Could you "reach across the aisle?"
Everyone seems to wish for a candidate who could "reach across the aisle" --- someone who could compromise with the opposing party in order to get things done. Politicians used to be better at this but seem to have forgotten how it's done. Bush ran as a "uniter, not a divider," but his idea of "reaching across the aisle" seems to be, "Here's what I'm gonna do. I invite you to vote for it, even if you are opposed to it. And, no, I'm not gonna compromise." That's not really "reaching across the aisle."
"Reaching across the aisle" means real compromise. It means listening to the other side and trying to understand where they are coming from. It means giving the other side something they want in order to come to an agreement that will be good for the country. It means GETTING THINGS DONE through compromise, instead of blocking every move by the other party, and never-ending gridlock.
Could you "reach across the aisle?"
There are a few things in government I'd like to see dealt with, and I think I could "reach across the aisle" to get something done on them.
For example:
I'd like to see Social Security solvent for more years than currently projected. Right now the money is expected to run out arond 2040. We either need to bring in more money, or cut the benefits, or both. Democrats generally favor raising more money, and Republicans generally favor cutting the benefits. I'd like to see more money come in by raising the cutoff for the Social Security payroll tax. Right now it cuts off at something like $92,000 per year --- if you make more than that, they stop deducting more Social Security payroll taxes after you reach a salary of $92,000. I'd try to raise more money by raising the limit to $250,000 or more. And I'd "reach across the aisle" by offering to limit the cost of benefits by either raising the retirement age a year or two, or by pegging the cost-of-living increases to a different index so that they would not rise so fast. This kind of compromise could prevent the program from going completely bankrupt while also adressing concerns about the runaway cost.
I think I could also "reach across the aisle" and reach compromises and get things done on other issues, such as environmental issues, global climate change, cost of healthcare, fair/free trade, and many others.
Could you "reach across the aisle?" What do you care about? And what would you offer the opposition to get something done?
Could you "reach across the aisle?"
Nowadays when political leaders/parties try to exercise greater control over greater areas, the problem becomes this. The aisle is now too wide and it has become impossible for either polarity to reach across and embrace the other, there is no space for compromise anymore.
This is why I am and always will be an anarchist. But before all the right wing loonies start bashing me, I don't condone complete abstinence from rules. I simply want to be realistic about it. Only when society is truly free, and that means free from totalitarian rule and AND free in their own minds, will healthy, sustainable societal structures emerge.
You cannot homogenise what is otherwise a fluid and dynamic system, attempting to organise the world according to mechanistic ideals is as futile as trying to further modern medicine along allopathic principles. Both try to address problems/illnesses by imposing laws/drugs to eradicate specific symptoms that are often misdiagnosed as the cause of the problem. Both, inevitably, fail as well.
Could you "reach across the aisle?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by McLeodGanja
Nowadays when political leaders/parties try to exercise greater control over greater areas, the problem becomes this. The aisle is now too wide and it has become impossible for either polarity to reach across and embrace the other, there is no space for compromise anymore.
I think this is mostly a problem with our elected officials, and not so much with the citizens. I think most poeple are actually seated IN the aisle, and elected officials stake out extreme positions left or right to pander to their most active constituents. Most people are closer to the center and would welcome some compromise to deal with some of our problems, but as you said, our elected officials are too far apart to compromise.
Could you "reach across the aisle?"
The problem today is that reaching across the aisle means that if you approve my bill we'll throw in your earmarks. Extra spending tacked on to every piece of legislature isn't a solution.
Have a good one!:s4:
Could you "reach across the aisle?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by dragonrider
I think this is mostly a problem with our elected officials, and not so much with the citizens. I think most poeple are actually seated IN the aisle, and elected officials stake out extreme positions left or right to pander to their most active constituents. Most people are closer to the center and would welcome some compromise to deal with some of our problems, but as you said, our elected officials are too far apart to compromise.
But what I mean is that when you attempt to homogenise society across great demographic oceans, you will find that the variation in the will of the people becomes ever greater. Not everyone is standing in the aisle, I suppose in some ways perhaps many are. But on issues such as the legalisation of cannabis and war, for example, people are pretty divided. My solution is to decentralise power on most issues, retaining centralised control over security and the environment, perhaps for starters. Let the people decide over the smaller issues, allow for a more tribal structure on the smaller scale. For example, if some don't want people in their neighborhood smoking pot, then they can fuck off and live in a different town, and vice versa, problem solved! Then everyone is happy. Yeah I know of course I fail too see the bigger picture, it's not going work, not now anyway, people are too stupid. Like I said though is require everyone to have an open mind, and few people have in todays world.
The thing about centralised governments is that they fail miserably to address any kind of problems that come up, because the system does not allow them to. They are responsible for causing many of the problems in the first place and they attempt to patch things up by introducing more ineffectual laws, which in turn only exacerbate the problem further.
Could you "reach across the aisle?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Psycho4Bud
The problem today is that reaching across the aisle means that if you approve my bill we'll throw in your earmarks.
That's not a "reach across," that's a "reach around."
Could you "reach across the aisle?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by McLeodGanja
But what I mean is that when you attempt to homogenise society across great demographic oceans, you will find that the variation in the will of the people becomes ever greater. Not everyone is standing in the aisle, I suppose in some ways perhaps many are. But on issues such as the legalisation of cannabis and war, for example, people are pretty divided. My solution is to decentralise power on most issues, retaining centralised control over security and the environment, perhaps for starters. Let the people decide over the smaller issues, allow for a more tribal structure on the smaller scale. For example, if some don't want people in their neighborhood smoking pot, then they can fuck off and live in a different town, and vice versa, problem solved! Then everyone is happy. Yeah I know of course I fail too see the bigger picture, it's not going work, not now anyway, people are too stupid. Like I said though is require everyone to have an open mind, and few people have in todays world.
The thing about centralised governments is that they fail miserably to address any kind of problems that come up, because the system does not allow them to. They are responsible for causing many of the problems in the first place and they attempt to patch things up by introducing more ineffectual laws, which in turn only exacerbate the problem further.
The problem is lobbyists wining and dining government clients to secure votes. Lobbyists have hijacked the system and influence the system in the wrong way. If you have money, you can do anything. Once the overall cannabis smokers are more wealthy and in bigger numbers, things will get done. Book it.
Could you "reach across the aisle?"
I would reach accross, not reach around. I think there may be some intellect left on the right, although sometimes I wonder.
