Political Tribalism With Amy Chua | Why Is This Happening? – Ep 7 | MSNBC

There seems to be a lot of talk about this idea of political tribalism lately. Critiques that groups are increasingly insular not just around politics but about race or religion or any number of identity markers, and that this isolation makes it impossible to have meaningful conversations about the big issues facing our country. We’ve witnessed groups rallying around their side in ways that can be ugly, discounting the thoughts of the ‘Other’ on the mere status of being other, but is that true of all of political tribalism? Is it a dangerous group in-thinking or can it look like positive, meaningful group organizing? Chris Hayes is torn about the ambiguous use of political tribalism as a critique of certain types of politics, so he brought in Amy Chua to work them out. Amy Chua has been studying prejudice for 20 years and has a new book out called “Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations”. In this episode, Chris Hayes and Amy Chua wrestle over these questions and discuss whether political tribalism is even inherently a bad thing to begin with.
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Political Tribalism With Amy Chua | Why Is This Happening? – Ep 7 | MSNBC

37 comments

  1. I pary White Evangelucals return to the words of Jesus.
    Would Jesus ever chant the things joyfully shouted by White Evangeical Christians at Trump rallies?
    Would Jesus rebuke and remonstrate?
    Would White Evangelicals lock baby Jesus in a cage? Or wait until he spoke out, as Jesus does, then crucify him?

    1. It is troubling how the actions and words of self-proclaimed Christians fly in the face of what the man, Jesus Christ was all about.

  2. Its hard to take this station as legitimate with these goofy pictures as the first thing you see on the video. It seems hokey. Nice artwork, but not when you are looking for news reports.

    1. @Si ms msnbc at first when I was watching them wasnt on the up and up, but now they have been pretty on point. I just think that with these picture on the front of the videos’ dumbs them down. Doesnt give the network justice.

    2. @Linda Lauer it’s not news, it’s analysis and discussion.And I think some people know the connexion with Steadman (here the artwork may just be quite Steadman-like) and a certain kind of journalism that is edgy. But, if you don’t like it you don’t like it😉

  3. I hate Hyper partisanship, it’s corrupt and killing our nation. George Washington warned us about its corrupting effects in his farewell address to the nation as well as allowing foreign interference in our body politic. We have both happening heavily right now, and it is doing what our founders feared.

  4. this is not tribalism. this is white people scared they will have to share power with people they don’t see as equal.

    1. @Kenneth Mitchell If you want to converse with me, put up some channel content that is shared with others for insight. Otherwise, I just view you as an empty channel Troll.

    2. Carl H … um, actually… that’s tribalism. Tribalism at its origin started with groups with a strong sense of unity through kin selection. Prehistoric tribes were primordial social groups that are clearly bounded, homogeneous, parochial, and stable. They were are an organization among families (including clans and lineages), which generates a social and ideological basis for solidarity. Tribal life was a life of endemic warfare aka tribal warfare where groups fought and killed because most tribes were scared of most other tribes and they did not want to share power with people they didn’t see as equal.

    3. That is such narrow minded dystopian thinking based on a forced version of existence that there is no way to argue for or against it. That’s very bad.

  5. I read Amy Chua’s Wiki while listening to this discussion. It reminded me of how mean kids were during my and Ms, Chua’s formative years. We were both raised Catholic which is, in my opinion a ridiculous dogma, yet this kind of upbringing instills integrity and striving to a high standard. Now, with the benefit of maturity dialogues like this have great value to me.

  6. Tribalism?? More like the poor and uneducated who always vote Democrat v the middle and upper class. You don’t see doctors and lawyer’s protesting in the streets.. Cheers from Toronto

    1. foreigner fan um, actually… the more educated someone is, the more likely they have liberal views. California and New York very liberal states and have the richest economies of all the states. People that live in big cities tend to vote democrats and big cities and the surround suburbs, especially along the west and east coast are were the richer Americans live. The wealth of America is concentrated on these pockets. Of course there are a lot of wealthy Republicans that live in cities too but there are lots of doctors and lawyers in America that are democrats. Rural areas tend to be more conservative and vote Republican even when they are poor. Also, where are poor people protesting in the streets. A lot of female doctors and lawyers protested during the Women’s March. Lots of lawyers join protest in Washington. A lot of protest deal with legislation, laws and the judicial system, all of which are up a lawyers alley. Cheers from Laguna Beach.

    2. @foreigner fan You sound like one of those poor and uneducated people yourself. Not surprised your from Toronto the city with the crack smoking mayor. How much crack did you have for breakfast?

  7. In an age of information, such disinformation can divide an otherwise unsuspecting civilisation into groups intolerant of one another. It is as Hegel said to paraphrase: You follow the group you lose your own identity or you go it alone and have no support. Either way you lose.

  8. It hasn’t become tribal it’s the trump party that’ has been harboring white nationalism separating themselves from other races and cultures . THE DEMOCRATS ARE NOT TRIBAL they have a diverse ethnic mix of culture , races and ideas . If you remember the the Republican convention you had to get out a micro scope to find anyone of color and when you did they were pushing a broom ! ! ! ! WAKE UP … THE REPUBLICAN PARTY … I MEAN THE TRUMP PARTY AS IT’S CALLED NOW DOESN’T HAVE A SINGLE PERSON OF COLOR IN CONGRESS ANY MORE …

  9. The Trump presidency is the first to reveal a full-blown schism between the intelligence community and the White House. Senior figures in the CIA, NSA, FBI and other agencies made an open break against President Trump and a full intent to remove  their would-be boss before Trump’s inauguration, commencing a public war of leaks and now whistleblowers that has not stopped.

  10. Chua’s writings share her latest realizations as if they’re new to everyone else. But they’re not. Very similar vibe to Hillbilly Elegy. The attention it gets is analogous to cheering for a 21 year old who just learned to tie their shoes – yes, it’s positive they’re progressing, but…

  11. Dems thought they were bringing the edgy young crowd with Progressives and ANTIFA. Dems do not understand they are socialist, marxist, and communist entities and use totalitarian politics as a part of that political makeup. Dems just didn’t get it and I think will lose their party.

  12. Fighting based on feelings is terrible. Humanity is capable of higher thought and reasoning. We should not strive to be feral animals.

  13. So I have to unsubscribe because I don’t want this crap on my timeline? Okay MSNBC. I was a big fan. If I want to hear podcasts. I’d listen to them. I don’t. Change your settings or lose many more.

  14. I love when the poor and uneducated who vote for the Democrats pretend to be rich and educated lol. 80% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. 70% have a high school or less level of education. 95% of Democrat voters are poor and uneducated. Lol good luck. Cheers from Toronto

  15. Tribalism is an ego-centered limited perspective that draws lines of attraction/repulsion into an “us vs them” orientation to the world. Either you are a friend and I can trust you, or you are an “enemy” who I must attack. It’s a very juvenile, black and white approach to living. Trump, who is very socially and psychologically regressed pulled this element of tribalism-infantile social interaction with others he considers his “enemy” to divide the country. From my perspective, the only way out of the “us vs. them” fear-based projection of reality is to grow SPIRITUALLY. Spiritual contemplation of one’s identity is the pathway to knowing there is no “us vs. them. There is only I AM- spiritual Self-ness, however you may term that experience.

    Tribalism arises from the animalistic base of the brain, neurologically, in the “fight or flight” areas of the amygdala. FEAR is the key here to tribalism. So How, When, Who will shift this atmosphere of fear in our lives?

    Nice Podcast to address this topic.

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