Scott - another timely essay. I have been spending a lot time recently with “Self-Renewal: The Individual and the Innovative Society (1963)” by John W. Gardner (the only Republican to serve in Lyndon Johnson’s Cabinet and founder of Common Cause). Gardner’s book explains that societal decay occurs when too many people become lost, disconnected, apathetic, or defeated in spirit. The challenge then is for each generation to continue the ongoing work of building and improving the norms and institutions necessary for a society to engage in self-renewal. This requires “a hospitable environment for creative men and women . . . with the capacity for self-renewal.” Gerrymandering leads to an inhospitable environment and ultimately societal decay.
Gerrymandering is in the news because Trump told bad faith Republicans in Texas to rig their map - and they complied. Democrats in California and Virginia then put the question of retaliatory gerrymandering to THE VOTERS, and they approved. That's an entirely different situation than what you describe.
In recent years, Republicans have become desperate for power - movement conservatives are using low information, poorly educated, and religious voters, to try to undo the liberal democracy decent citizens have been building, especially since WWII.
Trumpism is the current condition of Republican desperation. Your essays are in service to Trumpism. Everything Trump does will be torn down. Decent people will be voted back in. Republicans (especially GOP white men) will go back to feeling like they're being picked on. Good guys will address climate change, inequality, and fix the economy that Republicans always screw up.
My essays do not advocate for an individual political figure that was not around during the founding of this nation. Instead, it’s a discussion of the Federalist Papers on modern politics.
Whataboutism is a curse mentality that allows anyone to justify bad behavior because it happened before by “the other side.”
This piece condemns gerrymandering across the board. Anyone naive enough to believe it started in Texas, might want to get out and touch grass.
Scott - another timely essay. I have been spending a lot time recently with “Self-Renewal: The Individual and the Innovative Society (1963)” by John W. Gardner (the only Republican to serve in Lyndon Johnson’s Cabinet and founder of Common Cause). Gardner’s book explains that societal decay occurs when too many people become lost, disconnected, apathetic, or defeated in spirit. The challenge then is for each generation to continue the ongoing work of building and improving the norms and institutions necessary for a society to engage in self-renewal. This requires “a hospitable environment for creative men and women . . . with the capacity for self-renewal.” Gerrymandering leads to an inhospitable environment and ultimately societal decay.
Gerrymandering is in the news because Trump told bad faith Republicans in Texas to rig their map - and they complied. Democrats in California and Virginia then put the question of retaliatory gerrymandering to THE VOTERS, and they approved. That's an entirely different situation than what you describe.
In recent years, Republicans have become desperate for power - movement conservatives are using low information, poorly educated, and religious voters, to try to undo the liberal democracy decent citizens have been building, especially since WWII.
Trumpism is the current condition of Republican desperation. Your essays are in service to Trumpism. Everything Trump does will be torn down. Decent people will be voted back in. Republicans (especially GOP white men) will go back to feeling like they're being picked on. Good guys will address climate change, inequality, and fix the economy that Republicans always screw up.
My essays do not advocate for an individual political figure that was not around during the founding of this nation. Instead, it’s a discussion of the Federalist Papers on modern politics.
Whataboutism is a curse mentality that allows anyone to justify bad behavior because it happened before by “the other side.”
This piece condemns gerrymandering across the board. Anyone naive enough to believe it started in Texas, might want to get out and touch grass.