Notes from political no-man’s land
By John C. Adams
Real Clear Wire
Here I find myself, in political no-man’s land, crouched behind a garbage can, keeping my head down while verbal bullets fly overhead – “fascist” from one side, “toxic empathy” from the other. Socrates is my hero. He would advise rational discourse.
Americans have good hearts and good heads; we just have trouble using them at the same time. Groupthink, partisanship and emotion layer onto what is already a complex equation. I suspect (or at least hope) that much of America is hiding here with me. So I grab two sheets of newsprint from the trash and scratch out notes to toss toward each side.
To my left I toss the following scribbled note: Inequality is a problem, but try to fix it with more opportunity, not less growth. Affordability is a problem, but try to fix it with more supply, not less demand. The tax system is unfair, but show willingness to be disciplined on spending and you’ll be shocked by what you accomplish. Science is important, so don’t twist it for political ends. The electoral college is not your friend so try appealing to us here hiding in no-man’s land. Look back to some of the great leaders and communicators you have brought us in the past and emulate them.
To my right I toss the following: Illegal immigration is a problem, but don’t lose sight of the millions of contributing immigrants who have joined us. Crime is a problem, but don’t be criminal in enforcement. American competitiveness is an issue, but try freeing markets rather than interfering with them. Science is important, so don’t ignore it for political ends. The filibuster drives you crazy, but try listening to creative solutions, maybe from those of us in no-man’s land. Look back to some of the great leaders and communicators you have brought us in the past and emulate them.
I’ve been voting since 1980. Ronald Reagan’s deregulation and peace through strength set us up for untold prosperity. Bill Clinton’s free trade, fiscal discipline, and compassionate approach to the social safety net helped usher in a truly great society, not just a slogan. My children, all born in the 1990s, have watched politics grow increasingly polarized, race relations deteriorate, elementary and secondary education seemingly decline year after year, higher education become a circus, and the news devolve into something resembling the WWE.
We don’t need a third party; we need the two we have to remember how we got here – by working together. Ronald Reagan did great things with a Democratic Congress. Bill Clinton did great things with a Republican Congress. To some degree technology has contributed to this polarizing mess we are living through, but it can also contribute to the solution. With the right incentives, we can use the incredible technology of the information age to give people not just data, but knowledge and ultimately wisdom. And wise people will be able to take decision-making away from the Lobbying-Industrial Complex (evil cousin of the Military-Industrial Complex).
Socrates would want us to keep talking, telling us that we will find wisdom and ultimately justice through dialectic.
His student Plato, my other hero, would remind me that they killed him.
John C. Adams is an investment banker and author of “The Third Phase,” a global adventure novel about what happens when the world finally takes Socrates seriously.