Blog 26

April 17, 2017

Adjusting Our View

Are you dejected?  Feeling as if the keeping on keeping on is just too much.  I have been, and I have been taking a break.  Slowly, if I allow myself to back off from the daily onslaught of what is happening and what to do, I am able to come back to the daily demands, but with a new perspectve on what is happening and what I can do.

Right now, I am looking through a wider lens.  I am asking myself questions about how what is happening here is reflected world wide.  I am reading about the developments of  democarcies from a historical perspective and wondering:  What is a democracy?  How do democracies evolve? How do they change?  It seems crucial to keep our eyes on larger issues, possible visions of what might be possible in our contry’s future, as we take daily actions against immediate issues.  Without some perspective, I drown in the unresolveable values differences leading to policies that harm so many.

I am also looking inward as I examine my prejudices, assumptions and values.  At our seder, we considered exodus  from our inner enslavers and what we must do to find our own liberation.  Takes some pretty fancy dancing to keep it all in view,but for me right now it is energizing me and bringing me focus.

Wise Words

http://www.npr.org/2017/04/05/522756774/political-science-professor-warns-of-dangers-of-polarized-politics

MCCOY: Well, what we are seeing is when voters divide into opposing camps they come to view the other side not any longer as a political adversary, as in a healthy democracy, just one to compete against and occasionally to negotiate and compromise with, but instead as a threatening enemy to be vanquished. And that means that compromise is no longer possible. Negotiations and communications break down. And people begin to perceive and be afraid of the other side.

MCEVERS: How polarized is the American system as compared to these other places that you research?

MCCOY: What we do see in the United States is over the last 15 to 20 years, one is that the growing distance between peoples and between the political parties as they each become more homogeneous within themselves, the Democrats and Republicans, and further apart. But the second part of it that's very important is the growing antipathy. So that is this perception that the other side is actually threatening, that if they come to power, if they win the elections, that that is threatening to our way of life.

MCEVERS: So what - from what you've seen in these three countries, what's the result of polarization? What happens?

MCCOY: Well, there's three possible outcomes. One is simply paralyzing gridlock where the two camps can't negotiate and compromise and arrive at any decisions at all. A second is that you may see a veering back and forth between two sides so that one side is in power for a while and is imposing its decisions on the other side. And that creates a backlash, and they'll be removed. And then the other side gets in and they do the same thing. The third is that the leader can stay in power, can change rules such as election rules that will benefit them, and begin to isolate, divide and repress their opponents. And you can see a growing authoritarian trend in those cases.

MCEVERS: So how can democracies reverse this process? How can you depolarize a political system?

MCCOY: One way to do it is to change the things that allow one side to gain too much power or to make, you know, political fights like elections a winner-take-all game. So in the United States, that would have to do with redistricting and not allowing the political parties to control the redistricting decisions to benefit themselves and to benefit the incumbents. But there's also a strong effect at the individual level where when people are afraid that - if somebody's own self-concept or world view is threatened, they refuse to receive new information that may disconfirm that.

Even if we can get out of our echo chambers and only, you know - and we can hear more points of view, people will still tend to reject the view that does not fit with their pre-existing beliefs. So we've got to find ways to bring people together and tap into their shared humanity. That is, to give them experiences where they can begin to empathize again with the other person.

“Adjusting Our View”

Marilyn Robertson

A fresh wind blows from the east, ruffling the leaves.

A rock is struck like a bargain.  Water reappears.

On a cold night, a warm fire. Soup bowls are filled.

The fierce-eyed neighbor is invited in.

Don’t all eyes look out from the same fear?

A knot of men, fists clenched. Suddenly a somersalt

In the dust, an aria from an upstairs window.

A lineon a map means nothing to a line on the earth.

That same earth, walked and plowed, turned

And planted: enough corn for two villages.

For one day, pretend what is different is the same

Or one hour.  Even a minute can awaken change.

Small hands fold and refold colored paper.

Lanterned boats are set afloat.  Each one carries

a flame bound for the land of new words.

Actions:

The Sister’s District Project https://www.sisterdistrict.com/what-we-do/

Organizing in your neighborhood to change red seats to blue state and congress.

https://knockeverydoor.org. Join

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NcxjEoHqwLsYqzogXgtb0N3QWdm9Rd6yN37el0dNxao/edit# Knock every door. New volunteers call.

https://www.indivisibleguide.com/resource/trumps-dangerous-escalation-syria/?link_id=21&can_id=2fffe46e87f2dd752ea6ac392f716e73&source=email-indivisible-leaders-whats-next-in-recess-week-2-2&email_referrer=indivisible-leaders-whats-next-in-recess-week-2-2&email_subject=indivisible-leaders-whats-next-in-recess-week-2

Syria -read about -take action