as middle-of-the-road independents like me, actually were the power in this country. That we determined who became president, congressmen, senators, governors, etc. and set the direction the country should take. There was a time, at least I believe, when that was true and things actually got done; where even if we d...isagreed we recognized that we were part of a whole and that compromise and a genuine desire to do what was right kept the ship of state on a reasonably steady course. But anymore it is the extremes of either party that are in control and dictate policy--not for the good of the whole, but to stay in power and try to force everyone else to their narrow worldviews. There is no compromise because it would mean giving a little to the other side, and so nothing gets done. Each side casts the other as evil or monstrous, fascists or socialists--much like we do when at war with someone, depicting them as less than human so that it makes it easier to kill them. And so there can be no meeting in the middle for how do you compromise with someone you view not as a fellow countryman with whom you disagree, but "the enemy." There are good, valid, sometimes (though not always) even relatively easy answers to the major questions that confront us, to immigration and health reform, to the economy, to what to do about climate change and entitlement programs. But the extremists (and those who pay to have them remain extreme) have led us to believe that the only answers are their answers, and so nothing gets done and we sink slowly into the muck of yet another great civilization that had the answers in front of them for the taking, but chose to sink rather than work together to stay afloat. As Pogo once said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
Showing posts with label Socialism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Socialism. Show all posts
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Without Compromise We All Lose
I used to take solace in the thought that moderates of both major parties, as well 
as middle-of-the-road independents like me, actually were the power in this country. That we determined who became president, congressmen, senators, governors, etc. and set the direction the country should take. There was a time, at least I believe, when that was true and things actually got done; where even if we d...isagreed we recognized that we were part of a whole and that compromise and a genuine desire to do what was right kept the ship of state on a reasonably steady course. But anymore it is the extremes of either party that are in control and dictate policy--not for the good of the whole, but to stay in power and try to force everyone else to their narrow worldviews. There is no compromise because it would mean giving a little to the other side, and so nothing gets done. Each side casts the other as evil or monstrous, fascists or socialists--much like we do when at war with someone, depicting them as less than human so that it makes it easier to kill them. And so there can be no meeting in the middle for how do you compromise with someone you view not as a fellow countryman with whom you disagree, but "the enemy." There are good, valid, sometimes (though not always) even relatively easy answers to the major questions that confront us, to immigration and health reform, to the economy, to what to do about climate change and entitlement programs. But the extremists (and those who pay to have them remain extreme) have led us to believe that the only answers are their answers, and so nothing gets done and we sink slowly into the muck of yet another great civilization that had the answers in front of them for the taking, but chose to sink rather than work together to stay afloat. As Pogo once said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
as middle-of-the-road independents like me, actually were the power in this country. That we determined who became president, congressmen, senators, governors, etc. and set the direction the country should take. There was a time, at least I believe, when that was true and things actually got done; where even if we d...isagreed we recognized that we were part of a whole and that compromise and a genuine desire to do what was right kept the ship of state on a reasonably steady course. But anymore it is the extremes of either party that are in control and dictate policy--not for the good of the whole, but to stay in power and try to force everyone else to their narrow worldviews. There is no compromise because it would mean giving a little to the other side, and so nothing gets done. Each side casts the other as evil or monstrous, fascists or socialists--much like we do when at war with someone, depicting them as less than human so that it makes it easier to kill them. And so there can be no meeting in the middle for how do you compromise with someone you view not as a fellow countryman with whom you disagree, but "the enemy." There are good, valid, sometimes (though not always) even relatively easy answers to the major questions that confront us, to immigration and health reform, to the economy, to what to do about climate change and entitlement programs. But the extremists (and those who pay to have them remain extreme) have led us to believe that the only answers are their answers, and so nothing gets done and we sink slowly into the muck of yet another great civilization that had the answers in front of them for the taking, but chose to sink rather than work together to stay afloat. As Pogo once said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
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