This is such a uniquely US thing.

Maybe the healthier past wasn’t one where nobody talked about politics. Maybe it was one where disagreeing about politics didn’t automatically make someone your enemy.

As someone from the Netherlands, I find this especially strange. You can call the leader of the party your neighbour voted for every name under the sun, preferably involving some kind of disease, because that’s our style, and still have a beer together afterwards.

Thought this would be a cool story about Dylan and Morrison :(

From the timing, this seems to be a vaguepost in support of Omarchy and DHH.

This is still the case today, if you let it be. I am friends with many neighbors with differing views from my own and literally do have them over for dinner, invite them to my toddlers' birthday parties, etc.

I don't recognize the things the author describes here - awareness of hot takes, opinions about coffee shop owners... they strike me as features of the online world, but not the offline one I inhabit.

It is still like this in most neighborhoods in the US, but it does require being outside and actually talking to them... which does seem rarer today.

Too bad Marco quit Twitter, I enjoyed following him.

I'm a pretty left wing person. Most of my friends are a lot more conservative. We can talk anything including politics and disagree without breaking apart our relationship. Last night out it was abortion and Lindsay Clancy, before that colonialism, race/IQ and labor rights. I guess it helps that we all think the people in power right now are corrupt.

If your friendships can't handle a debate that's a skill issue.