Good relationships are part of the foundation for developing a democracy that prioritizes win-win solutions over zero sum outcomes. We need to humanize each other if we are to have a healthy democracy as opposed to the sick and dying democracy that we live in today.
“Dehumanization” is a tactic used throughout the annals of history by the elite to wage war, and encourage other gruesome acts like union busting, slavery etc. it is certainly a part of our psychological lexicon in the proletariat. How do we institutionalize the process of humanizing each other?
It's not somehow onthis there's one man and one man to blame Mitch McConnell can you imagine any speaker saying the things he has since 08 he has 100% control over Republicans and he will destroy any Republican who dare work with a democrat on something he didn't ok he does everything from cutting off their donors corporate donors to banning them from senate bathroom
I'll start with the obvious comment. *In the old days* Dems and Reps could be friends because those terms referred to people who had in common a desire for good things for America. They differed not only on how to get there, but what "good things" even means. But they could recognize in each other a proper intent. Before anyone else says it, I'll say that this is a whitewash, a nostalgic idealization of something that that was marred by the sort of corruption, small mindedness, and ill will that always attends politics and most other human endeavors. The point is, it could at least occur sometimes, did occur sometimes, and seemed a sensible thing to say, at least aspirationally. *Today*, as is often observed, Dem and Rep encode a much larger philosophical split. Corruption, small mindedness, and ill will aside, roughly speaking, ("radical lefty") Dem encodes "genuinely caring about other humans beings and unwilling to be a total shit", while Rep encodes "I want what I want for America, and I don't care who is harmed, or in what ways, or by how much, and I won't let a misguided notion such as democracy get in the way".
Well said. We were already headed in the wrong direction of considering "compromise" a dirty word when the "Citizens United" ruling was handed down. After that, "We the people" (those that actually live and breath) were lost. Getting money out of politics would go a long way, but how do we do that when the people with the money have most of the power.
I don't think politics has ever existed without the over-involvement of money, but I completely agree that doing what we can to make influence-via-money as difficult as possible is a first-order issue. Citizens United, $xx,000 a person dinners, ... at least let's get rid of the stuff that is in plain sight, and make it so exposure of what is not in plain sight leads to shameful resignations instead of big grins.
I loved this. I’m reading Al Franken’s “Giant of the Senate” and he basically says the same thing: that he found the senators he most liked working with and actually got things done with were ones with senses of humor, regardless of how much they disagreed on (which was often a lot).
Awesome book. I listened to him read it (on Audible) while on a road trip. It is a wonderful view from the inside of how our congress works--and does't--and why. Made it even more disappointing when he was forced to resign. We lost a good influence in a place that needs it so much.
I no longer have relationships with my siblings, a couple of cousins, one aunt and a couple of friends. If I’m not respected and if they can’t have an actual conversation using facts, then I'm not engaging with them. I cannot, I will not agree-to-disagree about humanity, common courtesy, or ethical behavior. My life is much more peaceful now. This is not about love, I still love them, it’s about setting boundaries and not permitting people to hurt me.
I think the general dissension between Republicans and Democrats can be traced to the administration of Ronald Reagan. Prior to Reagan, the parties considered the welfare of the American people and those resident in the country as their first priorities and they were willing to give and take to serve the people and to abide by their oath of office and pledge to defend the rule of law and the Constitution. With Reagan, the Republican party and its associates decided that the welfare of the people would (magically?) trickle down from the wealth and power of the already-wealthy. Time and again, the wealth and prosperity failed to trickle down, the result being that those who were already privileged and thriving did even more privilege-taking and thriving, the middle class became more taxed. This situation was as clear to the Republicans as it was to the Democrats but Republicans continued to favor and support the trickle-down theory. The disparity between the wealthies and the more economically challenged grew. At the same time, the failure of general public education and an emphasis on critical thinking skills and basic general knowledge (including a grounding in civics, social studies, and history) insured that people were deprived of a fair chance but, regrettably, did not have the basic knowledge and skills to realize that their financial distress was not due to their own failings but to the programs and plans that the Republicans got behind in 1980 (with Reagan) and have continued to support until this very day. I think that the Republicans would do well to focus on the people who have elected them but, at this point, that would mean sacrificing their wealth and power for the common good. I don't see that happening.
I agree with YOU! I think that in general, re-pubic-ans as well as democ-rats are BOTH PARTIES a bunch of crooks that have become corrupted by a system that has allowed them to sink in greed and lack of conscious! Munchin doesn't want to support the infrastructure bill because his daughter is a CEO of a corporation that has been increasing the price of a medication that can prevent death from an allergic reaction. Sinema is against increasing taxes to companies because they are donating her money for her campaing! they don't care for the majority of the people supporting the system with their hard work, they are there to back up the RICH and cover their butts! They forget that pretty soon ELECTIONS WILL BE HERE!
Where it's the TRUE REPUBLICAN LOVE FOR THIS COUNTRY! I can not understand this division if both parties SHOULD or at least MUST HAVE A COMMON GOAL: TO BETTER THIS COUNTRY TO BE A WORLD WIDE LEADER! because of their stupid division, small brains, selfishness, greed we are losing a lot in having a better education so our youth can compete globally, a health system that works for their people and prevent unnecessary deaths like we are having with covid19, a strong SS as well a better medicare system that can take care of their senior citizens who have worked hard to secure a decent and not a humillating retirement income. The wages the corporations are paying to their employees are slavery labor!
I loved this story. It made me feel happy and sad at the same time. How I long for the days when our leaders had spirited debates, both sides strived to meet "in the middle", practiced "give and take" and always had their constituents in mind whether they were rich or poor, white, brown, black or yellow and did their best to welcome the poor, the downtrodden, the broken and the tired to our great country! I always remember the lessons I was taught in school and church about this county's history and what it stood for. What has happened to make us forget those lessons?
Charming and heartfelt story, now if only we could get the current inhabitants of Congress to do the same. It seems that no one in Congress if allowed to show humor, or humanity towards each other in this post Trump climate. This is sad for America.
I have started trading farmie goods with an older lady that lives the next town over. I bring her eggs, she gives me peaches- that sort of thing. I think I'm one of her few friends on FaceBook and she lives alone so I kind of keep an eye on her posts to make sure she's doing ok. One time when I was over there she told me how much she loves Trump. I told her she should know better than that and she said I sounded like her daughter, said a little more about how she honestly believed he could fix America. I didn't challenge her, but just told her I hoped for the same miracle. Then we moved along to talk about pears and kids. I keep track of her and we are friends enough. If she needed something, I'd answer the phone. She's practically my neighbor. I live in rural Texas- just outside the Austin blue bubble. If I can't be cordial to my trumpie neighbors, then I'm not really able to be cordial towards anyone around me. You catch more flies with honey.
Good relationships are part of the foundation for developing a democracy that prioritizes win-win solutions over zero sum outcomes. We need to humanize each other if we are to have a healthy democracy as opposed to the sick and dying democracy that we live in today.
John, I couldn't agree more. Somehow, though, we've got into a vicious cycle of dehumanization.
“Dehumanization” is a tactic used throughout the annals of history by the elite to wage war, and encourage other gruesome acts like union busting, slavery etc. it is certainly a part of our psychological lexicon in the proletariat. How do we institutionalize the process of humanizing each other?
It's not somehow onthis there's one man and one man to blame Mitch McConnell can you imagine any speaker saying the things he has since 08 he has 100% control over Republicans and he will destroy any Republican who dare work with a democrat on something he didn't ok he does everything from cutting off their donors corporate donors to banning them from senate bathroom
I'll start with the obvious comment. *In the old days* Dems and Reps could be friends because those terms referred to people who had in common a desire for good things for America. They differed not only on how to get there, but what "good things" even means. But they could recognize in each other a proper intent. Before anyone else says it, I'll say that this is a whitewash, a nostalgic idealization of something that that was marred by the sort of corruption, small mindedness, and ill will that always attends politics and most other human endeavors. The point is, it could at least occur sometimes, did occur sometimes, and seemed a sensible thing to say, at least aspirationally. *Today*, as is often observed, Dem and Rep encode a much larger philosophical split. Corruption, small mindedness, and ill will aside, roughly speaking, ("radical lefty") Dem encodes "genuinely caring about other humans beings and unwilling to be a total shit", while Rep encodes "I want what I want for America, and I don't care who is harmed, or in what ways, or by how much, and I won't let a misguided notion such as democracy get in the way".
Well said. We were already headed in the wrong direction of considering "compromise" a dirty word when the "Citizens United" ruling was handed down. After that, "We the people" (those that actually live and breath) were lost. Getting money out of politics would go a long way, but how do we do that when the people with the money have most of the power.
I don't think politics has ever existed without the over-involvement of money, but I completely agree that doing what we can to make influence-via-money as difficult as possible is a first-order issue. Citizens United, $xx,000 a person dinners, ... at least let's get rid of the stuff that is in plain sight, and make it so exposure of what is not in plain sight leads to shameful resignations instead of big grins.
I loved this. I’m reading Al Franken’s “Giant of the Senate” and he basically says the same thing: that he found the senators he most liked working with and actually got things done with were ones with senses of humor, regardless of how much they disagreed on (which was often a lot).
Awesome book. I listened to him read it (on Audible) while on a road trip. It is a wonderful view from the inside of how our congress works--and does't--and why. Made it even more disappointing when he was forced to resign. We lost a good influence in a place that needs it so much.
Love this! It is high time folks learn how to come together and work for the good of all.
Thanks for the laugh
Wonderful story. Thank you for all you do!
Thanks for your thanks, Genny.
I hope that we can leave cynicism behind and accept that such a relationship is not an anomaly.
I loved the picture in my head, of you, standing on a chair while talking to Alan Simpson
Thanks for sharing Robert, what the world needs now, is love, sweet love
I no longer have relationships with my siblings, a couple of cousins, one aunt and a couple of friends. If I’m not respected and if they can’t have an actual conversation using facts, then I'm not engaging with them. I cannot, I will not agree-to-disagree about humanity, common courtesy, or ethical behavior. My life is much more peaceful now. This is not about love, I still love them, it’s about setting boundaries and not permitting people to hurt me.
I think the general dissension between Republicans and Democrats can be traced to the administration of Ronald Reagan. Prior to Reagan, the parties considered the welfare of the American people and those resident in the country as their first priorities and they were willing to give and take to serve the people and to abide by their oath of office and pledge to defend the rule of law and the Constitution. With Reagan, the Republican party and its associates decided that the welfare of the people would (magically?) trickle down from the wealth and power of the already-wealthy. Time and again, the wealth and prosperity failed to trickle down, the result being that those who were already privileged and thriving did even more privilege-taking and thriving, the middle class became more taxed. This situation was as clear to the Republicans as it was to the Democrats but Republicans continued to favor and support the trickle-down theory. The disparity between the wealthies and the more economically challenged grew. At the same time, the failure of general public education and an emphasis on critical thinking skills and basic general knowledge (including a grounding in civics, social studies, and history) insured that people were deprived of a fair chance but, regrettably, did not have the basic knowledge and skills to realize that their financial distress was not due to their own failings but to the programs and plans that the Republicans got behind in 1980 (with Reagan) and have continued to support until this very day. I think that the Republicans would do well to focus on the people who have elected them but, at this point, that would mean sacrificing their wealth and power for the common good. I don't see that happening.
I agree with YOU! I think that in general, re-pubic-ans as well as democ-rats are BOTH PARTIES a bunch of crooks that have become corrupted by a system that has allowed them to sink in greed and lack of conscious! Munchin doesn't want to support the infrastructure bill because his daughter is a CEO of a corporation that has been increasing the price of a medication that can prevent death from an allergic reaction. Sinema is against increasing taxes to companies because they are donating her money for her campaing! they don't care for the majority of the people supporting the system with their hard work, they are there to back up the RICH and cover their butts! They forget that pretty soon ELECTIONS WILL BE HERE!
Manchin also is major shareholder in his family's coal company. (Google Enersystems) Yet he is major player in energy lawmaking (or rather blocking).
Where it's the TRUE REPUBLICAN LOVE FOR THIS COUNTRY! I can not understand this division if both parties SHOULD or at least MUST HAVE A COMMON GOAL: TO BETTER THIS COUNTRY TO BE A WORLD WIDE LEADER! because of their stupid division, small brains, selfishness, greed we are losing a lot in having a better education so our youth can compete globally, a health system that works for their people and prevent unnecessary deaths like we are having with covid19, a strong SS as well a better medicare system that can take care of their senior citizens who have worked hard to secure a decent and not a humillating retirement income. The wages the corporations are paying to their employees are slavery labor!
Absolutely .............. we watch USA from the outside. The UNITED STATES OF WHERE?
I visit USA regularly; ordinary people really nice!
I loved this story. It made me feel happy and sad at the same time. How I long for the days when our leaders had spirited debates, both sides strived to meet "in the middle", practiced "give and take" and always had their constituents in mind whether they were rich or poor, white, brown, black or yellow and did their best to welcome the poor, the downtrodden, the broken and the tired to our great country! I always remember the lessons I was taught in school and church about this county's history and what it stood for. What has happened to make us forget those lessons?
Charming and heartfelt story, now if only we could get the current inhabitants of Congress to do the same. It seems that no one in Congress if allowed to show humor, or humanity towards each other in this post Trump climate. This is sad for America.
I have started trading farmie goods with an older lady that lives the next town over. I bring her eggs, she gives me peaches- that sort of thing. I think I'm one of her few friends on FaceBook and she lives alone so I kind of keep an eye on her posts to make sure she's doing ok. One time when I was over there she told me how much she loves Trump. I told her she should know better than that and she said I sounded like her daughter, said a little more about how she honestly believed he could fix America. I didn't challenge her, but just told her I hoped for the same miracle. Then we moved along to talk about pears and kids. I keep track of her and we are friends enough. If she needed something, I'd answer the phone. She's practically my neighbor. I live in rural Texas- just outside the Austin blue bubble. If I can't be cordial to my trumpie neighbors, then I'm not really able to be cordial towards anyone around me. You catch more flies with honey.
I loved your post about Alan Simpson and your drawing. I remember him so well.
Oh how I wish both sides could work together again.
They just got together at some point and worked things out.
None of these Manchin and Sinemas either. It’s so different now.
I love your website Prof. Reich. Do keep telling us your stories and drawing for us.
Solid Types
Indeed, who doesn't grieve
the good olds. All a solid weave
or so it seemed
before I Have A Dream
I Like Ikes a reliable breed . .
If social conscience a bit . . .looking back
let's admit . .like Noblesse Oblige . . .