Partisanship

Extreme partisanship is bad because nothing gets accomplished. Republicans vs. Democrats, Yankees vs. Red Sox, what’s the difference? Why pick a group to be the enemy? Because it gives you a sense of purpose, makes you feel good? Like you have a cause or a conviction. The problem is that it’s an illusion. Too often, loyalty is not based on anything rational, and has more to do with what the people around you are doing, or whether you like the players (thus the baseball analogy). Republicans, Democrats, Yankees and Red Sox are all humans subject to the same national and global issues. And if more effort was spent finding the common ground we wouldn’t have so many problems to lament. Partisanship is a political ploy, designed by people who capitalize on the conflict simply because they’re politicians. It helps them look good. How can anyone win elections by saying, “Well, unlike my opponent who opposes high gas prices, I oppose high gas prices.” Without partisanship, they’d have to delve into problems and be judged based on the type of solution they propose. In other words, they’d actually have to work hard.

I’m sure no one will be surprised when I say that generally speaking, being a politician is not about representing the will of the public and acting on their behalf. The term “public servant” is a joke. For many, being a politician is about personal gain. It’s a job, not a calling, in the way that being a used car salesman is a job. The job of a used car salesman is to take you for as much as he can get away with. A “calling,” on the other hand, is something that firefighters and volunteers do. It’s something some soldiers do, regardless of whether the political way they’re used is wrong. The return in terms of material or financial gain is less than the effort they exert or the risk they take. The reward comes from the feeling of satisfaction, and a sense of meaning or purpose in life.

So these used car salesmen developed partisanship, and it’s the greatest thing since “extended warranty” or “trade-in allowance.” You think it’s in your best interest, and aren’t they great guys for giving it to you, but the reality is that they wouldn’t do it if it didn’t serve them. It’s a sneaky way to play the situation. But I think that there are certain issues that are so universally appealing or repellant that Republicans, Democrats, Yankees and Red Sox can all agree on them. Ask any of them who loves cancer. Who hates new economic opportunities? I know, it must be the Red Sox.

A word on the environmental movement itself. It does amaze me that environmentalists have a bad rap. Some of it has to do with off-putting self-righteousness. Some is due to direct attacks. There’s a senator who recently openly declared war on the environmental movement. And corporations convince the public that the economy is threatened by anything that prevents them from doing exactly what they want (as they wipe the floor with us in the process). But what truly amazes me is anyone who doesn’t get that pollution is bad. People don’t want to feel uncomfortable, so they blame God or fate for cancer and keep their heads in the sand. They watch movies on Erin Brokovitch then go home, changing nothing. They see labels on products that say “Known to cause cancer in the State of California” and think “Thank goodness I don’t live in California.”

Ask any 5 year old. Tell them that we’re spewing carcinogens into the water we drink, swim in and eat fish from; into the ground we grow food in, build homes on, play on and live on; into the air we take into our bodies. If we do this, is it bad? Does a bear shit in the woods? Is the sky blue (for now)?

Oh, I know. Us Yankees don’t breathe the same air. Well, that’s ok then.

All the other arguments are fallacies. The religious extremist argument is that it’s evil to put environmental concerns ahead of people. Now, I’m no rocket scientist but if the people live in the environment, aren’t we also directly helping them?

The economic argument may be summed up in one word- HA! Yeah, it’s better for the economy that we’re in a trade deficit because our products aren’t competitive internationally and that our cars can’t even be sold in China because their mpg limit is 40. It’s the best economic practice for all our energy dollars to leave the country for foreign oil and natural gas. Well, this is true for Bush crony economics, so at least in this one instance, they are being truthful.

So this alternative energy thing is my test case. I have heard of this strange phenomenon where hunters align with environmentalists to save wilderness places. So I am going to make my pitch to my NRA-member, pickup truck driving, deer head on the wall Republican friend and see how it goes.