Polarities in Politics
Transcript of Polarities in Politics
-
8/13/2019 Polarities in Politics
1/3MAY ISSUE
continued on p
Republicans are geniuses at rediretheir constituents' best interests!
In Indiana, a woman attemptssuicide by ingesting rat poisonafter her boyfriend abandonsher. She is charged with themurder of her unborn baby.Republican-controlled states
such as Idaho and Virginia work topass laws requiring a transvaginalultrasound before a woman canhave an abortion. Other states shielddoctors who withhold information thatmight cause a patient to choose anabortion. Tea Partiers fight to defundPlanned Parenthood.
The Republican war against women
YES, WE DID! e Obama Record on
Womens Issues By Eleonora di Liscia
rages on. In contrast, PresidentObama and the Democrats havebrought change for the better to juabout every aspect of a womanslife. Whether its work placeequality, protections against rapeand domestic violence, education,access to healthcare, the Presidenhas forged into the future, rather thforcing women back into Medieva
times.
COMPREHENSIVE CHANGE: OnMarch 11, 2009, Obama created th
For information or to volunteer:Email us at [email protected]
Or visit our website at www.tenthdems.org
Or call us at 847.266.VOTE (8683)
Or write to Hon. Lauren Beth Gash, Chair, Tenth
Dems, P.O. Box 523, Deerfield, IL 60015
Editors:Barbara Altman, Susan Friedman,Allan Sperling
Editorial Staff:Jack Altschuler, Joan Attenberg,Vicki Bailyn, Eleonora di Liscia,
Hon. Lauren Beth Gash, Adrienne Kirshbaum,
Ron Levitsky, Leslie Lipschultz,
Sharon Sanders, Steve Sheffey,
Neesa Sweet, Miles J. Zaremski
Design:Tom PeltierStone Event Photos: Mujeeb OsmanCommunity Connection Photos:Vicki Bailyn
Distribution: Ravi Ganapathy, Glenn StierThe opinions expressed are those of the writers and not
necessarily endorsed by Tenth Dems
In This Issue:
Yes, We Did..............,1/6- 7
2 Be a Democrat ......1/2-3
Democrats Are ..........4-5
Chilling........................8
It Aint Over..................9-13
Obama & Israel..........14-18
Jack Strom.....,............19
C.C.Corner....................20-21
Polarities.....................22-23
Tenth NewsMay 2012 Illinois Tenth Congressional District Democrats Newsletter Volume 9, Edition 5
www.tenthdems.org
continued on p
A few years ago, at the dedicationor the Adlai Stevenson Center in
Mettawa, former Democratic SenatorAdlai Stevenson III joked that duringhe 1970s the greatest political
difference between him and CharlesPercy, his Republican colleague,concerned who would obtain themost pork-barrel projects for Illinois.
From this tongue-in-cheek comment,he audience sensed what must have
been a wonderful camaraderie andmutual respect between two senatorswho happened to be from differentparties.
Today, no one would accuseCongress of cordiality andcooperation. Republicans, pushedurther right by the Tea Party and
To Be a Democrat by Ron Levitsky
religious conservatives, have madetheir number-one agenda item tolimit President Obama to a single
term. They have fought healthcarereform and funding for the poor whiledefending tax cuts for the wealthy.They speak of personal freedom while
trying to limit the ability of gaysto marry or women to
access contraception.
Although not as numerous asDemocrats, Republicans have craftedpolitical victories by packaging
their ideology as both simple andsuperficially attractive. They opposebig government, entitlements,immigration reform, and theacceptance of global warming asa scientific fact while supporting
patriotism, family values, and greemasked as economic freedom.
Perhaps because we are morenumerous and diverse ethnicallyand racially, Democrats represent wide array of conflicting ideologieFrom Blue Dogs to New Democrat
to Liberals to the DemocraticSocialists of America, we form suc
http://-/?-http://www.peltierdesigns.net/http://www.peltierdesigns.net/http://www.peltierdesigns.net/http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://www.peltierdesigns.net/http://-/?- -
8/13/2019 Polarities in Politics
2/3
MAY ISSUE
Weve just been through a hard-ought primary in the 10thDistrict.
And while, for us, fights betweenDemocrats are, to some extent,
ghts between friends who share similar vision of the country, were preparing for a general electiongainst opponents who describe their
deal United States in very differenterms.
t is very easy when ringingoorbells or making phone calls toe passionate about what, to us,eems logical and true. And theres no doubt that we are in an urgentnd crucial conflict over two visionsf America and that we are fightingard to maintain progressive values.
There is, however, a truth that comeso us from the wisdom traditions and
major religions: if we cant see theruth in the other, then we actuallyreate the future we are most afraidf.
A friend and teacher of mine, Barryohnson, explains this through a
way of thinking he calls PolarityManagement, or PM. I believe that
oliticians and those working inovernment might do well to take a
ook at PM as a useful framing tool,whether a person is engaged in direct
egotiations on an issue or talkingbout candidates in the field.
Polarities are values that come inairs. They seem like opposites; buthey are different from pure oppositesecause, in a polarity, focusing foroo long on one pole, to the neglect
f the other, actually leads to thether. We see the result of this in
American history as over the past36 years we have seen the mood ofhe country swing from left to righto left and back again. It works likereathingbreathe in too long andou have to breathe out, and breatheut too long and you have to breathe
n. In polarities you dont choose x OR. You choose x AND y. And by doing
so you actually get more of what youwant.
Barry Johnson has designed agraphic way of looking at polarities-- a polarity map -- that allows us tolook at the upsides and the downsidesof polarity pairs as well as the oftenemotional path people and groups
take vacillating between them (shownon p. 23). Further, hes devised amechanism that can help people getthe best of both most of the timeinstead of spending too much timein the downside of either. He startswith a general model that becomesconcrete and real with specificcontent.
The model goes like this: When youfocus too long on the upside of oneside of a polarity to the neglect of theother, that focus causes the downside
to emerge. People and groups,finding themselves in that downside,usually want to go directly to theupside of the other pole, hence thevacillation. If, instead, you take a lookat the downside of the other pole and
the upside of the pole youre about to
leave, you will create a healthy, well-managed flow between the poles thatminimizes the time in the downsidesand gets that best of both."
A look at a pair that usually playsa role in politics tradition andinnovation will help make theseabstractions more concrete. In manyways, this is an underlying force atplay in specific stances and issues,such as whether one identifies as
progressive or conservative; howone sees the role of government;and attitudes towards women, taxes,healthcare, and education.
From the point of view of creating athriving United States, if we look attradition, the upsides, or advantages,might include historical continuity,core values such as democracy,and the protection of stability. The
upsides of innovation might includdeveloping better ways to useresources, new technical possibiliand the excitement that comes fro
the new. The downside of traditioon the other hand, can include misscientific, diplomatic and otheropportunities; emotional and cultustagnation; and rigidity; while thedownsides of innovation can inclua degree of chaos, wasted resourcand a lack of clear moral identity.
Progressives might tend to see thedownside of the tradition pole moroften than they see the upside,while conservatives might see thedownsides of innovation, especialin the government arena. (Rememattacks on government grants?) Aprogressive talking to a conservator independent, however, mightdo well to talk about the values of
tradition, such as historical contindemocracy, and stability to keep thperson theyre talking to from lookimmediately at the downside ofinnovation which the conservator independent may deeply fear almost immediately.
On specific issues, it might meanconversations like this:
Womens Issues: If someone onlysees the downside of what theysee as new roles for women in theworkplace or improving womenshealthcare (innovation); they mighwant to go straight to traditionalwomens roles in the family (upsideof tradition). Help them see that
focusing only on tradition might memissed opportunities for the familyand acknowledge that new roles csometimes seem uncertain.
Education: If someone only sees tdownside of a progressive educatpolicy, seeing, for example, Pellgrants or better pay for teachers arewarding the undeserving; then p
Polarities Help Us Avoid Our Fears and Get What We Want
By Neesa Sweet
continued on pa
http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?-http://-/?- -
8/13/2019 Polarities in Politics
3/3