Not long ago I was debating someone on television. I thought the discussion was going well until the commercial break when a producer said into my earpiece "be angrier."
"Why should I be angrier?" I asked him, irritated that he hadn't appreciated the thoughtfulness of debate.
"That's how we get channel surfers to stop and watch the program," the producer explained. "Eyeballs are attracted to anger."
At this point I lost my temper.
The incident came back to me when I heard about Evan Bayh's decision to leave Congress because he felt it was becoming too partisan. The real problem isn't partisanship. Bold views and strong positions are fine. Democratic debate and deliberation can be enhanced by them.
The problem is the intransigence and belligerence that has taken over Congress and much of the rest of the public -- a profound distrust of people "on the other side," an unwillingness to compromise, a bitterness and anger disproportionate to issues being discussed.
Anger makes good television, but it's fake and it teaches Americans the wrong lessons. Anger also can win elections (Senate Republicans haven't given Obama any votes because they've been eyeing the 2010 midterms since he took office, hoping for a rerun of 1994), but partisan anger is just as fake, and it undermines the capacity of our democracy to do the public's business.
By the way, I was on CNBC this morning, and the subject of discussion was Bayh's decision. No producer prodded me to be angrier but Larry Kudlow introduced the segment by saying that I'd be "duking it out" with Steve Moore, who writes editorials for the Wall Street Journal. And when it came for us to discuss the gridlock in Congress, Larry continuously interrupted, saying the reason for the gridlock was Obama's lefti-leaning agenda.
When this is almost all the public sees and hears about public issues, it's no wonder Americans begin to think everything is an angry shouting match. Americans stop listening to each other. We retreat into small ideological bubbles and talk only with people who agree with us. We forget how much we have in common, and how important it is to get on with the task of making the nation better.
Cross-posted from RobertReich.org.
they still have their loyalists & supporters, and they still own all but 2
members of Congress, and their machinery operates all 50 states.
So, until somhow this logjam is broken up, that-government-which
governs-best-by-governing-least will just have to muddle on. Cut
off their medical care, pensions, etc. & then see what happens.
I saw you speak at Grinnell in '02 when my cousin graduated. Your message was inspiring. Also, as a short kid in high school, it helped me at a time when I felt insecure about my height :)
If you get time, please read this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-vognar/understanding-why-peacock_b_464881.html
It's related to your political, economic and social concerns. It's about how arbitrary and unnecessary our political, economic and social suffering is. It's called "Understanding Why Peacocks Have Sex Can Change the World." I'm a new Huff Post blogger, Northwestern grad. We need to spread these ideas.
David
Stewart was addressing the argument enabling hosts of Crossfire.
I think you have missed the most alarming symptom of all. This one I shall tell you. But go back and search for it. Examine it. Sick cultures show a complex of symptoms as you have named... But a dy ing culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than a ri0t.
This symptom is especially serious in that an individual displaying it never thinks of it as a sign of ill health but as proof of his/her strength. --- Friday and Dr. Baldwin in Friday by Robert Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
It should not, however, stand in stead for sober, thoughtful consideration of the issue and the various positions taken by others. To permit this in ourselves is to blind us to possible solutions.
I find myself better served by reading journal articles than by viewing the often highly confrontational discussions which plague current events "'shows". [Nb. quotation marks intentional.]
Once again the politicians win and the American people lose. We need to send a strong message by voting out all incumbents in both parties that blindly follow their party leadership and vote out the party leaders who can't seem to pass a meaningful piece of legislation.
let's all retreat to a more civil time.
in other words, don't try to force a 3,000 page health care reform bill down our throats. we all know the system isn't perfect so fix it one or two pieces at a time. complete over hauls are too "iffy", especially when a politician says, "trust me".
responding in kind is not a good strategy either. violence begets violence, that sorta thing.
crashed and burned all of us.
It's best to stay away from him.
The question for Americans is, are we going to compete and battle one another every inch of the way until there's nothing left or are we going to speak honestly about our diffrences and try to reach some kind of middle ground.
Unfortunately, it seems increasingly that angry partisanship and mendacity rule the day.