“But in the meantime all the life you have or ever will have is today, tonight, tomorrow, today, tonight, tomorrow, over and over again (I hope), …”
– Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls
Ordinary World
22 Oct 2018
Civility:
[Ci1] Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and Why Civility Can’t Return To Politics By Nick Gillespie & Todd Krainin: “If politics these days seem especially ugly, that’s because they are. Not even counting actual physical attacks on Sen. Rand Paul (R–Ky.) and the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise (R–La.) during a congressional baseball practice, politics are more heated, divisive, and physically charged than they have been in years. And for good reason: The people who control politics insist that every piece of legislation, every Supreme Court nomination, every midterm election, every minor rule change is bringing the world one step closer to the apocalypse.”
[Ci2] What people don’t like about civility By Elizabeth Bruenig: “What people don’t like about both civility and political correctness is also – not just coincidentally – the very same thing: the obligation to translate what one really thinks into language someone else will not be offended by. For many, this burdensome process feels a lot like lying, and the resulting “common ground” created in the process seems artificial.”
[Ci3] We Are Trapped In An Escalating Spiral of Incivility by Julian Adorney: “The escalating conflict between Democrats and Republicans erodes the fabric of American society. Civil, democratic society only works as long as we can overcome our fear of the other side and unify as a nation. But for the past two decades, partisan hatred has been on the rise. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and political scientist Sam Abrams point to one cause: “rule changes and culture changes in Congress made it harder to maintain cross-party friendships.” With the decline of these friendships, civility in Washington has frayed.”
[Ci4] Civility is Dead, Hallelujah! by Noah Meyer: “The mask of civility has slipped off, and now there is nothing hiding the ugly reality of politics. For centuries, civility has been the guise hiding the relentless assault on working people from those insulated from reality. There is nothing left to hide behind now. The ruling class has already felt the effects. Protesters occupy their offices, harass them out of restaurants, and shut down the freeways. The most important thing is that they no longer feel safe—a privilege the elite have always had over the rest of us.”
[Ci5] Incivility Isn’t What’s Wrong With American Politics by Sarah Jones:”We do not suffer problems that can be solved with better etiquette. Euphemisms, whether the term is “incivility” or “racially tinged,” have a veiling effect. Viewed through the lens of euphemism, problems don’t look like structural injustice, but like impolitic language. Won’t you be my neighbor? Say no, and suddenly you’re the problem. You’ve forgone dialogue, which is disrespectful, which is the one cardinal sin that the civility framework admits.”
[Ci6] New GOP Message: Your Democratic Neighbors Just Might Kill You! by Elizabeth Picciuto: “Usually, fear-based campaigning constitutes one side accusing elected officials on the other side of posing a danger. If you elect my opponent, she’ll take away your guns/health care/police protections/environmental protections, etc. It’s one thing to accuse representatives of being dangerous. Accusing the citizens who hold opposing political viewpoints is something else entirely. The “angry mob” argument is not only suggesting that voters are in danger of the other side’s policies. It’s suggesting that they are also endangered by their fellow citizens, their neighbors, further increasing the recent bitter divisiveness.”
[Ci7] Civility and Non-Violence by Jennifer Ellen : “The Latin civilas means ‘relating to citizens.’ It’s about citizenship, and citizenship is about where the power and privilege in a society lies. Citizenship is at the heart of what divides us today?—?the legal technicalities of citizenship, yes, but also the full privileges of citizenship?—?both formal and informal. We disagree on who should have that standing, and we disagree on what it means to be a good citizen of America. In this deeper sense of ‘civility,’ it is about what constitutes civility itself that we disagree.”
[Ci8] The Odd Couple by Kristin Devine :”In this climate – two sides at war and both of them convinced that they’re not only right, but are actually God’s/the universe’s Chosen People, where every issue you encounter, no matter how small or silly, looks like a fine spot for a skirmish – why expend valuable energy scrutinizing your own behavior? For surely all behavior, no matter how odious, no matter how divisive, is justified if this is Perpetual War and you are on the side of the angels! If Beloved Tribe has been sanctified by the Holy Forces of Righteousness, surely everything one does and says in its name, no matter how counterproductive or awful or mean-spirited, is justified in the name of the greater good. You may be just a lowly tribesman with a Twitter account, but you are on a sacred mission. You aren’t being an a-hole, heaven forfend! You’re giving witness, testifying your faith, proselytizing to the heathens.”
Born and raised in West Virginia, Andrew has since lived and traveled around the world several times over. Though frequently writing about politics out of a sense of duty and love of country, most of the time he would prefer discussions on history, culture, occasionally nerding on aviation, and his amateur foodie tendencies. He can usually be found misspelling/misusing words on Twitter @four4thefire.
I admit my concern about the “incivility” and the idea that it’s OK to “hound” your political opponents in public is that, it will, in the way that everything seems to go, wind up with it becoming OK to hound private citizens in public.
Your kid got in trouble in school, but you think he’s a little angel? Just scream at his teacher when you see her in the grocery store.
College biology prof teaches evolution and you think that’s wrong? Scream at them when you see them in the doctor’s waiting room, tell them they’re going to Hell for what they’re doing.
Dissatisfied with the job the housepainter did? Why does that a-hole deserve a nice meal out with his family? Scream at him at the restaurant.
Hell, why not go to the person’s HOUSE, stand out on the street (so: not trespassing) and scare their spouse and kids? Should be effective.
Look, I’m already 85% a hermit. You want me to go the other 15%? Have screaming fights, regularly, in public spaces. I suspect I’m not the only one who would refuse to leave her house into that kind of a world.
Yes, Bad Politicians are Bad, but isn’t it worse making everyone else be a bystander to your attacking them when they just happen to be in the same space? And isn’t it worse making other people feel like “hey, maybe I can get what I want from (random small local businessperson) if I’m really abusive towards them when I see them in public”
I dunno. As someone who was bullied as a kid, I don’t see this going anywhere good, even if the people being currently attacked are the ones seen as “bullies.”
I suppose the one spot of good news is that at least right now this mainly seems to be confined to DC and maybe a few large cities, and perhaps those of us out in the sticks have more sense, I don’t know.
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