think that the tax system is unfair or unjust, that is right because the people don't pay evenly as the rich do not pay their just shares because of the rich individual with a net worth of more two hundred million pay lesser with 20% of the incomes, which is lesser than other millionaires who are lower than that level (Stiglitz).

The tax system in the country is viewed as less progressive as compared to the 20th century because there is no fairness in the way citizens are taxed (Stiglitz). Those that have fewer incomes pay higher rates than those that have higher incomes from the 1980s when there was the Reagan Revolution. There is an organization by the name "citizens for tax justice" stated that 1% of the American citizens own more 40% of the country's wealth, and "it is disturbing" (Stiglitz). That is seen as unfair when the same I compared to other nations around the globe. The country has a low top margin of the income tax rate, and the rates are not positive for the development of the nation.

Works Cited

Blanda, Sean. "The 'Other Side' Is Not Dumb". 2016, https://humanparts.medium.com/the-other-side-is-not-dumb-2670c1294063. Accessed 4 Apr 2020.

Dron, Jon. 2017, https://landing.athabascau.ca/bookmarks/view/2228359/danah-boyd-apophenia-%C2%BB-why-america-is-self-segregating. Accessed 4 Apr 2020.

STIGLITZ, JOSEPH STIGLITZ. "A Tax System Stacked Against The 99 Percent". 2013, https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/a-tax-system-stacked-against-the-99-percent/. Accessed 4 Apr 2020.

Szep, Jason. "Go To Hell". 2016, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-division-insight-idUSKBN13419A. Accessed 4 Apr 2020.