Class warfare. War on teachers. War on business. War in America?
Based on all the 'wars' partisan politicians claim their opponents are waging on innocent parts of America, it's a wonder any of us are still alive. The 'war' metaphor may win media coverage and rile voters, but it excludes the kind of debate that can actually solve problems.
Cleveland
It is a common observation that American political discourse has become rife with hyperbole and hostility. Fierce partisans on both the left and right, not content to simply point out errors in each others' reasoning, frequently accuse each other of outright malevolence. This enraged tone is epitomized by the frequency with which policies and proposals are said to represent “wars” on various innocent sectors of society.
While the “war” metaphor may win media coverage and rile voters, it prevents Americans from having the type of debate that could lead to more effective responses to our society’s problems.
The length of the following list of examples, which was culled from mainstream politicians and commentators using simple Google searches, illustrates the extent of this phenomenon.
| The left accuses the right of waging: | The right accuses the left of waging |
| War on the poor | Class warfare |
| War on working people | War on business |
| War on the middle class | War on the middle class (yes, both) |
| War on immigrants | War on savers |
| War on the family | War on the family (again, both) |
| War on children | War on marriage |
| War on the elderly | War on the American way of life |
| War on public employees | War on religion |
| War on teachers | War on Christmas |
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