Dusty Wentworth

There was a time—not so long ago—when two people could sit across a table, engage in a spirited debate, shake hands, and part ways without questioning the other’s character. Political opponents could cross the aisle for a drink, families could hold divergent views without the Sunday roast descending into a shouting match, and disagreement, though often heated, was still seen as a natural and necessary part of civic life. Today, that picture feels increasingly like an artefact of a bygone era. In the public square—whether that square is physical or digital—the ability to disagree without declaring an enemy appears to be eroding. The line between challenging someone’s opinion and attacking their character has blurred to the point of near-invisibility. The consequences of this shift are not merely social niceties lost; they are structural fractures in the way our society processes difference. If we cannot disagree without malice, we cannot debate meaningfully. And if we cannot...