'Polarization' is the word of the year. But it should be 'smokescreen'

Americans are finding common ground, rejecting fear-mongering, and uniting against the real problem: a system rigged against us.

Merriam-Webster announced their word of the year earlier this week: "polarization," defined as “division into two sharply distinct opposites.” Sheesh, how predictable.

It’s just another entry in the fear-mongering playbook that’s been running for generations, which seems to have shifted into overdrive in recent years. Truth be told, we’re not nearly as divided as they want us to believe.

‘They’ is the handful of elites, like WEF-ers and others of that ilk, who want us to view our neighbor who votes differently as our mortal enemy. And that’s because they need us at each other’s throats. Why? Because a united population starts asking uncomfortable questions. If my neighbor isn’t the problem, then who is? Who’s actually pulling the strings and cashing the checks and inflating the money away and consolidating power?

It’s an age-old strategy: divide and conquer. Those in power use it to keep us distracted, disoriented, and fighting among ourselves while rigging the system in their favor.

The Roman Empire kept its citizens placated with “bread and circuses” to prevent revolt. Colonial powers stoked ethnic and religious tensions to maintain their grip. In modern “democracies,” elites fan the flames of cultural and ideological conflicts to distract from systemic issues like corruption, inequality, and unchecked power.

Sure, some people genuinely clash over identity or ideology, or even who their neighbor voted for. But these conflicts are often smaller than they seem. The media amplifies them, turning minor disagreements into existential crises — because conflict is great for ratings.

Meanwhile, in the real world, we actually agree on a lot. We want to afford gas and groceries without taking out a second mortgage. We want our kids to grow up knowing right from wrong, going to schools that educate rather than indoctrinate, and living in a country where their dreams are achievable.

People are growing tired of narratives that don’t reflect reality — the results of the US election this past November are a hint at that fatigue. If there’s one thing most of us aren’t polarized on, it’s that the system is obviously rigged against us, the people.

Essentially, the smokescreen isn’t working anymore, with the narrative of endless division cracking under the weight of reality. Even the pundits and talking heads — with their predicted chaos, razor-thin margins, and weeks of contested results stemming from the election — were fully, completely out of touch. Instead, we got a clear, decisive outcome. The message from the American people was unmistakable: “We are sick and tired of the bullshit.”

Could this shift in mindset signal something bigger? Are we witnessing the breaking apart of mass formation, as described by

Mattias Desmet

?

This psychological phenomenon thrives on isolation, anxiety, and a lack of meaning, drawing people into a collective trance where they abandon critical thinking in favor of identifying a common enemy and forging a bond with authority. It’s powerful, but it’s not invincible.

When people reconnect with reality and each other, the grip of mass formation starts to crumble. The landslide election and growing distrust in mainstream narratives suggest that people are waking up. They’re rejecting fabricated storylines about irreparable polarization and finding common ground in their shared disillusionment with a system that continuously fails them.

Nothing scares the establishment more than unity. A divided population is easy to control; a united one is unstoppable. That’s why the media and political elites keep wrapping “polarization” in a big red bow and tucking it under the Christmas tree for us. They need us to believe we’re hopelessly fractured — because that belief keeps us feeling scared, angry, and powerless.

But the truth is out. Most of us want the same things: a brighter future for our families and a fair shot at success. Realizing that we agree more than we disagree is a powerful antidote to fear-mongering. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking as the year ends, but it feels like we’re breaking free from their grip and reclaiming our power.

Merriam-Webster might want “polarization” to define 2024, but it doesn’t define who we are. As the cracks in the smokescreen widen and the light shines through, we’re seeing the manipulation for what it is and finding each other again — not as enemies, but as neighbors and friends. We don’t have to agree on everything to live side by side.

Let’s make sure that, in 2025, the real polarization isn’t between citizens, but between the people and a system that’s determined to keep us divided. Let’s reclaim our unity — and our power.

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