Stuck in the Middle with You

Occasionally a reader will suggest I am overly critical of Republicans. It’s a reasonable criticism but lacks depth. Historically, political parties were monolithic groups comprised of approximately half the voters. However, as the parties moved further towards the extremes of the political spectrum, the differences in political ideologies have become increasingly noticeable. For example, the 2020 Presidential election fractured voters into blocs; 

• Those who voted for Biden, 
• Those who voted against Biden, 
• Those who voted for Trump, 
• Those who voted against Trump, and 
• A smattering of ‘others.’

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to. You would cry too, if it happened to you (Lesley Gore)

In his book, Unstable Majorities, Morris Fiorina uses a data base that began polling voters in 1948 to demonstrate that voter’s views on policies have not changed an iota since the 1970s. Most People (see graph below), prefer a few policies from the left and a few from the right. The fact is most voters, especially those in Nebraska’s 2d Congressional District, have moderate policy views. 

What you see depends upon where you stand. 

                                                      

For the Average Person (see above), 50% of political views are to her right and 50% are to her left. Since 1994, policy views, rhetoric, and actions of both political parties began moving towards the extremes, as labeled, Some People with Republicans to the right and Democrats to the left.

 Subsequently, as the party’s moved towards the extremes of the political bell curve, the majority are forced, by design, to choose ‘the lesser of two evils.’ 

Nobody knows where Donny has gone, But Joey left the same time

This movement allows the party to be distinctly different from their opposition. For example, at the extreme, as depicted by the blue star, 80% of voters are politically to the left. Based on Fiorina’s study, American voters have not become more liberal (or conservative). In reality, the views of those depicted by the blue star became more extreme. This is true at both ends of the bell curve. 

American politics is shifting from a Right versus Left debate to the Middle versus Extremes. Readers of my columns will notice I’m critical of extremism since, as Fiorina proved, their loudly voiced views , reverberating and echoed by hyper-partisan media, are not the views of Most People.

Play all my records, keep dancing all night. But leave me alone for awhile

Split ticket results of 2008 [Obama (D) & Terry (R)] and 2020 elections demonstrate [Biden (D) & Bacon (R)], Nebraska’s 2d Congressional District voters are among the most moderate in the nation. This is the view I try to represent. 

Furthermore, most Opinion Columnists discuss policies. Instead, I focus on character. Policies ebb and flow as social norms evolve, but national mythology focuses on character. For example; 

                                        Washington’s, “I cannot tell a lie” (he didn’t), 

                                         Truman’s ‘The buck stops here’ (it did), 

                                         Nixon’s “I am not a crook” (he was), and,  

                              Republican RNC's, "legitimate political discourse”(it wasn’t). 

Another criticism is citing obscure authors. I give credit where credit is due. Anything less would infer these ideas are mine and thus be dishonest. Naming authors allows fact checkers to do their own homework. Finally, obscurity is relative. If one reads my body of work, their vocabulary of ideas expands and the unknown becomes familiar. 

In grad school I argued knowledge without application is trivia. I still believe this. I understand that citing authors causes some readers to sense they’re being snowballed by some ‘smarty pants.’ I’d rather be an honest engine of change by sharing good ideas from the ivory towers into our lives. After all, teaching is what I do.

But it's my party and I'll cry if I want to. You would cry too, if it happened to you

Charles Van Doren is best known as the contestant in the 1959 rigged game show, “Twenty-One.” In his book, “A History of Knowledge,” he explores the roots of Western Civilization. Like the Iraq war, Van Doren argues the world wars were actually one war with a brief interlude. While the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand sparked WWI, the author suggests we really don’t understand the underlying causes.

As depicted in the popular BBC series “Downton Abbey,” Europeans got swept up in the euphoria of nationalism, patriotism and visions of heroism fighting for national honor. But as mustard gas drifted across no man’s land, those in the trenches realized, as General Patton suggested 25 years later, it’s best to let the other fellow die for his country.

Today, we see similar passions driving public behavior.

“Love is but a song we sing. Fear’s the way we die” — The Youngbloods

For the most part, participants in the Jan. 6 Capitol siege were unaffiliated members of the general public. While the Republican National Committee describes the event that resulted in five deaths, more than 750 arrests, $30 million in damages to the structure that embodies our national ideals and the erection of gallows on Capitol grounds, as a “legitimate political discourse,” one wonders how things got so broken.

Time and again, those arrested, ordinary folks, testify remorsefully they cannot believe their own actions. Their testimony reminded me of the commercial, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”

“You ate it, Ralph.”

                                                                     

“You can make the mountains ring. Or make the angels cry.”

After the Holocaust, we needed to understand why 90 million Germans turned a blind eye toward the industrialization of mass murder. Stanley Milgram’s controversial Obedience Experiment (1961) found that 65% of us would obey a perceived authority figure to the point of committing murder. Phillip Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment (1971) affirmed the behaviors of Milgram’s subjects. Hannah Arendt coined this “the banality of evil.”

“Though the bird is on the wing, and you may not know why.”

Oxford University scholars find a primary cause of widespread violence is when society breaks into factions. After fractionalization, grievance or a sense of victimization causes individuals to congregate and dehumanize the target of their grievances. In 2007, Jeffrey Kluger noted, “In most cases … you have a moral entrepreneur who exploits tribalism for evil purposes.” You see, when we join the crowd, history documents that normal people; churchgoers, social justice warriors, teachers, police officers, students and stay-at-home moms, are capable of acts they would never consider individually. When we get swept up in the moment, one can be easily led astray.

A COVID States Project survey this year found that 1 in 4 Americans believes that violence against our government is “definitely or probably justifiable.” Similar findings appear in other polls.

We know that violent crime against Asian-Americans went up as authority figures used the term “Chinese Flu.” Whether it’s an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina (nine died), a synagogue in Pittsburgh (11 died, six injured), or a country music concert in Las Vegas (58 died, 800 injured), dehumanizing others, especially within defined groups, unintentionally can give others permission to commit heinous acts of violence.

“We are but a moment’s sunlight. Fading in the grass”

I doubt anyone envisions themselves in events that lead to violence. Certainly a large number of those arrested for the Jan. 6 insurrection could not. And yet the violence continues to occur.

Suppose for a moment that you’re among Milgram’s 35% who can resist authority. Then according to the most recent U.S. Census, that leaves 216.5 million Americans who cannot. Hyperbolic? Hopefully. But words and deeds matter.

It’s time to weigh our own behavior while not turning a blind eye toward irresponsible actors. Those using inflammatory rhetoric must be challenged or shunned in the pursuit of domestic tranquility over political tribalism.

“Come on, people now, smile on your brother. Everybody get together, try to love one another right now.”

Rick Galusha, Ph.D., teaches political science at Bellevue University. He’s hosted a blues radio show for 30 years and was president of Homer’s Music. Galusha was active in the creation of the Old Market Business Association. His opinions do not represent those of Bellevue University.

Random Thoughts of a Cantankerous Curmudgeon

  After reading Rick Galusha’s thoughts posted on Barking Rino in December of 2021, some similar thoughts came to mind. I have long held to the Santa Claus image of American society and culture. Sounds strange for a nice Jewish boy from New York City, yes? What I had in mind is this. 

  The difference between myth and reality is not always clear. At times, even myth obtains some verity. If enough people for enough time accept the myth, it obtains the influence of fact.

  Christmas. Remember when you were a small child, maybe 6 years old. It was magical, not because of the gifts you in fact got, but because of Santa Claus. You knew that the old gent was speeding around the globe, scooting down chimneys, and leaving the heart’s desires of kids like you all over the world. You even left milk and cookies for him to snack on. What a wonderous time and idea. Your attitude infected your parents with joy as well. But, and a great big but, when you turned 8 or 9, you learned that Santa was, in fact, a visa card in your parents’ pocket. You were a little disappointed, but at the same time, it felt good to be in on the game. Now you were a grown-up and not so easily led astray by appealing stories. It was still nice to get all that stuff, but Christmas was no longer magical. By the time you were middle-aged or older, you discovered that you wanted Santa Claus back. You wanted to share in the excitement of your young children or grandchildren. However, hard as you tried, you could not get him back. Santa had turned into a fat old man ringing a bell at a Salvation Army kettle.

  I was born in 1942. While I was growing up, there were lots of bad things happening in the world – World War II, the Holocaust, bloody revolutions, segregation, and racial prejudice, sexism, etc. 

  However, I lived in a world that made sense and was essentially good. I had no doubt that the United States was not only the most powerful nation, it was also the most altruistic and noble. Our policies and beliefs were admired by all. We wanted nothing for ourselves except that essential feature of the Miss America Pageant, world peace. Our motives were never selfish. Our leaders were honest, intelligent, well-intended men and a few women. Businesses always gave value for the money spent. The information in the newspapers was always reliable because, of course, they would not print things that were not true. Walter Cronkite was the most trusted man in America. The cop on the beat was your friend and ever-present to help if you were in trouble. Things were great, that is if you were a straight, white male.

  Then, for me, 1963 happened. I was a semi-warm supporter. I did not think he did a great job as President. When he was murdered, the tears I wept were as much for me as for him. He was our guy, young, hip, and far-sighted. What happened then? The Civil Rights Revolution, of which I played a very small part, got most of the legislative and judicial victories. But it turned violent, and more importantly, things did not change for African Americans. Pulling together was replaced by Burn, Baby, Burn. 

  Student idealism and activism became the Weathermen. The war in Viet Nam became part of our daily television programming with no end in sight. I have five friends on the Wall in D.C. After the Dominican Republic in 1965, we learned that our leaders had lied to us, and continued to do so as revealed in the Pentagon Papers. We were introduced to the real White House in Watergate. How much could we process, much less stomach? What had happened to real Americans like John Wayne? Yet, there was some satisfaction in being in on the game. We were all grown-ups now. You could no longer pull the wool over our eyes. We acquired a healthy skepticism from living in the world as it really was. Life is tough but so are we.

  Do not misunderstand me. So much is better today than it was as I grew up. We are much further along in redefining Jefferson’s “all men are created equal”. But I fear that many of us have turned into cynics rather than skeptics. We are no longer the unified, wide-eyed patriots that we imagined ourselves as being. We would rather shred our political opponents than figure out ways to cooperate and get things done. Now, with fewer days left of looking down at the grass, I yearn for the days when I was a true believer.

  What does all this mean? For me, it comes to this. If we are the creation of some intelligent being, he, she, or it goofed. As a species, we are not that great. Maybe that is why we celebrate the Arts, kindness, and heroism. Given the raw material we are, what a triumph. Perhaps we need myths to survive and live authentic lives. As Joseph Wood Krutch remarked in his “The Modern Temper” in 1928, “we would rather die on our feet as men(women), than live on our knees as animals”. 

SELAH

Dr. John Spivack

Professor Emeritus of History