Be Careful What You Wish For

Be careful what you wish for.  You might get it.  So much more to be revealed.

As of now we can begin to blame the Republicans instead of the Democrats for everything that goes wrong, including ebola. Ebola is on the list these days, along with ISIS and Afghanistan, Syria and Palestine/ Israel. Correct?

It no longer matters to me which party we blame. Cynicism has turned me as crusty as the rust on a junk-piled fender.

What does matter to me is the inability of both political parties to compromise in order to solve problems.

Don’t they know what we all know? No one gets it all! Not ever.

There is a technique, tried and true, in conjoint therapy, in which the disagreeing husband and wife have to take turns expressing the other’s point of view with sufficient detail and feeling until each person is convinced that the other completely understands his or her viewpoint and the reasons behind it.

Following that exercise of having to wear “the other’s moccasins” it is quite astonishing how quickly a creative compromise can be achieved.

Of course, unlike politicians, the husband and wife in therapy are not running for election every time they open their mouths. Besides, it would appear that for a politician to publically compromise with an other-side-of-the-aisle opposing view would be tantamount to having a raging case of impetigo on your face. No one would want to come near you.

Exerting leadership is also totally suspect.

Friends and I have been discussing Ken Burns’ recent outstanding film, The Roosevelts. Even long- time, ardent republican friends have expressed admiration for former President Roosevelt’s courage and ability to lead, to put himself on the line for what he believed was right—re elected or not. Has that kind of leadership disappeared along with the 1940s hair slick, Brylcreem? “A little dab will do ya!” (So the slogan went.)

It’s no “little dab” of leadership that we need.  Instead, right now our country-- the world-- needs political leadership with the heart and stamina of Seabiscuit, driven by the creative wisdom of the best minds of our nation.

I wish I had more hope.