Latest Breaking News

BumRushDaShow

(160,061 posts) Sun Sep 14, 2025, 07:40 PM Sunday

Sen. Chris Coons: The internet "is driving extremism in our country"

Source: CBS News

Updated on: September 14, 2025 / 2:19 PM EDT

Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, said Sunday that amid efforts to foster bipartisan discourse, the internet "is driving extremism in our country," saying slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk "should not have paid with his life for the opportunity to speak out."

"No matter how much I might deeply disagree with his political views, the idea that he would be killed in such a grotesque and public way has to bring all of us to reflect about how hard it's getting, because the internet is an accelerant," Coons said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."

Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University last week in what officials described as a "targeted attack." The assassination has spurred calls for lowering the political temperature nationwide, along with efforts to improve bipartisan dialogue in Washington.

Sen. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, appeared alongside Coons on Sunday as the two men made an appeal to bipartisanship amid the divisive political climate. Lankford echoed Coons' concerns about the internet and extremism to CBS News' chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett, saying calls for bipartisanship can be drowned out because "the algorithm pushes people to the most extreme."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chris-coons-james-lankford-congress-extremism-internet/

15 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Sen. Chris Coons: The internet "is driving extremism in our country" (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Sunday OP

I always say the internet has been a blessing and a curse on our world. kimbutgar Sunday #1

Like some (?many) things there are 2 sides. However I love the internet. electric_blue68 Sunday #9

Coupled with corporate news............. Lovie777 Sunday #2

Coupled with algorithms to maximize 'outrage' to capture eyeballs for advertising ClaudetteCC Sunday #4

The internet is a vehicle, markodochartaigh Sunday #3

That's a bit like saying that guns are a tool DrFunkenstein Sunday #6

It did have so much potential though. markodochartaigh Sunday #7

The other species is the ultra-wealthy. rubbersole Sunday #12

I'll put this out there even knowing how it sounds. markodochartaigh Monday #13

The whole system is driven by greed bucolic_frolic Sunday #5

The Internet? 3825-87867 Sunday #8

No shit -- it must change for us to survive Ponietz Sunday #10

The internet is not positive or negative choie Sunday #11

I suspect a lot of it's actually from other countries using it to cause more of it than anything. cstanleytech Monday #14

The internet has caused people to disagree more vehemently. It twists minds that are weak. twodogsbarking Monday #15

kimbutgar

(26,001 posts)

1. I always say the internet has been a blessing and a curse on our world.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Sun Sep 14, 2025, 07:42 PM

Sunday

I’m glad I lived most of my adulthood before the internet!

electric_blue68

(23,847 posts)

9. Like some (?many) things there are 2 sides. However I love the internet.

Reply to kimbutgar (Reply #1)

Sun Sep 14, 2025, 09:03 PM

Sunday

Lovie777

(20,202 posts)

2. Coupled with corporate news.............

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Sun Sep 14, 2025, 07:45 PM

Sunday

ClaudetteCC

(105 posts)

4. Coupled with algorithms to maximize 'outrage' to capture eyeballs for advertising

Reply to Lovie777 (Reply #2)

Sun Sep 14, 2025, 07:54 PM

Sunday

markodochartaigh

(4,001 posts)

3. The internet is a vehicle,

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Sun Sep 14, 2025, 07:53 PM

Sunday

but it is being driven by reich-wing oiligarchs and "influencers". The trains that forcibly took Native American children to schools to "kill the Indian and save the child" didn’t drive themselves.

DrFunkenstein

(8,832 posts)

6. That's a bit like saying that guns are a tool

Reply to markodochartaigh (Reply #3)

Sun Sep 14, 2025, 08:13 PM

Sunday

The downside of the internet has so vastly outstripped the meager upside. Sure, it has done some good things, but it is also pretty much literally bringing about the end of mankind in the next 20-25 years, if we are being generous.

markodochartaigh

(4,001 posts)

7. It did have so much potential though.

Reply to DrFunkenstein (Reply #6)

Sun Sep 14, 2025, 08:25 PM

Sunday

We basically have the Library of Congress in our pockets. For another species it could have been a tool only for good.

rubbersole

(10,521 posts)

12. The other species is the ultra-wealthy.

Reply to markodochartaigh (Reply #7)

Sun Sep 14, 2025, 09:59 PM

Sunday

They're not content with owning most everything. Seems they want it all. Not going to be much left for the rest of us.

markodochartaigh

(4,001 posts)

13. I'll put this out there even knowing how it sounds.

Reply to rubbersole (Reply #12)

Mon Sep 15, 2025, 12:53 AM

Monday

Animals are distinguished by species on their physical aspects. Of course so are humans distinguished in animals in this way. But the real differentiating characteristic is between the brains of humans and animals. Sometimes I think that maybe humans can be differentiated into two species, normal people and psychopaths, on the basis of our different brains.

I know how this sounds and it could sure be the thin end of the wedge to real darkness. On the other hand, maybe many psychopaths already think this and we normal people haven't caught on.

bucolic_frolic

(52,385 posts)

5. The whole system is driven by greed

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Sun Sep 14, 2025, 08:05 PM

Sunday

Thomas Hobbes Leviathan has grown a corporate head and gargantuan tentacles.

3825-87867

(1,579 posts)

8. The Internet?

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Sun Sep 14, 2025, 09:00 PM

Sunday

Yeah, some. What about AM Radio owned by right wing billionaires? What about Fox?
That has been around longer than a funcionable internet.
The internet helps and you know since no wealthy Democrats want to buy and operate AM Radio to reach the Rurals, maybe if the Democrats learned to use the net better, it may even work for us.
It seems Democrats are stuck in the 60s we go high mindset and need to check their calendars. Sadly, whatever the right does will not hurt the older Dems one bit so why fight the right? Maybe some have the right idea that it's way past time for new young blood...and this comes from someone who supported Adlai while a teen.
Older Democrats embody FDR's comment that they are people with two good feet afraid (or reluctant) to take one step forward. They seem too set in their old ways in a new world.