A Call for Politics with Perspective

As I ponder the possibility of an ever-expanding blogosphere, I am saddened by the likelihood that we face an ever more hardened and coarse political culture.

I've certainly contributed to such a culture on my own blog.  Some examples are my comments about the Schiavo case last spring, and my ridiculing of the conservative perspective on the Supreme Court last week ("The Loons Have Left the Barn.")  It is very easy to channel your outrage through clever turns of phrase pounded out on a keyboard.  The problem, of course, is that this zeal is as much about venting as it is about making a real difference.  I might as well put a punching bag in our apartment.

The incessant political cyber-war is both draining and irritating.  There are hardly any outlets for people who are passionate about their ideas; prefer thoughtful debate to meaningless sound bites; and are able to recognize the humanity of people who see the world differently.  This is true whether you're on the left or right.   Left-wingers must think that conservatives are uneducated boobs, while conservatives just know that all liberals hate America.

We all realize that the real world is much more complicated than this, of course.  Indeed, it is so complicated that we resort to stereotypes that we could not defend under pressure .  But in the world of physical human contact, we have the ability to modify and sometimes even overturn these stereotypes. 

In contrast, the politico-cyber world depends on maintaining firm preconceptions and a refusal to engage in challenging thought.  It's easy to be a cyber-activist, which is why it's popular.  All you have to do is rant and rave in your pajamas.

Comments

[Uri]

how about a punching frog instead of a punching bag?

[Helen]

Uri, there is no such thing as a punching frog, and what does that have to do with the topic?

My tangential response to the posting: I'm not much of a writer (nor am I much of a reader of intellectual writings), but I enjoy discussing politics with my co-workers. I question the generally accepted rule of staying away from political discussions at work. As long as the discussions are civilized in nature and there is mutual respect, talking politics in the workplace should not be discouraged, since that is where we spend the majority of our time (for me anyway). Written viewpoints, no matter how beautifully crafted and how "real time," can never replace face-to-face debates.