The Great Divide
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 12:45PM Republicans and Democrats are so ideologically opposite today—citizens and career politicians alike—that efforts to bring the country together on such key issues as healthcare, environmental protection, or gay rights seem downright pointless. Furthermore, pundits on television say that the American people want to see bipartisanship in Congress. Is that so? Do Americans want to see political give-and-take, or are they simply waiting for a complete change of heart that causes one side to cross over to the other?
Bipartisanship is simply not practical for issues on which tremendous division exists, especially not when those issues are critical to their proponents and would reform the fabric of American life. Imagine a group of people that believes part of government’s role is to provide universal healthcare to its citizens. If this belief is central to their idea of America, they are not likely to compromise on the issue. In such a case, bipartisanship could only lead to an outcome with which no one is entirely satisfied.
Beyond mere practicality, there is an issue of fairness involved. For example, is it right to force proponents of laissez-faire government and survival of the fittest social policy to accept increasing federal regulation and social support programs when such regulation and programs are imposed from the other side? On the other hand, why should people wanting more social freedom and economic protection be forced to carry on in a hands-off Darwinian world? It is not reasonable to believe that two sides so distant from one another could live together in harmony. In fact, looking back on history the American people have not been living harmoniously—think of the protests, the marches, and the bitter political contests. At best, we have coexisted. We have survived for over two-hundred years by accepting the will of the majority—or super-majority as the case may be today—and by living in something less than the country we envision.
Thus, conservative and liberal Americans have been living in alternating periods of illusion, with each election offering the opportunity to reverse the trick. Whenever the opposite party takes a branch of government—even including the Supreme Court—they set out to undo or “fix” the efforts of the other side—granted, often with limited success. Why is this? We have two Americas fighting for power. The least our representatives should give us is their honest understanding of that fact.
At the recent healthcare summit held in the Blair House, both sides took turns stating what “The American People” want. To the Democrats “The American People” want major reforms to healthcare. To the Republicans “The American People” want to avoid a “government takeover” of healthcare. There are people in this nation that want each of these, and some who want a little of both. There is no “The American People.” The concept is merely an illusion, a generalization. Please Mr. Representative, stop calling me “The American People.” I am one, individual person.
During his campaign, President Obama spoke of one America. There have long been at least two. It is preposterous to ask Republicans and Democrats to find middle ground on many issues because we would all be unsatiated at best. Each side will continue to look for a way to bring to life their complete, ideal America. At the healthcare summit, I also heard that we all have more in common than not. I am no longer convinced.
What then, does our future hold? Perhaps one side will win in the end. As Lincoln foretold on the divisive issue of slavery in 1858: "A house divided against itself cannot stand…I do not expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall - but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.”
Let us hope that it does not take a war to find out.


