compromise

Compromise is not Captiulation

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Extremism will be the death of this country. Each side, ultra-liberal and uber-conservatives, wraps itself in the Constitution, albeit in their narrow interpretation of it. They fail to see that the document is the epitome of compromise.

Although one might argue the compromise that is the Second Amendment might be a poor example. But nothing is perfect.

And no matter which element is in power, they proclaim the other side is pure evil and unworthy of any attention other than finding ways to eliminate them—compromise = surrender.

I recently read an opinion piece in the Arizona Republic. The teaser/headline made the provocative contention that Arizona—that once exclusively Republican enclave—could learn something by emulating San Fransisco.

This, of course, sparked outrage. How could Arizona benefit from adopting policies that left San Francisco a city of discarded needles, rampant drug use, and tent cities occupying entire neighborhoods?

This was precisely the author’s goal.

What the author pointed out was that the changes now happening in San Fransisco—moderate political factions taking over from the lunatic fringe ultra-liberals Democrats—could be emulated here by similar moderate political candidates taking over from the uber-conservative, yet equally Loonie, Republicans.

In other words, reclaiming government for those who understand extremism in all its forms is dangerous, and compromise is not capitulation. There are signs it is happening here: a Democratic Governor, Attorney General, and both United States Senators are not Republicans nor extremists.

The Greeks lived by a philosophy known as the Delphic Maxims, inscribed on the temple at Delphi. One is Μηδὲν ἄγαν: Nothing too much

In John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the archangel Michael advises Adam to “observe the rule of not too much… in what thou eat’st and drink’st, seeking from thence due nourishment, not gluttonous delight.”

Modern versions of this include “Nothing to excess, everything in moderation.” While the admonitions may have originally been dietary advice, they can easily be applied to other aspects of life, including political philosophies.

Instead of “In God We Trust” emblazoned on our coins and adorning our buildings—which raises all sorts of extremism among various faiths—we should put “Nothing to Excess.”

It would be a constructive compromise, reminding us of the value of differing opinions and philosophies and respecting the views of others.

If ever there was a time for moderation and compromise in this country it is now. We face an existential crisis that can change the course of our future. One path leads us to ruin the other to a renaissance and new Age of Reason. Choose wisely.

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My Country, Love it or Leave it

/ Joe Broadmeadow / Leave a comment

I wrote a piece critical of President Trump’s despicable Tweets about four sitting US Congresswomen and the responses fit into two categories; those who agreed and those who think people like me should leave the country because we criticize policy or this president. (https://joebroadmeadowblog.com/2019/07/17/when-did-america-become-a-land-of-cowards/)

Reminds me of the pro-war signs (yes there were some) during the Viet Nam war.  “My Country, Love it or Leave it.” Thus, the title and image cleverly designed to lure in those who read it and said, “Damn straight.” (It’s called bait & switch marketing, although they may have stopped reading by this point.)

Trump’s response to the widespread if disappointingly one-sided criticism was to carry on with the message with more tweets.

“In America, if you hate our Country, you are free to leave. The simple fact of the matter is, the four Congresswomen think that America is wicked in its origins, they think that America is even more wicked now, that we are all racist and evil.”

“IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY HERE, YOU CAN LEAVE!” (https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1151700953030123522)

To oppose or disagree with policy, according to Mr. Trump et al. (you may see that term again), is to be un-American. If I understand his logic–as challenging as THAT is–this means the mark of true Americans is blind adherence to government policy and eschewing open discourse and discussion.

If we accept Mr. Trump’s “logic,” this is what history should reflect and what the future looks like.

If you disagreed with the genocide perpetrated against Native Americans, you should have left the country

If you disagreed with the legality of slavery, you should have just left the country.

If you disagreed with the Jim Crowe Laws, you should have just left the country.

If you disagreed with the denial of civil rights to minority men and women, you should have just left the country.

If you disagreed with segregation, you should have just left the country.

If you disagreed with giving women the right to vote, you should have just left the country.

If you disagreed with the Affordable Care Act, you should have just left the country.

If you disagreed with the Paris Climate Agreement, you should have just left the country.

If you disagreed with the loss of 56 thousand American military members in Viet Nam, you should have just left the country.

If you disagreed with the lack of aid to Puerto Rico or New Orleans after recent hurricane disasters, you should have just left the country.

If disagreeing with the current or future policies of the US Government demands one leave the country, no one would remain after just a few years.

Opposition, dissent, and disagreement are the three of the cornerstones of our form of government. The fourth, the one that makes the whole thing stand firm and tall, is compromise.

Without compromise, nothing works. Without dissent, there is no compromise. Blind adherence to government policies generally comes at the point of a blade.

If you love this country, as most Americans do, you work to right the flaws not ignore them. America is a far better place than many other places in the world. However, it is not perfect and to ignore problems is to be complicit in their continuity.

Dissent may in fact be the highest form of patriotism if the intent is to achieve what could be not just destroy what is.

Neither a Democrat nor a Republican Be…

/ Joe Broadmeadow / 1 Comment

Not all that long ago, there was a time in this country when people defined themselves, politically at least, as either Republican or Democrat.

Voters took pride in entering a voting booth and pulling the master handle to vote for a candidate not for their positions on issues, not for their record of achievement, not for their ideas or proposals, but for their party affiliation.

Party affiliation.

Sounds eerily similar to the politics of the Soviet Union or Mao’s China instead of the promise of the Constitution and the brilliance of the Founding Fathers.

Which brings us to the politics of 2016. While in many places the master lever is a fading memory, the propaganda (there is that similarity again) of the parties is the same.

Depending on your political leanings, either the Republicans, representing a conservative approach, or the Democrats, representing a progressive approach, are the ONLY choice.

There is NO room for compromise, no room for a blending of ideas, no chance that anything proposed by one party will gain support by the other.

I have a friend who had an opportunity to have a private discussion, in a setting far removed from the media or public eye, with a former Speaker of the House. My friend lamented the lack of cooperation across the aisle and the seemingly endless process of erecting roadblocks to cooperation.

The Congressman assured her it was not as bad as it seems. This is good news, at first blush.

But upon reflection, it is one more indication of the dishonesty, disingenuousness, and outright lying that goes on for the sake of getting elected and, more importantly, staying there.

Either the politicians think so little of voters’ ability to recognize the necessity of cooperation and compromise in Congress and play to that ignorance or they have come to understand if you give the voter what they want to hear, they vote for you.

Then, you do what you want.

All parties have their heroes, their bright shining beacons that represent the best the party has to offer.

The Republicans had Reagan. Held up as the standard-bearer of less government. His famous quote during his first inaugural address, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem” touted as the best example of wise policy.

Reagan then went on to lead the biggest increase in government spending in decades. His Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), which ultimately failed, led to enormous increases in technology research. This policy almost single-handedly built Silicon Valley and the technology corridor outside of Boston, Ma.

Reagan expressed his despise of big government. His legend used as the example of getting government out of the way. The reality is his SDI program, a holy crusade against the evil empire of the Soviet Union, was a huge government funded program.

Moreover, it worked. Contrary to all his vaunted statements, government programs worked.

Do I even have to mention Richard Nixon?

We ignore the truth for the sake of a slogan or false premise.

The Democrats have had similar icons. John F. Kennedy, whose short time in office created such hope and promise, also set the stage for our entering into the war in Vietnam. His promise of “we shall go to the moon…” stimulated a generation of optimism that we could do anything we choose to do.

President Clinton, his presidency marked with much success, supported and signed the ridiculous Defense of Marriage Act. His boldface lying to the American people corroded the many good things he accomplished.

Yet each of these Presidents, none of them perfect, succeeded by compromise. They sought cooperation to blend a solution.

Which leads us to today. The same, perhaps wider, chasm divides this country. Sanders is a socialist. Hillary is a liar. Cruz is a religious nut. Rubio cannot balance a checkbook. Trump is… I am not sure there is a word for it.

Each of these candidates has something to offer. Yet it seems the politics of this era compels us to pick one path, one philosophy, one political policy.

We deserve more.

If the reality of compromise and cooperation does exists away from the cameras and 24/7 media storm, the American people deserve to be trusted with that knowledge.

In our everyday lives, we make choices; we balance the things we want against the things we need. That is being an adult.

Those that scream the most about the evils and dangers of those they disagree with are like schoolyard bullies, trying to shout down and intimidate.

Standing up to a bully is the right thing to do.

A politician who claims to have all the answers, offers nothing but disdain and criticism of opposing views, and insists his (or her) policies are the only choice is not what we need. It is what we have been afflicted with for the past few years and it is time to seek a better solution.