Our conflicts arise from deep divisions, not bad manners
We’re now in the post-kavanaugh, expected-blue wave, pre-insurgency, post-tea Party lull. It won’t last long. Election Day is three weeks away, and 2020 will be on us even before we close the books on 2018.
It’s time for a little introspection for all of us. Aside from you, Dear Reader, me and the rest of the commentariat, does all this matter? The heat and anger is everywhere and comes with its own costs. Less may be more. Calm may be better than turbulent. True, the republic has withstood worse than our present woes. But it’s easy to see how we may be better served by a little restraint, in this column and in our political discourse generally.
Nope. There’s no such thing as an enforced peace. Until we examine and resolve our fundamental differences, the din of conflict will fill our ears, and so be it.
That is not an endorsement of vile behavior and unfounded accusation. Donald Trump has normalized a kind of casual viciousness that is easily recognized and is no longer his alone. Technology and the anonymity of social media have themselves dissolved norms that have served us well for a long time.
The real costs of our anger and acting out show when institutions begin to malfunction. The presidency, the Congress and the Supreme Court don’t get their work done anymore. In New York, we see similar, if less inflamed, signs, be it in the feuds between governor and New York City mayor, or the f loundering budget process, or the casual disparagement of institutional integrity. If I could wave a magic wand, it would be to focus on how to reinvigorate our institutions, more so than conventional policy changes. Sort of like a constitutional convention.
Bemoaning our politics is nothing new and indignation about bad manners is similarly common. But using this short-lived opportunity for ref lection doesn’t change the fundamental truths. We are divided. Our conflicts are real and based on historic divisions. They will not go away by adopting better manners. There will be winners and losers.
The remedy is not to recede from the battle but to engage more strongly, if a little less loudly.
This column has tried to bring analysis and opinion in a pointed, accessible and no-nonsense manner. Having reflected on it and the state of the world, I plan more of the same. So bring it on.