Al-Jazeera, Qatar, March 16
With the rise of the extreme right in America, which saw a renewed glimmer of hope in the ascendance of President Trump to the White House, it became rather convenient for us to overlook the other side of the political map: the left. While it is easy, and perhaps even trendy, to criticize right-wing political commentators, some left-leaning research centers and media outlets abandoned the notion of objectivity and committed themselves to spreading nothing more than left-wing liberal propaganda. Yes, right-wing conservative anchors, like Fox News’s Tucker Carlson, have had their fair share of notable on-air remarks. But left-wing commentators are not free of guilt either. Following the American withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal, some liberal anchors went as far as aligning with the regime in Tehran and promoting anti-American rhetoric. An American friend of mine tried to convince me that America has always been this way. He claims that this is part of the American system of checks and balances that limits the executive power of the president and generates healthy debate. But I beg to differ. I believe that the left’s hatred of Trump created new and dangerous norms. There used to be red lines and clear boundaries that would not be crossed. Above all, Americans, regardless of their political views, would stand united behind their flag. But today, partisan divisions and ideological differences have become so pervasive, that the rhetoric used by both left- and right-wing pundits has become more toxic than ever. – Ahmad al-Farraj