The United States of America is not a divided nation.
That thesis might come as a shock to some. Certainly, all of the superficial indicators of public opinion seem to suggest that we all can’t get along: polls fluctuate on what Americans think of controversial policies like Obamacare, news outlets like MSNBC and FOX continue to polarize on the left-right continuum, and town hall meetings overflow with militaristic rhetoric. All of this is no doubt going to escalate as the November elections come closer. The apophatic nature of each candidate’s campaign ads is perhaps the defining trait of the election thus far: it isn’t about what each candidate is, it’s what the other candidate isn’t.
As a result of this left/right feud, it’s easy to be cynical. But so many see politics this way only because the wrong questions are being asked. News outlets and politicians shouldn’t ask, “What do the Democrats and Republicans think about this?” We should be asking, “Where do both parties agree?” Both Democrats and Republicans want to see America prosper and do better. Yes, each party has different ideas as to how each goal can be achieved, but this doesn’t mean reconciliation is out of the question.
If there’s one thing American politics can teach us, it’s that there is no deus ex machina, no universal fix. But the solution might be easier than we think. America is a representative democracy, which means the impetus is on the ordinary citizen just as much as the elected politician to make change. With that in mind, I have several suggestions:
1. If you happen upon a news station where the dialogue is obviously confrontational or one-sided, change the channel. News networks only engage in partisan bickering because it results in good numbers; if you stop watching, they’ll have to change their tune.
2. If you’re ever at a town hall gathering (or a similarly-minded public meeting), don’t call those you disagree with “socialists” or “teabaggers.” Keep in mind your “opponents” are likely at that meeting for the same reasons you are; they want to see a better America too. And don’t be afraid of compromise; you’ll likely get more than you would have had you tried to go for broke.
3. Inundate your congressperson with emails and letters telling them to better represent you. If you think taxes should be low, don’t let your congressperson throw out lazy buzzwords like “job creators.” If you think taxes should be higher, don’t just assert the rich should “pay their fare share.” Both of those are emblematic of the intellectually malnourished jargon that holds back conversation. Americans don’t have to communicate in recycled tropes. Americans have honest dreams and desires, and they can be articulately expressed if our representatives are willing.
Some might say these are nice but ultimately fruitless ideas. They’ll say that the people in power have accrued too much for us to even make a dent. But so long as we buy into the belief that we’re powerless, then those in power have already won. Only by letting them know, as Peter Finch so memorably put it in Network, that we’re “mad as hell and not going to take it any more!” will we ever make progress as a nation. It’s in our desire for the better that we find the truest unity in America.
