2016 Election Hopes

Recently I commented on one of those ubiquitous and unavoidable posts about the importance of this election and making your voice heard and the reasons for getting out the vote.... And the rest of it...

My comment suggested that those who read the post (and my comment) should read Professor Jason Brennan's book "Against Democracy."

Someone quickly , and I mean really quickly, replied to me that my suggestion (or maybe Prof. Brennan's book) was "garbage", and that one could "learn more" from watching the show "Better Call Saul."

The writer of that reply probably has not read the work and doesn't know this, but there is tremendous irony in the fact that one of Prof Brennan's points is precisely that politics makes us divisive and nasty. That arguing politics only makes us more entrenched in our positions and beliefs. That we become ever more blind to disconfirming evidence. That we become like hooligans. That we consider those with whom we agree enlightened and those who disagree with us not just stupid, but also evil or having ill intentions.

I have seen this become even more pronounced when it comes to binary choices, since I have been living in the U.S. for the last 18 years (I remember Bush/Gore, Obama/Romney and, well, what we have now), while also have closely followed Venezuelan politics because that is the place of my birth (the constant struggle between Chavism and the opposition)....

Election Day in the U.S. is here, but if we mean to engage or even persuade someone, I humbly submit to you that starting with a more respectful and nuanced tone may work better. E.g. Calling someone's opinions, ideas or conclusions "garbage" may be true, but will not get you very far in helping them see and understand your position. Ad hominem attacks are not arguments and will not convince, hardly they will move the needle, at all.

And I guess that's the point, right? Are we interested in persuading, anymore? In arguing? And by that I mean stringing, building and presenting arguments. And then listening, pondering and answering politely. Or are we just looking to repeat and live by soundbites? Are we okay with being part of the echo chamber? Is that good enough? Is that good "politics"?

And the sad part is that come November 9 or January 2017, neither Clinton nor Trump will care about us, personally, closely, like our friends (and our "un" friends) do (or did). They will not know nor care how we voted, how we fought for them, the enemies we made on their behalf.

But we will still have to look each other in the eye; work will continue , life will go on.

The neighbor in the house or apartment next door, the co-worker in the next cubicle over or the business across the street will be there still and we will have say "good morning " again. We will need to be civil and polite again.

I hope we can.

I hope we can forgive someone for all the things "they" said about "us" (whatever that means for you and your political persuasions) on Facebook and elsewhere.

I hope we can reconcile. 

I hope we can forgive others for voting the way they did, or for not voting at all. 

I hope we can go back to listening and conversing.

I hope we can be bigger than the personalities who have enraptured our attention, our common sense and our civility.

One can only hope.

Note: I will not think you are stupid or racist if you voted for Trump, nor will I think you are evil or dishonest if you voted for Clinton. Neither will I think you were uncaring if you did not vote at all. I will, instead, assume you did some mental calculations and that you acted based on what you thought was best, not only for you, but for all of us... together! (Something, by the way, that Prof. Brennan also discusses in his work.)

Parting thought: "this is the most important election of your lifetime!" Well, yeah...

As far as I can see EVERY election is the most important... Follow me for a couple of moments: if elections point the electorate in a future direction, they chart a future course; and we can only vote on upcoming elections (normally we do not re-litigate past ones), it would follow that "this" coming election is more important than the last one; but if you have heard the phrase before, then it also follows that if the last election was the most important in your lifetime, and this one is more important.... Well, you can complete the syllogism.