Given that we find ourselves with extremes, we do have learn how to moderate…the verb. I’d say that’s what people really want from divided government. We don’t want them to be intransigent. Yet they are. To me this is the problem. What we have now is a zero-sum game. I think we are becoming entirely too tribal. Yes my views may be considered liberal by today’s lingo, but I’m not interested in a label or giving into the pick a side business. When I first started voting, especially for Senate races I would actually pick one from each party, because I expected that they would work together. In today’s political climate, I cannot use that strategy but the ideal of it isn’t less valid. Again for today’s climate, yes it is clear which side has the best interests of the people in mind. And we will likely have to vote that direction for generations to undo the damage of this era. But the ideals of unity and being less divisive should always be what we strive for. To me the “pick a side” stance is much more divisive in tone and can be off-putting.
I appreciate this: "If you are someone who sees the problems facing our country, is interested in doing or having something done about it, and is willing to listen to different ideas, as long as they make sense and can be backed by evidence and research, you are not a moderate, you are a rational human being." I've often wondered if hearing both sides of an argument with an open mind makes me a centrist. What's a conciliatory empath to do in these times?! I can't wait for what you've got coming.
Yes, this was the part I had highlighted, too. My brain feels broken watching the aftermath of this election. But it’s gonna stay online to see what you’ve got coming. Thank you, Stanley. I’m here for this.
Thank you. And you can be moderate or conservative in how you write your policy, but our elected officials hide behind these terms to escape accountability
I would go as far as to see 'moderate' means having moved to the right. What I want to see politically is democracy and freedom of the press restored, and policies that enable everyone to have a roof over their heads and enough to eat and a flourishing environment. I'm curious to see what you'll be writing about, Stanley.
This is brave and necessary. I’m on side with nope to the fascists who are trying their best to hide their heads in the sand and pretend the status quo isn’t broken, under the thinly veiled language of moderation. From my pov, the centrists and far right cult has shifted the Overton window so far right, that now what the crooked politicians claim as too left is actually quite middle of the road basic common sense: equality, human rights, courtesy, respect, and dignity. I agree, the right to housing and healthcare that are understood by “a rational human being” as basic survival. Ngl I’m scared, bc it’s easy for me to imagine worst case scenario but I still care about people. The fascists, who refuse to denounce white supremacy on live tv, they terrify me. It is still incomprehensible to me that guns are more important than human lives, especially after the Sandy Hook atrocity (that event is still too much for me to comprehend without losing it. I sure wish peace for the survivors and families.) I wish I had some ideal solution; sometimes I fear that history feels doomed to repeat itself? Then I remember people acting in solidarity do create change. I believe if the good people who care continue to speak up, write, read, and listen then there’s glimmer of a chance. Your heartfelt writing makes the current moment a better place to exist. I’m grateful to have a chance to read writers like you and I’m grateful for the creative community here. Thank you for taking a stand.
I share so many of these feelings and the anxiety. I’m constantly trying to self soothe and encourage myself to look within and around. We need to be curious and empathetic to survive. Let’s try together
Given that we find ourselves with extremes, we do have learn how to moderate…the verb. I’d say that’s what people really want from divided government. We don’t want them to be intransigent. Yet they are. To me this is the problem. What we have now is a zero-sum game. I think we are becoming entirely too tribal. Yes my views may be considered liberal by today’s lingo, but I’m not interested in a label or giving into the pick a side business. When I first started voting, especially for Senate races I would actually pick one from each party, because I expected that they would work together. In today’s political climate, I cannot use that strategy but the ideal of it isn’t less valid. Again for today’s climate, yes it is clear which side has the best interests of the people in mind. And we will likely have to vote that direction for generations to undo the damage of this era. But the ideals of unity and being less divisive should always be what we strive for. To me the “pick a side” stance is much more divisive in tone and can be off-putting.
I appreciate this: "If you are someone who sees the problems facing our country, is interested in doing or having something done about it, and is willing to listen to different ideas, as long as they make sense and can be backed by evidence and research, you are not a moderate, you are a rational human being." I've often wondered if hearing both sides of an argument with an open mind makes me a centrist. What's a conciliatory empath to do in these times?! I can't wait for what you've got coming.
Yes, this was the part I had highlighted, too. My brain feels broken watching the aftermath of this election. But it’s gonna stay online to see what you’ve got coming. Thank you, Stanley. I’m here for this.
Thank you. And you can be moderate or conservative in how you write your policy, but our elected officials hide behind these terms to escape accountability
I would go as far as to see 'moderate' means having moved to the right. What I want to see politically is democracy and freedom of the press restored, and policies that enable everyone to have a roof over their heads and enough to eat and a flourishing environment. I'm curious to see what you'll be writing about, Stanley.
This is brave and necessary. I’m on side with nope to the fascists who are trying their best to hide their heads in the sand and pretend the status quo isn’t broken, under the thinly veiled language of moderation. From my pov, the centrists and far right cult has shifted the Overton window so far right, that now what the crooked politicians claim as too left is actually quite middle of the road basic common sense: equality, human rights, courtesy, respect, and dignity. I agree, the right to housing and healthcare that are understood by “a rational human being” as basic survival. Ngl I’m scared, bc it’s easy for me to imagine worst case scenario but I still care about people. The fascists, who refuse to denounce white supremacy on live tv, they terrify me. It is still incomprehensible to me that guns are more important than human lives, especially after the Sandy Hook atrocity (that event is still too much for me to comprehend without losing it. I sure wish peace for the survivors and families.) I wish I had some ideal solution; sometimes I fear that history feels doomed to repeat itself? Then I remember people acting in solidarity do create change. I believe if the good people who care continue to speak up, write, read, and listen then there’s glimmer of a chance. Your heartfelt writing makes the current moment a better place to exist. I’m grateful to have a chance to read writers like you and I’m grateful for the creative community here. Thank you for taking a stand.
I share so many of these feelings and the anxiety. I’m constantly trying to self soothe and encourage myself to look within and around. We need to be curious and empathetic to survive. Let’s try together