New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by PTTG

Here's a summary of survey data. In short, it's not a political binary, but it's not exactly neutral.

I found that quite interesting, and it provides at least some validation of my view that extremists of all sorts function largely on emotion, and not reason. That's what makes them so difficult to deal with.

After all, how does one reason with someone who doesn't value reason? How can one persuade, when the person one wants to persuade values "gut feelings," Instead of facts?

When people operate on emotion, the decisions they make are frequently irrational, and that helps explain the OP's setting. The inhabitants of that world have been utterly terrified, and aren't thinking straight.