well reddit and related groupings, is that it is assumed that every person who believes in those ideas acts this way.

because progressives like me tend to not speak up.

I like people that are critical of the own groups they represent as long as it's constructive, and not b/c they're naysayers, or because they don't truly identify with that group.

But it's really hard to do that. On one side you have the fringe telling you that you're oppressive and part of the white male power structure, and on the other side you have your actual ideological opponents trying to take you down. In this thread alone - by declaring myself both a progressive and disturbed with identity politics taken to absurd lengths, i've been attacked by storm-front-esque racists, pro-gun libertarians, radfems and other more extreme elements of social justice types. And switch gears constantly to respond here and there. it's just a lot of work.

it's easier to assume your more practical, sane, (i think?) way is just more worth keeping to yourself.

Increasingly we live in a polarized and balkanized world where people are increasingly used to taking in an echo chamber - this is regaring not only poltical theory but extends to our hobbies and interests as well. Take reddit for example. /r/stephenking, /r/nirvana, /r/lanadelrey, /r/linux, /r/windows, and so on - these things don't exist to openly talk about these things. You can, but you have to stay in the boundaries. Depending on community will depend just how contriarian or critical you can be before being seen as a "hater" or a "troll". And there are haters, and there are trolls - but obscene levels of fanboyism and communal cohesion in an online world pretty much says anyone with nuanced opinions or anything who make like this but not that , is no different than the hater.

music criticism has become like this. Artists are increasingly "critic proof" (kanye, kendrick),

and politics definitely is. The entire idea of the "concern troll" concept deeply disturbs me. It's a concept ready made to dismiss any like minded person who may fall out of lockstep.

Political polarization, unlike those other things though - isn't merely driven by technology - it's driven by economic fears (busts breed distrust among groups, and helps extreme elements rise - whereas booms tends to allow people to build bridges).

Increasingly it's hard for the large mass that resides not at the poles, to have a voice. 24/7 news cycles, which are looking for great soundbytes and perpetual drama that's easily digestible, and how this wraps around social media wher everyone airs every brain fart of a thought, makes it worse

so in the end, these people just end up retreating and allow all the crazies just duke it out. But it's those impassioned crazies that are guiding our society.