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The two areas that strike me as most dangerous where they’re concerned:
- Engagement
- Accountability
Engagement:
We used to engage in a thing called “the battlefield of ideas.” Democrats and Republicans disagreed as to how the country should proceed, it’s goals, priorities, etc. So they would argue about things that mattered, that had consequence. Not always, not necessarily more or less civilly than now. But people argued *ideas*.
Now, virtually every single item of any concern to Americans that the GOP doesn’t want to deal with is “fake news” or a “hoax.”
Covid has killed 180k Americans? Hoax. Fake. Stats are overblown. Not real.
Covid has wrecked the economy. Nope. Jobs are roaring back. Lie.
Let’s focus on these two for a moment. You may believe there’s a different path to getting out of the pandemic. You may believe different players have different levels of responsibility. That’s all fine. Blame “Democrat” governors. But when you insist it’s a hoax, you’re telling 180k grieving families their pain isn’t real. People out of work through no fault of their own are “lazy” and just want a handout. The majority of the country has stated repeatedly that they are displeased with the federal government’s handling of the pandemic. FAKE NEWS! Either the polling is fake or the news is fake or the pandemic is fake. One of or all these things are fake, which makes for a convenient out when trying to defend a disastrous pandemic response. Those countries fake their stats too, amirite?
There is literally no complaint the GOP will take seriously if they don’t want to do the work needed to fix. Especially if their ideology is such that they don’t feel it needs to be fixed, which, again, go for it. But say that. Tell us. Tell us you want herd immunity. Tell us these things. Engage. Argue the point. Argue that herd immunity is better. Show us. Assuage our fears. Lead. Mitch McConnell’s caucus does not even bother conducting any business of the people anymore. House bill after House bill is never brought to the senate floor. Why is that? Because if you debate and argue, minds might be changed. If you don’t engage, you don’t have to be right or wrong.
I should add, and shouldn’t have to: the bills being brought to McConnell represent the *will* of the people. Vote on them. TEll us why you don’t agree.
The lack of engagement leads into lack of accountability. This one is 100% on GOP voters.
The country’s biggest problem isn’t necessarily that Donald TRump is president. If we had a normally functioning congress and SC with checks and balances, we would be able to weather the worst of trump’s dumbest impulses. BUt the GOP base’s only interest is in triggering liberals. There is zero appreciation for the idea that whatever you think of TRump, the notion that he needs no guardrails isn’t objectively sane. it wouldn’t be sane for *any* president. Our founders did not create all of this just so the senate can look up at whomever is in the WH and say “Sure thing, boss!” Politicians are usually craven. If GOP voters demanded more from Trump, *accountability*, the nation and their own candidate would probably be in better position.
These two areas are, for me, the biggest underlying reasons that create the environment for everything else. If you can label problems as a hoax, and insist your leadership is always right, I cannot see how the nation improves, grows, gets safer, richer from such a tribal viewpoint.
The GOP as it is presently constituted is an anti-democratic institution at war with its own country because they want access to our money, just not our problems and they have a base that feels as long as they get theirs, whatevs.
Not sustainable. We need a viable 2nd party (I’d like more than that, but baby steps.)
- Engagement
- Accountability
Engagement:
We used to engage in a thing called “the battlefield of ideas.” Democrats and Republicans disagreed as to how the country should proceed, it’s goals, priorities, etc. So they would argue about things that mattered, that had consequence. Not always, not necessarily more or less civilly than now. But people argued *ideas*.
Now, virtually every single item of any concern to Americans that the GOP doesn’t want to deal with is “fake news” or a “hoax.”
Covid has killed 180k Americans? Hoax. Fake. Stats are overblown. Not real.
Covid has wrecked the economy. Nope. Jobs are roaring back. Lie.
Let’s focus on these two for a moment. You may believe there’s a different path to getting out of the pandemic. You may believe different players have different levels of responsibility. That’s all fine. Blame “Democrat” governors. But when you insist it’s a hoax, you’re telling 180k grieving families their pain isn’t real. People out of work through no fault of their own are “lazy” and just want a handout. The majority of the country has stated repeatedly that they are displeased with the federal government’s handling of the pandemic. FAKE NEWS! Either the polling is fake or the news is fake or the pandemic is fake. One of or all these things are fake, which makes for a convenient out when trying to defend a disastrous pandemic response. Those countries fake their stats too, amirite?
There is literally no complaint the GOP will take seriously if they don’t want to do the work needed to fix. Especially if their ideology is such that they don’t feel it needs to be fixed, which, again, go for it. But say that. Tell us. Tell us you want herd immunity. Tell us these things. Engage. Argue the point. Argue that herd immunity is better. Show us. Assuage our fears. Lead. Mitch McConnell’s caucus does not even bother conducting any business of the people anymore. House bill after House bill is never brought to the senate floor. Why is that? Because if you debate and argue, minds might be changed. If you don’t engage, you don’t have to be right or wrong.
I should add, and shouldn’t have to: the bills being brought to McConnell represent the *will* of the people. Vote on them. TEll us why you don’t agree.
The lack of engagement leads into lack of accountability. This one is 100% on GOP voters.
The country’s biggest problem isn’t necessarily that Donald TRump is president. If we had a normally functioning congress and SC with checks and balances, we would be able to weather the worst of trump’s dumbest impulses. BUt the GOP base’s only interest is in triggering liberals. There is zero appreciation for the idea that whatever you think of TRump, the notion that he needs no guardrails isn’t objectively sane. it wouldn’t be sane for *any* president. Our founders did not create all of this just so the senate can look up at whomever is in the WH and say “Sure thing, boss!” Politicians are usually craven. If GOP voters demanded more from Trump, *accountability*, the nation and their own candidate would probably be in better position.
These two areas are, for me, the biggest underlying reasons that create the environment for everything else. If you can label problems as a hoax, and insist your leadership is always right, I cannot see how the nation improves, grows, gets safer, richer from such a tribal viewpoint.
The GOP as it is presently constituted is an anti-democratic institution at war with its own country because they want access to our money, just not our problems and they have a base that feels as long as they get theirs, whatevs.
Not sustainable. We need a viable 2nd party (I’d like more than that, but baby steps.)
