MORE CiViLiTY by Oliver DeMille

More Civility

Our current lack of political civility is a lot like the medieval division between theology (what one believes) and religion (how one behaves). In the long run, our national behavior is a more accurate measure of what we truly believe than our words. As a nation, we claim to desire wisdom and civility in our public arena, but our votes say something different. When President Obama is moderate, measured and judicious, conservatives label him as lacking leadership and liberals call him ineffective, uncommitted and disappointing. When he pushes back, takes strong positions and goes on the attack, conservatives call him a terrible leader and a dangerous opponent, and progressives flock to support his revitalized presidency. We respond to aggression, not to wisdom or civility. Likewise, the liberal media once routinely praised Senator John McCain for his "fair, balanced and moderate" approach to the issues, until he became the Republican candidate for president and the media turned on him as an "extreme conservative." At the same time, conservatives supported his Senatorial leadership but then angrily labeled him "a liberal in conservative clothing" during his presidential bid. There are many similar examples. The old Greek proverb that "God loves the good but blesses the bold" is a good description of how our modern voters seem to think. All of this obscures the problems of a nation literally on the brink in far too many ways. Unemployment remains painfully high, and even small decreases in the unemployment rate are the result of more people giving up their search for work rather than more real jobs in the economy. Consider these sobering realities: Of those who have lost and then found new jobs since the Great Recession, only 7% have found a job that pays as much as the one they lost. When those not seeking jobs or only finding part-time work are included in the statistics, our real unemployment rate is nearly 20%. An amazing 44% of Americans receive food stamps or some other form of government food assistance. Since 2008, the average U.S. household has seen its net worth decrease 9.9%. In contrast, the increase of net worth for those serving in Congress since 2008 is 24%. In 2008, 9% of Americans and 16% of Chinese struggled "to pay for food." By 2011, 19% of Americans and 6% of Chinese struggle to pay for food. Things are worse than the numbers reflect, and currently they are not getting better. No wonder people are angry, and no wonder they want their candidates to speak strongly and carry a big stick. They want to vote for someone who will shake the system. Still, we are losing a vital part of free society: civility in the national dialogue.