I see this sentiment expressed more often by tankies, enlightened centrists, and Krazy Konservative Kommenters than mainstream media sources. Usually in reference to economic policy (and in fairness, the differences there are pretty subtle if we're looking at the mainstream).
What I'm seeing in media is an attempt to listen to "both sides." It's just that one side has grown more and more detached from reality, so airing their crazy unchallenged alongside a more normal perspective makes it look like the sides are on equal rhetorical footing. It's like what you get in a debate with Donny T and Biden.
Biden: Normal liberal policy ideas, maybe we leave the queer folks alone, maybe we do a little something on climate, etc.
SmallHandsOrangeBoy: Incoherent frothing about the immigrants, the gays, the "woke mind virus"
Reporters: And here are the candidate's positions, clearly no further comment or observation is required. Best not question the froth lest we be accused of bias!
Feels like a lot of reporters are either unused to dealing with a rising fascist bloc, hampered by corporate meddling, or complicit.
One side wants to break up families, abolish free speech, trans kids and make everyone attention slaves to big companies.
The other side just wants freedom and happiness
(I dont accually believe this, just how the opposite side would make the same tweet)
You cant believe the world is this black and white 💀
I would never want to be a part of a revolution. I would only ask the same things the founding fathers fought for. Representation. Anyway you slice it, my voice will never be heard because I am not a part of the wealthiest people in this country.
The issue is that there are sides. And only 2 at that. Neither serves the people very well or we would have sane healthcare costs, wages, housing, transportation. We would also not have as much pollution in our air, soil, and water. "Both Sides"cater to political campaign donors above all else. That is the problem.
This is very cherry-picked issues they've included here though. Yes, of course no one with a brain is thinking of these issues specifically when they say that. Both sides are bad, both are hypocritical, both break rules and want their rule breaking to be ignored when it's to their advantage. One side is worse, doesn't mean both sides aren't bad.
As someone who is not from the US I have to say: this "meme" is very biased and one sided. Most of you do not even understand how one sided it is. You are taking your moderate opinion and comparing it with the most extreme opinion of the other side. If the other side did this they would say:
One side just wants that they stop killing babies
The other side wants to brainwash children into mutilating their own bodies.
IDK what the fuck you guys have been watching for the last two months. I've been watching a genocide unfold with unaninmous bipartisan support. If you can see that and don't think both parties are beyond redemption, you're part of the problem.
I'm assuming we're talking about the actual parties/politicians here, not the people.
"Both sides" as a definition, before you ever make comparisons, is already a diminutive of reality. The idea that there are only ever two viewpoints, despite the reality of the current American political situation, is naive at best. Even within the two major US parties there are fractious and conflicting personalities.
The "both sides" argument isn't asinine because it equates the two major players, its asinine because it accepts their premise that they're the only ones that matter.