Final Thoughts on Politics
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.
In this grand experiment in Democracy, the ideals of a more perfect Union have always been the Idealist goal. It seems we have strayed far from the founding fathers and yet we are everything like the founding fathers as well. George Washington was the first and last truly independent President, a centrist like we haven’t seen since. The stress and fighting were getting to him, that is why he resigned after two terms giving us the two-term tradition.
Once celebrated as civic scripture, more widely reprinted than the Declaration of Independence, George Washington’s Farewell Address is now almost forgotten, The 6,085-word, fifty-four-paragraph text—longer than the original draft of the Constitution—had been written and rewritten over five years. Our first founding father intended it to be his last political will and testament—the sum of his hard-won wisdom from a half-century of public service in war and peace.
Most political speeches are full of promises, New Deals, and New Covenants. Washington’s Farewell was “a warning from a parting friend,” written for future generations of Americans about the forces he feared could destroy our democratic republic. Chief warnings from Washington among these were hyper-partisanship, excessive debt, and foreign wars—dangers we still struggle with today.
Washington also used his Farewell Address to proclaim first principles that could offer enduring solutions: the pursuit of peace through strength, the wisdom of moderation, and the importance of private virtue and public education to a self-governing people, as he established the precedent of a peaceful transfer of power.
When he announced his retirement in 1796 after two bruising terms as president, the success of the American experiment was far from certain. Just twenty years after the Declaration of Independence and less than a decade since the Constitution’s adoption, the country was erupting into opposing factions, even within Washington’s cabinet. Civil war seemed to be a real possibility.
Already there were riots, insurrections, and threats of secession. A sin tax on hard liquor provoked an armed uprising in the western wilderness of Pennsylvania, where rye whiskey was part of the culture as well as local currency. The Whiskey Rebellion threatened to splinter the Union, spurring the aging Washington to pull on his old military uniform, climb up on horseback, and lead a militia to intimidate the rebels into submission. Overseas, our revolutionary war allies in France had been overcome by a revolution of their own and guillotine enthusiasts in the Jacobin regime dispatched officials to undermine Washington’s government, with near-treasonous assistance from cabinet officers in his administration. In the president’s home state of Virginia, political opponents offered up a chilling toast: “a speedy death to Washington!”
These stories filled the newspapers, adding pressure to America’s attempt to find a durable middle ground between monarchy and the mob. “Standing, as it were, in the midst of falling empires,” Washington wrote his secretary of war, Henry Knox, “it should be our aim to assume a station and attitude which will preserve us from being overwhelmed in their ruins.”
Washington’s vice president, John Adams, believed “there never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” Civilization was understood to be fragile, barbarians always at the gate. Amid the founding of two parties and the struggle of the first president to hold together a new nation together in the face of fractious forces. Through it all, Washington attempted to establish “a standard to which the wise and honest can repair.”
As historian Daniel Boorstin wrote: “The heirs of Jefferson and Madison would be the Democratic-Republicans, the heirs of Hamilton and Adams would be the Federalists. But the heirs of Washington would be all Americans.”
From Washington’s Farewell: the Founding Father’s Warning to Future Generations by John Avlon. Copyright © 2017 by John Avlon.
The Federalist Party was the first American political party. It existed from the early 1790s to 1816; its remnants lasted into the 1820s. The Federalists called for a strong national government that promoted economic growth and fostered friendly relationships with Great Britain, as well as opposition to revolutionary France. The party controlled the federal government until 1801, when it was overwhelmed by the Democratic-Republican opposition led by Thomas Jefferson.
The Federalist Party came into being between 1792 and 1794 as a national coalition of bankers and businessmen in support of Alexander Hamilton’s fiscal policies. These supporters developed into the organized Federalist Party, which was committed to a fiscally sound and nationalistic government. The only Federalist president was John Adams; although George Washington was broadly sympathetic to the Federalist program, he remained officially non-partisan during his entire presidency.
At times it can seem that the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together. Argument turns too easily into animosity. Disagreement escalates into dehumanization. Too often, we judge other groups by their worst examples while judging ourselves by our best intentions — forgetting the image of God we should see in each other.” George W. Bush on Oct. 19 2017
Politics is complicated, it is our identity, we genuinely fear each other. We used to be ok with agreeing to disagree, it made things more spicer to have a difference of opinions but now those Facebook posts can be the end of friendship in real life. Feelings override facts and logic so we have many double standards, believing the best intentions of our side while seeing the worst examples of the other side. Each side sees the other side as destroying America or driving the country off the cliff. We don’t understand each other because we don’t know one another. Politics overriding relationships in many cases.
I believe most of the politics come from our moral compass/foundation where we feel embolden to certain political outcomes because our truth comes from a different area, for example, conservative vs Progressive Christians build their foundations using different bible verses and therefore what angers them is different.
Politics is deeply rooted in emotions. For instance and to be very honest. I have tended to avoid people, companies that I know support Trump. My emotional side feels those who support him, support who he is and everything he says. What comes to mind when I think Trump is someone who is a bully which reminds me of a life dealing with bullies and getting beat up and verbal abuse. I think someone who is a talker, I’ve known people who have promised great things and in the end, I worked really hard for their benefit but nothing came to me. Like if you make a website for me, I know a lot of people and will bring you so much business you can’t handle it and never getting any business but they got a free website. All talk no action. I see someone who talks bad of women, I’ve been assaulted by men and it was just blown off as guys being guys. I see someone is who is racist and only likes to win at everything. I’m a high achiever too but my moral compass tells me to look out for the least of these and I can’t “win” unless others are riding the same wave. I have always strongly valued truth and logic and have adjusted my views throughout life but I see a majority of Trump statements are easily refutable with the facts. I was poor and instead of the Republicans trying to make life a tad easier, they would say I’m lazy and wanted handouts while I worked two full-time jobs and couldn’t afford my life even living in a HUD subsidized housing at that.
My anger has probably turned to hatred towards Trump. So when I see his supporters blindly following and praising everything he does while calling me sheep and a snowflake, it makes me very angry. Trust me when I say it doesn’t have much to do with him being a Republican. I actually miss the Republican identity, I wish I could still be one in fact. Trump has destroyed the party I once loved.
However, as I still am friends with many Trump supporters I find many have valid reasons for voting for him. Most don’t agree with everything. One such Fox news loving, #MAGA guy comes to mind, he said he loves Trump but sometimes he goes off the page a little and if someone else comes along that is better he would be up for it. My Trump friends are not racist, they just wanted to make enough from their two jobs to pay the bills, much like me. The same forces that brought many to vote for Trump were the forces that brought me to Bernie Sanders. Much like a sports game sees the same thing but if the team is awesome or sucks depends on what Team you are rooting for. Identity politics clouds our vision. During the Presidental debate, the Trump side saw it as a clear win for Trump and he crushed Hilliary and many of my liver friends saw it the other way. I never thought Trump won any debate. I did, however, give him a fair chance, it lasted about 3 weeks but I really wanted to find a liking to him but eventually, I couldn’t find much truth to any of his statements and my logic side of me was like both parties are terrible.
Be the change you want to see happen, instead of trying to change everyone else – Rev. Ernest Troutner
Our future for having healthy political discourse is in peril, in social media, we unfollow, unfriend and even block people with opposing ideas. After realizing many Trump supporters had unfollowed or unfriended me, I did the same in return. What happens online can easily happen offline. We no longer associate with friends who voted differently. We cast members of our own families for their political beliefs. (My family did that at least to those who were democrat) The opposing point of view seems so distant when you get rid of any people in your social circle that don’t think like you do. Eventually, we see the sheep from the other flock and we wonder why we are so different and divided.
Facts are relative to your side. Tell a climate change denier that humans contribute to climate change, they will say that is not true, that is a hoax or “Fake News”. You tell an Obama supporter that he is a Muslim born in Kenya and shouldn’t be president and they will say that is not true, that is a hoax.
A house divided against itself cannot stand. – Abraham Lincoln
It is hard for us to change what we believe unless it hits somewhere important in our lives. Until we have skin in the game. Like one person I know who was a lifetime Republican but thanks to Obamacare found and treated the early cancer she had but prior couldn’t get tested because her insurance said it was pre-existing condition due to family history as well as the test was expensive and they didn’t find medically necessary, Obamacare changed that. She credits her life now to Obamacare and is a very loud supporter of Democrat causes. Or someone who was a lifetime Democrat who lost his job and the factory moved to Mexico, Trump’s tough talk with Mexico resonated and now supports the Republican party.
People who would have never shifted on the LGBTQ+ issue through a bible study or a book or a debate, when faced with their children’s lives or someone they love might up end up changing their views. Why? Emotional, unreasonable compromise? They changed because they finally had skin in the game. They weren’t abstracting cheaply about a doctrine, they were truly loving their children. Many of them who only come out after a suicidal attempt and in many cases trying to keep them alive by re-evaluating long-held views on sexuality or gender identity and loving the person they know.
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou
Politicians tap into our feelings, Obama tapped into our hopes and our desire for change. Trump tapped into our fear and rage of a changing America with a call for change back to the good old days while hijacking the Republican establishment with calls to “Drain the Swamp”. Bernie tapped into the progressive side and caused a split from the Democratic establishment with his vision with more European ideals for America, many that are working and some that are not. United we stand, divided we fall. Currently, we have a wide spectrum of political ideas and they are pitting themselves against each other with a us versus them methodology and in return society becomes more chaotic.
We so often want to convert everyone, we want them on our team, same religion, same political views, some geographical area, we so often see ourselves as right and others are flawed and so we often feel upset when see people post something we disagree with and feel the need to respond.
What can we do?
- Everyone wants to be understood but it is hard to understand when you already know they are wrong and you are right.
- What people say rarely have anything to do with you, People are rarely angry at you, look for each other stories and you will find why they came to their conclusion. It could be their insecurities of what others will think of them, etc.
- You are what you love, not what loves you. Sometimes those that love us like family will not agree with us, sometimes we must embody what you love.
- You are never right. Each person in an argument deeply believes they are right and the other person is wrong and we feel strongly that it is our mission to change others to how we think. Each of us experiences life differently and that shapes out opinions and personalities. We are under the illusion that we are what we believe. Getting to know each other without politics and religion talk, many people will find common ground and even friendship. How often, do you look back and see the things you thought were true but now have a different feeling towards now. Maybe if we went into discussions thinking that is what I know and what I believe now but I want to learn how you the other side feels too. Maybe I’m wrong.
- Some people will not want to hear your perspective, there is freedom in that though, just think of the emotions and frustration that you will be avoiding by not sharing your perspective with them. Not everyone needs to know how you feel and it does not good in sharing it with people who will not respect you.
- You know how you feel and they act, flip it around and try to look at how you act/respond and try to understand how they feel. When you feel they are not listening to you, ask yourself are you listening to them?
We want the room to listen to us but when someone else starts talking we want to leave the room. I’m the kind of person when fired up I have to have the last word. We have to be ok with allowing others to express their viewpoints, even if we are 100% opposed to the view. If we want respect given to us, we have to give to others as well. You can listen or not to another opinion but they too have the same right for yours. Remember everyone has a right to their opinion but coffee is better than tea is one opinion, thinking women / LGBT/ people of color are less than you is not an opinion that will go well in your favor.
Trying to change another person with facts as I attempted to do with my social experiment on this site is likely to have no “converts” Neither side is likely to change their opinions. I understand but thought I would at least try. Facts don’t work because we can blow them off as “Fake News”, at the root of politics is feelings. Making any party feel stupid even with true facts doesn’t change anyone, it only makes them dig in deeper.
In many cases, you won’t be able to change someone’s political opinions. A lot of has to do with personalities, people will always be attracted to a certain base.
The right doesn’t like change, they see old-time Americana as the “good old days”, drinking lemonade on the porch, listening to stereotypical white music like folk, bluegrass, country and pop music. You know everyone around you, where I come from many people don’t lock their doors, just driving around you see person after person you know. Local town festivals and schools is where everyone knows everyone. I had 73 people in my graduating class. I remember it was funny how many I would see when shopping, I actually would go to Walmart after midnight and see who was around and actually see people I know. Most people are religious in smaller towns and rural areas, they are a social connection for many people. When almost everyone you meet thinks one way on politics, it is hard to resist that so many all think as their social circle does.
The right is a party of fear, they fear change, they need a gun to feel safe because the danger is everywhere, they are afraid if they gave to the poor they would be left with nothing so they protect themselves. Each man for themselves. We need to spend more on military than the top 22 countries combined because we are afraid to lose so we must always be the strongest. The fear of other cultures makes us want to have strong borders. We are also victims of the mainstream media, the liberal agenda, the war on Christmas, Christians and traditional marriage and gender.
In contrast, the left tends to come from cities, change is constant. You are very disconnected, you can go all over town and likely not see a single person you know. You most likely don’t know your neighbors. Schools are so large that you can’t know everyone in your own grade. They don’t know Americana like the rural areas do, many people grow up their whole life without being in a forest or seeing a farm. There is an anger in some cities that come from the generations living in poorer areas which are expressed in hip-hop and rap. Black people have been systematically attacked by polices on both the left and right. Bill Clinton and the mandatory sentencing and other policies have greatly hurt the black\mintorites communities. You encounter people from all different cultures and personalities. In order to have peace, you learn to accept everyone as they are.
The left feels like the PC police, not all but some facets of the left look for new ways to be offended all the time. Come Halloween, almost anything you choose would be an offense to some culture. If you are white, you are a racist no matter what. I’ve seen a white woman be called racist by other white people and all the while she was married to a black man. I understand the zeal to end racism but I’ve been called a racist three times by white people over some of my disagreement with BLM and Antifa actions. I’ve never been called racist by anyone of color or another culture because I’m not. I think it is this overzealousness to keep from offending anyone, in the end, offends about everyone. I think Democrats will lose elections based on feelings such caring more about how offensive the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians name is than people losing their jobs or the economy.
Feminist who want to get rid of gender and force non-binary pronoun language like zie zim zir zis zieself so instead of calling your friends or your wife or husband by he or him they want us to all use gender-neutral pronouns. This talks over the transgender people who want to be the other gender and are proud to be he or a she and just want to be respected by the pronoun they feel they identify with. They would be offended by referring to them as they and them and instead of her or him depending on their identity. The left fights amongst itself, the Hilliary and Bernie Sanders supporters. I was #BernieOrBust all the way to the ballot, afterward there was a lot of shaming going on by Hilliary supporters for that. A vote for a third party candidate was a vote for Trump or Hillary depending on what side you listened too.
- Both sides have legitimate reasons for thinking as they do because their life experiences are different. I disagree with you but I respect your position.
- In some areas of politics, compromise can be a noble goal, in other areas there can be no compromise. Try to find what can be agreed with and go from there.
- Name calling will do nothing to solve the problem on any side
- One of the principles in Steven Covey’s popular book, Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, is to seek to understand rather than be understood.This is very hard, often we listen just long enough to think of how to counter-argue their point out of defense. Many barriers can come down by truly listening to the other side.
- Try to befriend people who think differently from you, every liberal should have a token conservative friend or vice versa. A lot of change can happen if when you like each rather than hate each other, you are more likely to actively listen.
I believe in the end whether you are religious or not, showing love, kindness to each other and listening to the each other can go a long way towards making a more perfect union as the founding fathers envisioned.
Sources: http://www.thedailybeast.com/george-washingtons-warning-from-a-parting-friend