followup

[acroyear]

Its very hard to be a moderate in communities where extremism (on either side) reigns.  Each side claims that to be against their opponents policies you must therefore be in favor of their own, the either-or curse.  Neither side recognizes compromise and can't imagine the middle ground that can lead to the right direction, in spite of its success in doing so for centuries.

But worse still, it makes it impossible to see the middle ground or alternative options yourself.  e.g., social security reform, where I think Bush's plan has problems, but so does saying it sucks without an alternative, but again so does saying an alternative that involve tax increases sucks by fiat.  No side is willing to discuss, but each merely repeats over and over again their now pre-programmed responses.

True creative solutions to problems come from give and take, from breaking the problem down into parts, and letting a new whole reveal itself.

In this, the Episcopal church is merely a microcosm of America as a whole.

Comments

[selkiesiren.livejournal.com]

Oh, well said. I would also add that, when you *are* in the middle, those who are left see you as being extreme right and vice versa.

And, I've noticed too that most folk who are of one extreme or the other tend to view themselves as moderate.

Strange world...hard to know *where* you are.

But, I hear you...I wish it were easier to let go of the emotional attachment to ones personal POV and meet in the middle someplace...it's what's best on majorly divided issues.

[caseylane.livejournal.com]

My take is that this country is too divided over Bush for any true dialog to take place. It seems to still be locked into an us vs them mentality. I don't think things will change until there is someone else in charge. I know many of those that didn't vote for Bush feel he doesn't care about them or their beliefs at all. Those on the winning side feel that those that lost are just being spoiled sports. I can't see it getting any better until the next election because it really didn't improve from his first election to the second.