I have read many of John's articles in Braver Angels and listened to his podcast. This is the first time I have found his presentation nuanced and complete. As a 70-year-old Black woman who grew up in a racially segregated community and raised my children in an integrated neighborhood in the shadow of Northwestern University, I recognize that my lived experience is different from that of Black folks who grew up in economically segregated communities. As an urban/suburban resident, I realize that I have no notion of the joys and challenges of rural living. As a college student in the 70s whose children matriculated in the 2010s, I have no exposure to an academic culture where voices are silenced and ideas are shamed. I have read about the changes that have occurred and I am not sure that I would finance a quarter of a million-dollar education to have my child sheltered from thoughts.
Thank you for this balanced presentation. It was a job well done and has changed my mind about continuing to read your work.
There's a lot to agree with, and even admire, in this essay. Still, I suspect that the focus on economic equity is misplaced and often harmful. I'm one of those who hold what the author calls "a shallow nostalgia for civility", and while we may one day "unite in pursuit of the common good", our fallen world has no unified opinion of what the common good is.
Civility is, I think, an indication of respect -- or at least a pretense of respect, which over time moves us, at least a little, in the direction of the real thing. And respect for everyone, for nothing more than being human, goes a long way toward making our behavior more just and our lives more liveable.
Civility, and the respect it entails, are not at all easy to achieve, making the author's casual denigration particularly unfortunate. It is helped along greatly by conformance to social norms that, too, are often smirked at by the cognoscenti. "Donny" and the Sri Lankans would probably have benefitted from it.
And while extreme poverty makes it almost impossible for a person to maintain the kind of dignity that he or she deserves, government subsidies won't necessarily help. Supporting the poor without taking away their dignity -- or encouraging dependency, or blaming the rich, or encouraging materialism, or discouraging excellence -- is one of life's many conundrums. And as such it may be better left to smaller units of society than the federal government. Some people will end up not being helped. Some people are not helped now and will not be helped under any system you can come up with. We need to try to help them all and accept that we can't -- at least to the extent of not breaking other parts of our lives in a desperate attempt at perfection in this one.
Thank you for this. I needed it. I just participated in an emotionally-charged school committee meeting in my hometown convened to discuss whether our high school should move to de-track or de-level academic classes, and shift toward a more inclusive model, wherein all students in our economically bifurcated resort region would have the chance to determine for themselves who they are, and what they want. As it is now the tracks -- College Prep and Honors-- don't represent ability groupings so much as social class differentiations that were established long before anyone entered high school. (I know because I taught College Prep English, and in each class there were a few verbally gifted kids who would not have thought to sign up for Honors classes because they "don't want to be with the rich kids.")
I realized in the course of the school committee conversation about the new plan, titled "Equity and Access for All", that we revert to speaking in terms of race even when it's not relevant, or at least the most salient criterion -- this area is only 15% non-white, but 30% poor-- because we still have no common recognition of or common language for the privilege that adheres to relative wealth and familial education level. There is no longer any responsible way to deny racial disparities. But we're still keen to pretend the financial ones don't matter. One woman was indigant that anyone would even bring up socioeconomic distinctions. "This is a PUBLIC school. 'Socioeconomic' isn't relevant."
I grew up in a small town in Georgia but have lived my entire adult life in blue cities. I know lots of “rednecks” (my older brother epitomizes them) and honestly part of the reason I left Georgia was to get away from them.
BUT... a few years ago I came to realization that we shouldn’t look down on or make fun of them. I think of it almost like a an ethnicity. It’s okay for them to make jokes about themselves (a la Jeff Foxworthy), but not for outsiders. It’s the same dynamic with Black and Jewish people. They tell hilarious jokes about their tribes! But it’s not cool for outsiders to do it.
John, I love the sentiment here, but we are in a situation where both sides see the culture wars as a zero sum struggle over values and resources.
We can't even agree on the facts. So few people of color are actually killed by police (check the WaPo stats if you don't believe me) even compared to whites who are killed by police - yet powerful politicians are out SUPPORTING riots and looting as an acceptable (or even desired) outgrowth of this protest. Relatively small numbers of legitimate issues regarding policing tactics are being used as a cudgel against police across the country - and do you know what the result is? More black people are dying because cops will no longer properly police their neighborhoods because they are one decision or bad camera-edit away from complete personal destruction. And, they're not getting support from the craven, cowardly politicians who run these cities for fear of being called out by the progressive hive mind who is selling this garbage. If you don't believe me, look at the stats in most cities with high levels of black populations.
Sadly, this is all about power, control, and resources...and I fear we are headed to armed conflict in the manner of the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland on a large scale. It's going to be ugly...
This essay rests on the assumption that everyone’s fate is tied to one another, and the author charges people of goodwill to continually strive to find common ground with their fellow citizens – especially the “other” whom they feel they don’t have much in common. It is the polar opposite of the message of today’s demagogues who assume that life is a zero sum game with winners and losers, and whose appeal rests on exploiting people’s fears and suspicions of the “other”. The only chance the uniters stand against the demagogues is for those on the left and right sides of the political spectrum to muster the courage to start calling out demagoguery when it shows up on their side. Demagogues relish harsh criticism from their opponents because it provides the opportunity demonize the other side. Eventually, when called out by enough on their own side, the demagogues will be exposed for what they are and will be sent to the ash heap of history where they belong. I fear it is an uphill battle, but one which must be undertaken with haste and vigor.
A truly beautiful and thoughtful essay. Empathy for all is the key. Admittedly, is extremely difficult to have empathy for a group whose values you detest and whose actions offend, but when it's most difficult to have empathy, THAT is precisely when it is most important. (Nod to Wittgenstein's famous comment to Norman Malcolm.) Loving your enemy is harder, but more important, than loving your friend.
I have seen this dynamic of marginalizing others play out in my work life. The company I worked for in Connecticut acquired one in Maine. I was part of a project to convert their computer system to ours. After the first few conference calls with them, somebody would mock the accent of participants from Maine. Their assumption was that these folks were ignorant. Before too long I spoke up and mentioned how my parents were from Maine, and that we should probably give our new coworkers the benefit of the doubt. They became highly valued members of the team.
Yes, kindness, respect for the other, good will are essential to overcoming the hate that is fueling the deep polarization we are experiencing. Wood's piece opens the door to conversation and dialogue among those of us who hold strong opinions, certain analysis and have more power to effect change. We who are committed. I'm not inclined to operate from spirituality, but in my own dialogic work it is Thich Nhat Hanh who offers the besy advice. Don't bother if your purpose is not to change yourself but to change the other. In this regard, I'd love to hear more from those most connected with Persuasion about what they need to change in themselves - corporately and individually. So many new messiahs prepared to change others. the room is getting crowded but not closer.
Thank you for such a beautifully written and nuanced article. There is a lot to respond to, but here are 2 things I am thinking about:
1. The dynamic you describe is ubiquitous. When we are in the "insider" group we have to work to see our privilege, and we don't like to think about it and we don't know what to do with it. When we are in the "outsider" group we are quite aware of the challenges we face, and it can be hard to not think about it. We feel invisible sometimes, and also, like the insider we don't know what to do with that. The vast majority of us occupy both insider and outsider groups, so we understand this dynamic from both sides but we don't know quite to do with that either. The common ground we can stand on, has to hold this reality or it is the fake unity Mr. Wood speaks of.
2. You remind me of the intersection between race and socioeconomic class, and how powerful and clear Dr. King's vision was. It seems clear that race has been used as a wedge to put off a real focus on socioeconomic change. I think if we can deal with race more deeply (and I think we finally are) then we get to what is likely the biggest risk to our way of life - the wealth and income gap. I think, and hope, that this is where we are headed.
This missing leg on the stool of this essay is an under-expressed exploration of the role of epistemic breaks that have become the underpinning of what have become the culture wars. There is no common language, or common reality. It isn’t by accident. The intent is to defeat common cause and eliminate even its potentiality.
This post should be available to the public in order for members to distribute. I believe it would help Persuasion gain members.
I have read many of John's articles in Braver Angels and listened to his podcast. This is the first time I have found his presentation nuanced and complete. As a 70-year-old Black woman who grew up in a racially segregated community and raised my children in an integrated neighborhood in the shadow of Northwestern University, I recognize that my lived experience is different from that of Black folks who grew up in economically segregated communities. As an urban/suburban resident, I realize that I have no notion of the joys and challenges of rural living. As a college student in the 70s whose children matriculated in the 2010s, I have no exposure to an academic culture where voices are silenced and ideas are shamed. I have read about the changes that have occurred and I am not sure that I would finance a quarter of a million-dollar education to have my child sheltered from thoughts.
Thank you for this balanced presentation. It was a job well done and has changed my mind about continuing to read your work.
There's a lot to agree with, and even admire, in this essay. Still, I suspect that the focus on economic equity is misplaced and often harmful. I'm one of those who hold what the author calls "a shallow nostalgia for civility", and while we may one day "unite in pursuit of the common good", our fallen world has no unified opinion of what the common good is.
Civility is, I think, an indication of respect -- or at least a pretense of respect, which over time moves us, at least a little, in the direction of the real thing. And respect for everyone, for nothing more than being human, goes a long way toward making our behavior more just and our lives more liveable.
Civility, and the respect it entails, are not at all easy to achieve, making the author's casual denigration particularly unfortunate. It is helped along greatly by conformance to social norms that, too, are often smirked at by the cognoscenti. "Donny" and the Sri Lankans would probably have benefitted from it.
And while extreme poverty makes it almost impossible for a person to maintain the kind of dignity that he or she deserves, government subsidies won't necessarily help. Supporting the poor without taking away their dignity -- or encouraging dependency, or blaming the rich, or encouraging materialism, or discouraging excellence -- is one of life's many conundrums. And as such it may be better left to smaller units of society than the federal government. Some people will end up not being helped. Some people are not helped now and will not be helped under any system you can come up with. We need to try to help them all and accept that we can't -- at least to the extent of not breaking other parts of our lives in a desperate attempt at perfection in this one.
Thank you for this. I needed it. I just participated in an emotionally-charged school committee meeting in my hometown convened to discuss whether our high school should move to de-track or de-level academic classes, and shift toward a more inclusive model, wherein all students in our economically bifurcated resort region would have the chance to determine for themselves who they are, and what they want. As it is now the tracks -- College Prep and Honors-- don't represent ability groupings so much as social class differentiations that were established long before anyone entered high school. (I know because I taught College Prep English, and in each class there were a few verbally gifted kids who would not have thought to sign up for Honors classes because they "don't want to be with the rich kids.")
I realized in the course of the school committee conversation about the new plan, titled "Equity and Access for All", that we revert to speaking in terms of race even when it's not relevant, or at least the most salient criterion -- this area is only 15% non-white, but 30% poor-- because we still have no common recognition of or common language for the privilege that adheres to relative wealth and familial education level. There is no longer any responsible way to deny racial disparities. But we're still keen to pretend the financial ones don't matter. One woman was indigant that anyone would even bring up socioeconomic distinctions. "This is a PUBLIC school. 'Socioeconomic' isn't relevant."
I grew up in a small town in Georgia but have lived my entire adult life in blue cities. I know lots of “rednecks” (my older brother epitomizes them) and honestly part of the reason I left Georgia was to get away from them.
BUT... a few years ago I came to realization that we shouldn’t look down on or make fun of them. I think of it almost like a an ethnicity. It’s okay for them to make jokes about themselves (a la Jeff Foxworthy), but not for outsiders. It’s the same dynamic with Black and Jewish people. They tell hilarious jokes about their tribes! But it’s not cool for outsiders to do it.
John, I love the sentiment here, but we are in a situation where both sides see the culture wars as a zero sum struggle over values and resources.
We can't even agree on the facts. So few people of color are actually killed by police (check the WaPo stats if you don't believe me) even compared to whites who are killed by police - yet powerful politicians are out SUPPORTING riots and looting as an acceptable (or even desired) outgrowth of this protest. Relatively small numbers of legitimate issues regarding policing tactics are being used as a cudgel against police across the country - and do you know what the result is? More black people are dying because cops will no longer properly police their neighborhoods because they are one decision or bad camera-edit away from complete personal destruction. And, they're not getting support from the craven, cowardly politicians who run these cities for fear of being called out by the progressive hive mind who is selling this garbage. If you don't believe me, look at the stats in most cities with high levels of black populations.
Sadly, this is all about power, control, and resources...and I fear we are headed to armed conflict in the manner of the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland on a large scale. It's going to be ugly...
This essay rests on the assumption that everyone’s fate is tied to one another, and the author charges people of goodwill to continually strive to find common ground with their fellow citizens – especially the “other” whom they feel they don’t have much in common. It is the polar opposite of the message of today’s demagogues who assume that life is a zero sum game with winners and losers, and whose appeal rests on exploiting people’s fears and suspicions of the “other”. The only chance the uniters stand against the demagogues is for those on the left and right sides of the political spectrum to muster the courage to start calling out demagoguery when it shows up on their side. Demagogues relish harsh criticism from their opponents because it provides the opportunity demonize the other side. Eventually, when called out by enough on their own side, the demagogues will be exposed for what they are and will be sent to the ash heap of history where they belong. I fear it is an uphill battle, but one which must be undertaken with haste and vigor.
A truly beautiful and thoughtful essay. Empathy for all is the key. Admittedly, is extremely difficult to have empathy for a group whose values you detest and whose actions offend, but when it's most difficult to have empathy, THAT is precisely when it is most important. (Nod to Wittgenstein's famous comment to Norman Malcolm.) Loving your enemy is harder, but more important, than loving your friend.
I have seen this dynamic of marginalizing others play out in my work life. The company I worked for in Connecticut acquired one in Maine. I was part of a project to convert their computer system to ours. After the first few conference calls with them, somebody would mock the accent of participants from Maine. Their assumption was that these folks were ignorant. Before too long I spoke up and mentioned how my parents were from Maine, and that we should probably give our new coworkers the benefit of the doubt. They became highly valued members of the team.
The 2nd half of John’s article should be shoved down the throat of the next SJW or Kendi speak-alike who demands fealty to color codes.
Yes, kindness, respect for the other, good will are essential to overcoming the hate that is fueling the deep polarization we are experiencing. Wood's piece opens the door to conversation and dialogue among those of us who hold strong opinions, certain analysis and have more power to effect change. We who are committed. I'm not inclined to operate from spirituality, but in my own dialogic work it is Thich Nhat Hanh who offers the besy advice. Don't bother if your purpose is not to change yourself but to change the other. In this regard, I'd love to hear more from those most connected with Persuasion about what they need to change in themselves - corporately and individually. So many new messiahs prepared to change others. the room is getting crowded but not closer.
Thank you for such a beautifully written and nuanced article. There is a lot to respond to, but here are 2 things I am thinking about:
1. The dynamic you describe is ubiquitous. When we are in the "insider" group we have to work to see our privilege, and we don't like to think about it and we don't know what to do with it. When we are in the "outsider" group we are quite aware of the challenges we face, and it can be hard to not think about it. We feel invisible sometimes, and also, like the insider we don't know what to do with that. The vast majority of us occupy both insider and outsider groups, so we understand this dynamic from both sides but we don't know quite to do with that either. The common ground we can stand on, has to hold this reality or it is the fake unity Mr. Wood speaks of.
2. You remind me of the intersection between race and socioeconomic class, and how powerful and clear Dr. King's vision was. It seems clear that race has been used as a wedge to put off a real focus on socioeconomic change. I think if we can deal with race more deeply (and I think we finally are) then we get to what is likely the biggest risk to our way of life - the wealth and income gap. I think, and hope, that this is where we are headed.
Thanks again for sharing this piece,
Mark
Brilliant. Thank you.
I know it's for paid subscribers only, but it feels wrong to deny it to others. Permission to share?
This missing leg on the stool of this essay is an under-expressed exploration of the role of epistemic breaks that have become the underpinning of what have become the culture wars. There is no common language, or common reality. It isn’t by accident. The intent is to defeat common cause and eliminate even its potentiality.