The Need for Two Parties

 

               Unfortunately, political discourse in our times has grown increasingly vitriolic, polemic, and divisive along party lines. Sadly, we’ve embraced a social-media meme driven paradigm that focuses on savaging the “other-side” without truly setting out the ideas and policies that we believe will solve the problems we face. We regularly denigrate anyone who does not agree with us, or our party, as an enemy of the state, someone who wants to destroy our way of life. This constant barrage of attack-themed information, devoid of any true policy plans, serves only to deepen the chasm that separates us. We’ve forgotten that the “other-side” wants what they believe is best for our nation, and perhaps more importantly, that we need two strong political parties.

               Historically speaking, our country has functioned best when vigorous liberal and conservative parties engage in developing and supporting well-reasoned policy goals which they forward in the legislative process. Through the process of debate, restructuring, and at times compromise, viable policy and law develops. Though it is messy and often frustratingly slow, this process tends to deliver results which best serve the entire body politic. Neither end of the political spectrum owns all the right solutions. Sometimes the answers are found in conservative policy and at other times the liberal view provides the needed solution. When both parties are fully engaged in the process of legislation, we find better solutions. Unfortunately, our current political discourse tends toward demonizing the other side instead of thoughtful policy development and engagement.

                We enjoy and encourage labeling those who differ from us as haters of our country. After all, if I can label someone as an enemy; then I do not need to listen to them and consider what they have to say. We fling epithets and labels at each other without considering the consequences. Rather than listen and build consensus, we push each other further apart through thoughtless insults. True and active listening takes effort and humility, since giving someone else’s ideas thoughtful and serious consideration implies that we do not know it all.

               While in the Army, I served with a General Officer who frequently said, “I’m probably the dumbest person in the room, but I recognize and surround myself with smart people and listen to them.” Everyone chuckled when he said that; but, I knew the truth. He wasn’t very smart at all. I was responsible for a software and hardware platform that enabled senior decision makers to view the battlespace, make decisions, and guide their subordinate units in execution. At least once a week, sometimes more, he summoned me to his office to reteach him how to use the system. And, he was open about his ineptness with automated systems. His strength lay in recognizing an appropriate solution and motivating his subordinates in executing his will. He was quite successful as a leader. His awareness of his strengths and limitations enabled him to listen to others in humility. He truly listened to me when I spoke. He owed much of his success to willingly listening to others, no matter their background or proclivities. As a signal and information operations officer, I found many in the combat arms community dismissive and uninterested in my thoughts based simply on my background and branch, but not this general. He kept completing the mission foremost in his mind, not caring who provided the solution, only that the solution was found and implemented.

               We need to reinvigorate this concept in our political discussions. Too many of us support the idea that all things must go our way all the time. In our zeal for our party, we stymie finding and implementing a viable solution. We elect and support members of congress who rather than work to find solutions, acceptable to a majority, seek to stop any progress. We need to develop the political maturity that recognizes the compromise necessary for a nation as large and as diverse as ours. This starts with how we speak to each other.

               Those who differ from me are not my enemies. They may pursue agendas and solutions to problems that I do not embrace, but I must admit that they want to see a prosperous and successful nation as much as I do. We need to stop talking about oppositional public servants as if they were enemies of the state. When we succumb to the lure of polemic meme oriented political speech, we make progress towards solutions more difficult. The more we utilize speech that divides, the less likely we will build the bridges necessary to work together to develop the solutions to the problems that truly vex us. My fellow citizens of differing beliefs are not the enemy. The true enemies we face are ignorance, bigotry, poverty, injustice, oppression, and their brethren. As long as we categorize those of the “other-side” as the enemy, we will fail to seriously confront those forces that plague us, keeping us from reaching the full potential of the words that start out constitution.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.