Hold on tight as we examine the roots of tribalism in our media and question the effects of party loyalty on our political discourse. As we wrap up season four of the Common Bridge, we invite you to challenge the mainstream narratives and engage with critical societal issues. The traditional media's role in promoting tribalism is examined with a critical lens, urging you to demand better behavior from our elected leaders.
This episode takes us deep into the world of political tribalism, highlighting how it colors our view of issues and policies. We scrutinize a gripping tale of a dedicated Democrat's grandson, who, despite working on a health system for immigrants, denies the policy due to the person sitting in the Oval Office. We encourage engaging, respectful discussions and emphasize the importance of awareness about the content we consume. Join us as we confront uncomfortable truths and seek solutions for our shared problems - together, we can challenge the status quo.
Welcome to this episode of season 4 of the Common Bridge, where policy and current events are discussed in a fiercely nonpartisan manner. The host, richard Helpe, is a philanthropist, entrepreneur and political analyst who has reached over three and a half million listeners, viewers and readers around the world. The Common Bridge is available on the Substack website and the Substack app. Just search for the Common Bridge. You can find the program on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. The Common Bridge draws guests and audiences from across the political spectrum and we invite you to become a free or paid subscriber on your favorite medium.
Speaker 2:
Hello, welcome to the Common Bridge. I'm your host, richard Helpe. We have just completed season 4 of the Common Bridge. It's been a very fun season, hopefully very informative too. I've been able to produce a weekly podcast with transcription video for those of you that like to watch, or read A couple of written columns along the way a handful of those anyway.
Speaker 2:
When we started out to make this show four years ago, we wanted to be on a policy-oriented path, basically because the two major political parties are more invested, more interested and, frankly, more adept at beating the other party than taking this country on its best path. The problems we've got are solvable. In the meantime, issues of the day go unaddressed and opportunities of the moment are just missed. I'm reinforced by comments from listeners, from readers and from viewers, and especially by our constantly growing audience on Substack and on podcast outlets. It seems to me that the only people not listening are in the political class or in the entrenched media ecosystem that is failing us so bad. Speaking of that media ecosystem, if journalism was actually doing the job of the fourth estate as intended, then the political structure would be doing a better job. There would, frankly, be little audience for programs like the Common Bridge.
Speaker 2:
While we've got the First Amendment available to us, I think we need to join together, exercise those constitutional rights and freedoms and get our voices out there. Look, the entrenched media has absolutely gone tribal. What are outrageous crimes when they're reported that the other side did it? Are they're nothing. Burgers, don't worry about it. When their side does it, they can ignore corruption, mouth beasance, incompetence based on what political party or what favorite person is doing it. It seems like very few of them actually get out of their offices anymore to actually go and bed and report a story. And when independent journalists outside of that ecosystem turn up evidence of mouth beasance, the entrenched media join their political allies to attack the journalist instead of calling out the problem. Look, reporters are supposed to present facts and now we have fact checkers who are really nothing more than I don't know the thought of compliance police, who render every opposing view devoid of facts. Again, I encourage people to read in that a little deeper.
Speaker 2:
So can the common bridge make a difference? I don't know, but I can promise that, while we may not be able to change those locked into tribalism, whether they're the political party, the media or people that follow them, we will be different. We are different because we've given a platform to experts to talk at length about many topics. Some of our guests have gone on to be featured on large-scale international platforms and we're very proud of the role that we have in introducing them to an audience. We've covered a lot of systems voting systems around the world, the Ukraine, war, technology and its role in our lives. Of course, the media model. It's just weird that there's a group of people that want to perpetuate the notion that people want to be categorized by their ancestral identities or the amount of pigment in their skin. We've got great emerging writers like Adam Coleman, ml Elrich and, of course, we're commenting on all those folks out there trying to get you excited by saying it's a big development with significant implications. If you believe that lie, you'll believe anything.
Speaker 2:
We've covered politics, including the midterms, mental health, covid, biolabs and the emerging truths around all of those. We've covered guns with specific policy recommendations. We've done that now for four seasons. We've engaged the president of the United States when he made a gun speech and, I think, on what will be a very pivotal book from Brian Busey. Brian, we head on for the Pleasure for a Two-Part Series. We've talked about immigration, supply chains, transsexualism, camp Lejeune's Waters and, of course, our popular responses to read or mail and a replay of our well-received Fourth of July message about building a country from scratch.
Speaker 2:
So we will be different because we will not give in to the partisan battles period. And being perceived as nonpartisan is harder than it seems, because if we offer a learned viewpoint, if we render an opinion or we cover a topic, the media's ecosystems and their customers that they've gotten so excited and so angry, those people will try to drag us into one camp or the other. And what I find it interesting, that no matter what we cover, people will say we're in the other camp on the same episode, but anyway. So can we make a difference? That's really up to you, our audience. I hope you'll talk with your friends about what you hear, see or read on the Common Bridge. It's okay not to agree with everything. In fact, I expect everyone has something not to like in every episode. We just want to get conversation going in a respectful way.
Speaker 2:
So making a difference is not going to be easy. There's no chance of it being an easy path. You know, frankly, the easy path is to remain silent as the politicians, the media and the people holding certain views spew a narrative that you know is nonsense. It doesn't make any sense. Hey, inflation's down. Really, what happened when I put gas in my car, bought eggs this week? You know that you can make a difference by being informed and being nonpartisan, but let me tell you about how entrenched things are.
Speaker 2:
I've got a very good friend of mine very strong left of center guy, staunch Democrat, reads pretty much the New York Times and not much else telling me this past weekend that his grandson's got a great job in New York City working on a health system because of the immigrant crisis. And I looked at him. I said immigrant crisis. Didn't the president say that the border is secure? And we don't have one? And he kind of blew up at me.
Speaker 2:
So that tribalism to look at one's own grandchild being proud of them for working to address some of the impacts of a policy decision, at the same time denying the policy because of who's in the Oval Office that day. That's how bad things have gotten folks. We've got to start speaking up and speaking more clearly. So let's make a difference, let's talk, let's be respectful, let's insist on better people and better behavior from those that we elect and from those who's reporting it's not really reporting, but what should be reporting we consume. So thank you for your loyal membership, thank you for your listenership, your viewership, your readership and especially for your commentary. And as we close the fourth season, this is your host, rich Helpy, signing off on season four of the Common Bridge.