On division and polemics

It is Saturday. Time for politics. I know... politics is boring, annoying, confusing, divisive, and ugly. Still, it's all around us and seeps into our lives at every turn. If you work (or want to but cannot find a job), if you are in school, if you are retired... politics affects your life. I know. Trust me.

Over the years, I have noticed that the presidential election cycle no longer begins in the last year of a president's term. It begins in the year he is elected. People start wondering who will be the opposition candidate in 4 years. Politicians start jockeying for position. The various political bigwigs in each party start defending, opposing, whining about, bragging about the performance of the current president.

All of that affects us, the rank and file of the electorate. And we are inundated by it if we watch the news. Especially if we watch the news on the 24 hour news channels. It is no wonder we run off to watch the mindless entertainment elsewhere. We don't want to watch the constant political bickering. Polls repeatedly show this. It is reflected in the low ratings of Congress. We really don't like them.

We, according to the polls, want something called "bi-partisanship" and cooperation. We want Congress and the president to get the "people's business" done.

I don't believe it. Oh, I am not saying the polls are wrong, I am saying they aren't asking the right questions or interpreting the results properly. When someone says "I want more cooperation in Congress", they really mean "I want the other party to do what my preferred party wants them to do." Admit it. If you are a Democrat, you want the Democratic proposals to go through smoothly and easily. If you are Republican, you want the Republican proposals to go through smoothly and easily.

Do you think the other party is evil and wants to destroy the country? Really? I don't think so. I think the people on both sides of the aisle are sincere and truly believe their policies are the right ones. There's a good chance neither of them is right and an equal chance that only one of them is.

The question, to me then, is which one is likely to do the least harm if wrong?

But that is just the way I look at it.

Divisiveness is not just caused simply by disagreement. It is something that is encouraged by those who wish to exploit it.

Read carefully between the lines.