by Jack
Maybe it’s just because today is Sunday, but I’m thinking there must be some way the American people can start reconciling their differences and looking at the shared problems in a way that builds consensus and moves us in a more productive direction.
A successful marriage is not based on digging in until one side or the other has enough power to dominate. So why do we think this two party system that digs us in to two ideological camps at war with each other is so hot?
We’re just talking common sense, let’s set aside partisanship for the moment, okay?
Imagine what it would be like if we had a life boat in rough seas, miles from the safety of the shore. On one side of this boat we had the democrats determined to row their way and on the side we had republicans determined to row their way with the president on the rudder. What chance would this boat have? Well, in a way, what’s happening in this country right now, actually it’s worse because when you have two opposing forces it pushes both sides to more extreme positions, and right now we’re practically beating each other over the head with our oars.
We saw the results of political divisions detente in missile race during the cold war, each side one upping the other until all sense of proportion was lost, it’s amazing we survived that time.
On a level where almost all of us can personally relate: If you have ever been in an argument with your spouse you know the argument starts out small and then it builds into everything either of you have ever done wrong for as far back as memory allows.
Hey people are people, this is human nature, this is what happens when there are no ground rules and you’re operating on a purely emotional level.
If we’re going to be smart about it, we recognize this quirk of our humanity and we try to find ways to work around going to the extremes. We call this being mature. It results in understanding, empathizing, compromises and trade offs. This is simply the end product of mature decision making.
Let’s face it, there are very few situations that can’t be compromised, but this is not what we have going on in Washington and elsewhere across the country because this process is constantly derailed by a number of seedy factors, from self serving corruption to blind partisanship, and none of them are good for the country.
We’re a house divided and this presidential campaign is a prime example why we’re divided! 80% of this election is dedicated to campaign rhetoric that plays to our emotions and 20% is about solutions, idealism and ideas. When the campaign professionals spend so much time taking campaigns negative is it any wonder there’s so much animosity between the two sides? The republicans have emerged from a primary where it was mutually assured destruction and now we are supposed to forget all that negativity and embrace the last man standing? This is nuts.
And what about the 3rd party’s? In this process they are virtually excluded. Ironically we built this country on the premise that free speech and diversity is a good thing – then we turn around every election and deny the 20% of this country that fits into a third party category an opportunity at the big soap box and exclude their diversity. How can the two party division and the total exclusion of smaller party’s be helpful to building consensus and moving our life boat out the storm to safety?
End of Part 1
An appeal to sanity and reason is a good starting point Jack. I’m not sure it can work in politics these days. The fighting is horrible; the dirty tricks deplorable, but I’m not sure that the “seedy factors” are the cause of the problem…they may be more of a symptom of a much deeper problem. Before we can come to the table for compromise and reasonable negotiation don’t we have to at least have shared American values and goals?
I don’t know how to compromise with those who believe in big government, who expect and want big entitlement programs, and who believe that becoming a successful nation is based on taking more from private sector wealth builders and entrepreneurs and restricting their activities with complicated costly regulations. I don’t know how to compromise with those who are comfortable spending on special interest projects as a means to creating jobs or fixing the economy. I don’t know how to compromise with those who want to restrict gun ownership by law abiding citizens.
It seems to me that before we can come to agreement about policy we are going to have to complete this fight for the soul of the nation. Are we to finally succumb to those wanting a social democracy with central planning or are we going to return to our roots as a nation of free individuals under a republican government by reversing the decades long march to socialism?
I’m willing to consider all ideas and thoughts so I look forward to part II. If I know you, Jack, you have something interesting in mind.
You must be on the same page as others today Jack…
There is a place to begin this discussion for calm reason and cooperative compromise. If we could stand on the following as citizens it might be possible to work out differences (Hat tip to Willis E. Stone, Ron Paul and President Lincoln):
The government of the United States shall not engage in any business, professional, commercial or industrial enterprise in competition with its citizens except as specified in the Constitution, nor shall the Constitution or laws of any state, or the laws of the United States, be subject to the terms of any foreign or domestic agreement which would abrogate this amendment.
What? See here: http://www.dailyinterlake.com/opinion/columns/frank/article_7451c442-cd64-11e1-adc5-0019bb2963f4.html
Doctor Paul is really on to something. Contrast with President Obama:
Powerline: http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2012/07/the-obama-persuasion.php
And then back to President Lincoln vs Stephen Douglas:
Powerline: http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2012/07/the-eternal-meaning-of-independence-day-2.php
Thanks Tina, I hope Part 2 will bring it into focus. I’ve got a little somethin for everyone.
Tina that was a interesting find Thank You for the post. Now that 50 plus years have passed since the inception of this idea was introduced to Congress and re summited several times. Will the voters of this country who are just now beginning to feel the cost of not knowing how much a ‘liberal vote’ is costing them wake up and realize what freedoms they have lost? Liberal votes mean a increase in Government size disguised as public welfare. The larger the amount of assistance they can hook people on only reduces the work force and generates higher taxes to those still working. We are closer than ever in our history to a Government thats runs every detail of our lives, and where will the future money come from? Will we just send in ALL we create and wait for a portion to come back, like a colony of ants working just for the Queen?Right now approximately 32% of voters are in Governmental jobs, and they vote only to preserve their positions at the troth of tax payers, could anyone really expect them to vote honestly for the benefit of the public that feeds them? Then we have the ‘gimme gimme’ crowd who believe government is the answer to existence without effort, and those two factions have created massive Government growth. Common sense as Jack refers to seems to be a missing commodity lately, Sloth of research and understand as to the future results of such things as Executive privilege and/or orders. Allowing the same people to return to office ,people who WILL not even preform their basic function of creating a balanced budget, or even working for the public benefit verse their time spent on their own re-election. As long as the money keeps on being dealt out to non producers (other than their votes)we will eventually be nothing more than the next European socialist government model. That is the only CHANGE we can ever expect to HOPE for from this current Administration.
Reconciling differences? Political compromise? Sorry, but as far as progressives (aka “liberals” aka the left) are concerned those notions translate to “It’s my way or the highway”. I have long had it with Republicans caving to this nonsense.
For me this would not be partisan at all if Democrats had not become the party of the extreme left wing. The only reason I vote Republican is because it is the only party that has a chance of balancing out the abject lunacy of the big brother government left.
There is nothing to be reconciled. Viva la difference! Screw the left, screw so called “liberals”, screw progressives, and screw Democrats who have become the single most destructive force to liberty and freedom on the planet. Even worse than Islam.
That is my take, ’nuff said?
Despite the incredible destruction wrought by the Bush administration foreign policy to conservatism and the Republican party, Republicans must step up and defeat the evil empire amongst us.
Are Republicans up to the task? I am not hopeful, but I keep wishing. I have been following Republican lip service for decades, but who the hell else can I vote for? Libertarian dope smokers?
Despite my continuing disappointment with Republicans, it will be a cold day in hell that I ever vote for a Democrat and any Republican who bends to progressive will should be expurgated from the party.
If the Republican party opposes overbearing nanny-state government, corporate and human plantation welfare favors, taxes that intrude into every single part of our lives which are ruinous to the economy, individual liberty, and incentive, and then put up or shut up!
Zed I like you passion and agree.
The only thing I take exception with is the intensity of your anger at Republicans.
Our message/platform is consistant with the Constitution and the values that support/encourage civility and adherence to laws. We’ve been attempting to get reforms to entitlement programs for decades but the will of the people has not been behind us and democrats always come out in absolute opposition (Zero bibartisan cooperation-their way or the highway). Republican leadership is responsible for failing to inform and educate. But we have faced overwhelming roadblocks that the opposition does not face: 1)wide media support for decades, 2) controll of education, 3) big union money and support that, until recently, was unmatched on the right by a similarly powerful group, and 4) they have no compulsions about lying and sleaze.
Corporate donations, homeschooling, new media, and the rise of right-wing groups is leveling the playing field now but this type of change occurs slowly, not in a single election or even a sries of elections.
The things we care about will take years of dedicated work out here in America. The question is are we up to the job? I sure hope so…I love America. I love the whole idea of America and I hate to see it turning into a serfdom.
Zed, Have you read “Screwed” by Dick Morris? It will scare the sh$% out of you. We are in one big mess nationally and internationally because of the UN and IMF.
If Obama signs any of the several treaties being pushed by the UN our courts will be controlled by them and our constitution will be null and void.
“If Obama signs any of the several treaties being pushed by the UN our courts will be controlled by them and our constitution will be null and void.”
Ah … America! Land of the Dim, and Home of the Dimmer: the Dim lands a book contract, and the Dimmer make him wealthy.
A few more generations of this and, paradoxically, we too will be sending savage demigogues to The Hague, being unable to deal with them ourselves.