Constitutionality, Anthropological Global Warming and Nazi’s, Oh My!!!

by Brandon Kumm in Politics, January 5, 2010

It is becoming more and more difficult to have a reasonable and rational debate these days. If we talk about what may be a different and co-operative approach to health care the debate devolves quickly into talking points about constitutionality and death panels. If we talk about climate change the conversation implodes into name calling and demonizing Al Gore. If we talk about what we may do as a society to help ourselves it becomes an argument about how one side is full of fascist NAZI’s and the other side is full of Communist socialists. We’ve become so polarized and ideological that we’ve forgotten that although we may disagree on the particulars, we may still be able to compromise on solutions.

And that’s the point. Liberals and conservatives, progressives and reactionaries, Republicans and Democrats can’t discuss things in a reasonable manner as long as we care more about the debate than about solving the issue at the heart of the debate. We are outraged at Tiger for what he did, but what exactly did he do to us? Nothing. Not. One. Thing. He cheated on his wife and I can see that some people have an issue with that, but what does that have to do with golf? He used a bunch of women to feed his sexual needs so I can see some people having an issue with that, but what does that have to do with golf? What does any of it have to do with buying something that happens to have Tiger’s name on it? Are we really so shallow that a Nike golf ball ceases to be a Nike golf ball just because Tiger is associated with the company? What is at the heart of the anger at Tiger or do we just like to be angry?

We have become a country that is more about being angry than about solving the problems that should unify us. We’ve become, somehow, the Ultimate Fighting of discussing our mutual problems. Nobody questions that there are significant issues that fact this great nation of ours. But, we never get to actually talk about those problems because too many of us are trying to put the other side in a submission hold. If we are to solve the problems that face us as a nation we’re going to have to start trusting that both sides (it doesn’t matter the issue) have the best interests of the nation at heart. We’re going to have to believe working together rather than trying to murder each other with lies, name calling and polarization is a better solution.

Read more in Politics