Take a breath. Not everything is a crisis. Not everything is the best or worst it has ever been. And that’s ok.
Now that we have that out of the way …
Extreme rhetoric has overtaken our political discourse and that’s not great
Here are a few things that one of our major Presidential candidates has said recently:
- We had the greatest economy in the history of our country. We had never done so well. Every – everybody was amazed by it
- It was the worst – probably the worst administration in history.
- But, look, we had the safest border in history. Now we have the worst border in history.
- His presidency, his – without question, the worst president, the worst presidency in the history of our country. We shouldn’t be having a debate about it. There’s nothing to debate.
Of course, I think you can guess these were all said by Donald Trump. It is safe to say that Trump is the most egregious proliferator of extreme rhetoric out of the candidates, but no one is totally innocent. Both our candidates and our media have slid further and further into extreme rhetoric. So why is this a problem?
- Extreme rhetoric often disregards truth-seeking and undermines democratic values.
- It encourages divisiveness, tribalism, and other forms extremism.
- It leads to violence such as on January 6th, 2021.
Unfortunately, non-extreme rhetoric isn’t as sexy, isn’t as interesting, and doesn’t rile up the base. In our winner take all system this sensationalism is often more useful than truth and modesty. Here are a few examples of what I consider non-extreme rhetoric:
- Our economy is neither the strongest or weakest it has ever been. Covid threw a major wrench in things that we are still dealing with several years later. In general we have recovered well, better than most other countries, but that doesn’t mean we’ve made it through unscathed. Presidential action probably has less effect on the economy than they would care to admit.
- Our immigration situation is not a crisis, our current policies have problems that can be mostly addressed by common sense legislation.
- Most republicans don’t want to stop all abortion under any circumstances, and most democrats don’t want to allow abortion for any reason.
- Climate change is real and important to take action on, but there is no reason to waste good soup by throwing it a famous painting.
Free speech is paramount, but that doesn’t preclude accountability
Free speech is a fundamental right, but it doesn’t exist in isolation. Accountability ensures that speech doesn’t harm others or undermine democratic values. Balancing these two principles is crucial for a healthy society.
It starts with all of us
Here are some ways I try to fight extreme rhetoric:
- Hold the press and political leaders accountable for their rhetoric.
- Publicly challenge extreme statements and demand evidence-based arguments.
- Give your attention and money to outlets and politicians that prioritize truth over sensationalism.
- Encourage politicians to focus on shared goals rather than demonizing opponents.
- Vote for politicians that pledge to minimize extreme rhetoric (like Brian Kienitz for President).
My pledge
Whether or not I am elected President I will do my best to minimize extreme rhetoric in my political discourse.