Centrists have a tendency to demonize both the right and the left, and most (in my opinion) seem to hold the same beliefs to a lesser degree as many on the left that they denigrate.

This mindset of “my brand is king” gets carried over into politics. Again, people forget that you’re not supposed to argue your view in order to win on its behalf; rather, each side makes the best case it can, and then “best view” is defined by the market.

At some point, as an arguer, I feel compelled to say that I am arguing not to win my side, but to find the best side. I will present everything great that I can about my view, and at the same concede – nay, adamantly insist – that I don’t know for sure which way to go is best, yet. I trust the other side to present its best face, since I don’t have the time necessary to pursue both. We each add value by splitting the task of finding the truth. We each assume that the other side argues in good faith, and we try as hard as possible to see how the other view makes sense for the other side.

And if, in the end, we find one view, or the other, or a mixture, to be the best action to take or view to adopt, then we both flock to it, shake hands, and go back to our homes knowing that we’ve both gained insight to a better path.

(This is idealistic, sure, but you believe in aspiring to an ideal you can never quite achieve, then this is the one I like.)

What irritates me is politics by sound bite. The way every issue gets boiled down to an either or statement and every position has to be summed up in a neat little package. Are we that dumb as a nation that we need things simplified to that extent? I hope not. Also the lack of historical knowledge drives me crazy as well. Iraq and the Middle East are in the news every single day and yet few people know the full history of our involvement there.

Awsome idea! You are correct that people tend to not consider the past. We are a “I can see it, I don’t like it, make it look like this” society. We also have a considerable lacking of time to expose ourselves to history unless we are in a vocation that feeds from it. Most people don’t have enough hours in the day. If there was a gift to be given to our culture that would have a lasting impact, I think it would be the ability to slow down … and consider …. everything.

I know that I’m massively guilty of this one at times…

What bugs me is so many highly educated and interested people who have not knowledge of history, or if they have it they keep it segregated in the “history” section of their brains, so they react to everything like it’s the first time it ever happened.

1) We think “modern” somehow refers to somewhere between 5 minutes and (generously) 15 years ago, and

2) “Monologue” has somehow become a synonym for discourse.