[Hidden Tribes found] America is populated by a number of groups or tribes that defy neat red/blue distinctions. These different groups run from “progressive activists” on the far left to “devoted conservatives” on the far right. These “wings” represent a mere 14 percent of the population (33 percent when combined with less intense “traditional conservatives”), yet they dominate American political discourse.
Between them exists the “exhausted majority.” They’re not all moderates. They’re the two-thirds of Americans on the right, left, and center who are described as fed up with polarization, feel forgotten in public discourse, and are flexible enough in their views that they’re willing to compromise.
This is the group that has the potential to save America from escalating animosity and polarization. It has the numbers and the latent power to transform American politics. But so long as it remains “exhausted” or perhaps “intimidated,” then the wings will reign.
[…]
There are Americans who are fed up with normal and want a revolution, and there are Americans who are fed up with revolution and want something more normal. The latter voice is the majority voice, but it is all too often bullied into silence.
– David French, The Third Rail, 17Feb2022
I think there are obviously some principles we cannot afford to compromise on. The problem is that the two sides are spending all their time arguing about the problems we’ll never agree on and no time working together on any of the countless problems we could likely find some common ground on.
All these back and forth political swings where the party in power forces through laws without any input and agreement from the party out of power is just making us yo-yo down the drain faster. Though I don’t expect any positive change with all the corrupt politicians on both sides profiting off of all the division.
It is unclear what the terms of compromise are. “Submit to experimental medicine, and we will stop starving you”, or “Let us corrupt your children, and we will stop calling you terrorist” are not good terms. Doubt many will compromise on them.
Historically, terms were like “You hold national security sacred, you steal reasonably (millions, not trillions), you leave us alone, and we will watch sports and not you”. Why was this a bad deal?
Used to be called the “Silent Majority”. Those of us that didn’t post on a blog, those of us that didn’t go to the sit in, those of us that don’t protest city council meetings. Then we got frustrated, we started going to the meetings, calling our representatives, posting on boards but to no avail. I personally have been asked by the police or sheriff to leave city council and county commission hearings. I have made appointments to meet with my local and national representatives but still, to no avail. I have talked to my kids about this at length, there needs to be a revolution hopefully not an armed revolt but an action big enough and powerful enough that they, politicians at all levels hear it and see it.
Let’s just say you’re “tired” instead of exhausted. As long as you’ve got an oar in the water pulling for solutions instead of domination — you’re not out of the game yet.
“Let my religion dictate your healthcare decisions, and I will infect your vulnerable family members with a potentially deadly disease” are also not good terms.
If either “side” can dictate terms, there is no compromise and there will be no peace. Compromise requires negotiation to a mutually acceptable solution — best accomplished by seeking mutual understanding, and then figuring out how everyone gains the most while giving up the least.
When any player in this game is down to their last card — and can give no ground on any matter — they are no longer in the game. They will not negotiate, and they will not compromise. They will insist upon coercing or being coerced. If the Hidden Tribes conclusions are accurate, it seems that the extremes at both ends are inclined to gain nothing by giving nothing, and should be dominated in a democratic society by the exhausted majority. I suppose we’ll find out whether that’s true (or whether we have a democratic society).
That’s an interesting observation, but I’m not certain that it gets at the point French is making.
Everyone wants to perceive themselves as “The Silent Majority”, the “Patriots”, and the righteous wavers of the American flag. But being the first group to claim such a label as its own does not make the literal meaning or symbol accurate or true in characterizing the group making the claim.
The group David French describes is not a group with special license to a “correct” answer on any matter, but Americans who are both for and against every controversial topic and position in contemporary debate — the subset which prefers to work at disagreements with an aim to finding solutions instead of finding ways to force their preference upon others.
So, yeah, Hidden Tribes finds them to be a sizable majority of Americans, and yes, they are largely unheard in extremist echo chambers and shouting matches. But I don’t believe he is intending to describe Richard Nixon’s “silent majority” at all.
Do you propose something? You know, moral relativism is something people confuse with flexibility and willingness to negotiate. I can only speak for myself - I am cool with anything people want to do to themselves, hard drugs, sex change surgery, go ahead. I am not ok with anything people want to force others to do. Example of compromise on my terms: I would legalize personal possession of any kind of drug, in exchange for drug dealers getting the punishment they get in civilised counties like Singapore or Malaysia.
I am a Liberal after all (as Voltaire was, not as Bill Maher is)
Speaking of compromise, it seems like there are two equal sides in the society, and they have each other over a barrel, but it just seems this way because of media amplification.
, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
**that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights,
** Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
-That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
These are the words of our forefathers who created this country. It is the different cultures in this great nation that make it what it is. Though there is conflict with some in prejudice it is still a nation where a simple man if inspired can run for president or congress. It is a nation with opportunity to achieve great things. The pursuit of liberty and happiness. Respecting the opinions of mankind for all are created equal.
I am a veteran and a flag waving American and I do not consider myself a Democrat or a republican. I do seek for someone that will make the country stronger and better without making dictating decisions and saying that they will take care of us. I do not mind saying that they will help or assist us. The United States has had some good Democrats as President and we have had some good Republicans too! But on the other hand, we have had some bad ones also.
These have been hard times and 100 years ago they were much harder. Through time and diligence this country rose from the depression and became a stronger nation. All we can hope to do is remain diligent and work to become a stronger and better nation then it has been.
Even in the days of our forefathers there was those who were against the separation of the states from England because they thought the states did not have enough strength to survive. Now 250 some years, here we are!
The exhausted majority and our forefathers really have a lot in common. Democracy in ancient Greece served as one of the first forms of self-rule government in the ancient world. The system and ideas employed by the ancient Greeks had profound influences on how democracy developed, and its impact on the formation of the U.S. government. Our democracy is we have a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Every person has a responsibility to create a country where all people have the opportunity to live a full and healthy life and make a difference.
Since the science found vaxxed and unvaxxed spread the virus equally well, and most masks are as effective as fig leaf covering your you know what, this brings another observation about public discourse. Part of it is driven by essentially blood libel.
your beef causes my deadly global warming
your [insert skin color] people want all my [insert skin color] people suppressed/enslaved/dead
guns make their owners kill
and the original blood libel is alive and well
Prejudice and ignorance have a life on their own in the society, but before Obama presidency, the mouths on TV had some shame and didnt blatantly fan the flames of blood libel, and present this madness as legitimate discourse.
Societies influenced by ancient Greeks are lucky, and I dont know many examples, a couple of small countries in Eastern Europe. Most societies influenced by the ideas of modern China on the other hand, are screwed.
How about, “follow the science”, the real science, not the science of fearmongering politicians.
For me, the acceptable solution to the bs pandemic is end the non-sense. I have a similar stance with “gun control”, I will only accept getting our rights back as stated in our Second Amendment, “shall not be infringed”. Giving-up “something”, without getting “something” in return is not compromise. That is what we have been getting with all of the “gun control” laws and all the mandates, etc., under this bs pandemic.
I think most people would be fine if government and the media would just leave them alone. Everyday its so new BS scare or policy which incites people to anger. The media pushes it because it helps ratings. The government does it to increase their power.
Seems like the restrictive states have caught on. If they have declared it criminal TKBA without registering your tools, they can also make it criminal to have said tools lost or stolen without reporting. Some have.
and sink the boat with all of your guns and ammo. Such a loss. 