Polarizing talk employs linguistic strategies and structures that may not be obvious to the average listener. Kathryn Ruud has studied this phenomenon for over twenty years, including what she calls “the polarizing language of extremist propaganda, used by both the left and the right in 20th century Germany”. Seeing the similarities with today’s political rancor, she started the website, www.stoppolarizingtalk.org, and speaks to various groups to raise awareness of the issue and possible solutions. She is a contributing author of the book “At War with Words”, published in both New York and Berlin.
