The election of Donald Trump to the presidency has brought upon the nation a wave of introspection, retrospection, elation, concern, fear, and hope. The diversity of feelings and opinions mirrors the diversity found along cultural, socioeconomic, and political lines—lines that often run very deep.
For me, this presents an inflection point, one that motivates me to shift from personal, internal thought to a more open forum and exchange of ideas. The problems facing our nation—ones that get to the very heart of who we are as a people and how we live together every day, are ones upon which I have spent a great deal of time reflecting.
This space is meant to be an expression of those thoughts. For the most part, I will likely offer few solutions, nor would deign to think that I possess the faculty or audience to be a source of any such solutions. This will not be a place to constantly denounce President Trump or Congressional Republicans. I believe, however, that it is vitally important to the continued health of our small-l liberal society that we begin having some very real, very honest, very open conversations. So let us begin.
In 2010, President Bill Clinton visited the University at Albany and began his speech with a contextual explanation that I have since taken to heart. In politics, collectively people will never agree on all issues. Despite this, what is most important is that we all understand the world views and backgrounds of others so that we can better understand why they take the particular positions that they do. So as you read the thoughts that I place here, I believe it is very important to understand the context from which they spring forth.
I come from a small rural area. My graduating class had 28 students, with all grades, K through 12, housed in one building. The town I lived in (different from where I went to school) has no stoplights, gas stations, or any significant water, sewer, or telecommunications infrastructure. And yet, it was only a three hour drive from New York City, the obvious epitome of urban life.
I am Catholic, raised in a large family of Polish Catholic roots. I am not as devout as my Catholic Guilt™ reminds me that I should be. But what I do try to keep in mind throughout my everyday life are the teachings I heard every Sunday as a kid. To me, those teachings boiled down to one simple idea: in striving to be caring humans, we must endeavor to do the opposite of what our emotional human nature would otherwise have us do.
When wronged, don't avenge; turn the other cheek. When successful, don't bask in ones own glory; give back instead. Welcome the self-repentant sinful with open arms and be wary of the self righteous. Do not seek the accumulation of wealth to enter the kingdom of Heaven; sacrifice what you have for the good of others instead.
And, above all else, treat others as you wish to be treated.
These teachings may not be what others have taken away from their religious education. But they are what I did and they paint most of my thoughts about culture, society, and our future. And living by their example is the toughest thing that we as individuals can do--success requires constant effort.
I am a partisan Democrat, but I try to be open-minded about the equally valid beliefs that other people hold. Despite my partisanship, I struggle with applying the term progressive to my own political leanings. Throughout my life, I have always considered myself more moderate, thinking that I greatly understood the conservatism of my childhood surroundings. But by nearly every measure of policy preferences, I am clearly to the left of the political spectrum.
I've spent much time over the years reconciling the empirical evidence of my policy stances with what I felt in my heart, and have recently come to realize the source of that tension: there are core philosophies of conservatism that I agree with. Hard work should be encouraged and rewarded. Capitalism, with all its flaws, is the greatest economic system developed by humankind. Traditions are important and should not be easily tossed aside. The list goes on.
But one can believe in all those things and still view progressive policy as the appropriate vehicle for delivering those goals. Hard work is vital to growth and innovation, but the rules under which it is applied must be fair and mindful of outcomes that are good for society as a whole. Market forces are the best way to create innovation and efficiency, but they are not perfect in all realms; the Tragedy of the Commons is real. Traditions form the basis of a stable and vibrant society, but there are times where traditions that leave out members must appropriately be reviewed.
Even more important to me than the policy prescriptions themselves is a willingness for pragmatism. Theories are the starting point of any political ideology, but sometimes evidence surfaces that proves those theories incorrect at worst or out of date at best. We should be willing to look at the evidence and re-calibrate our beliefs in light of proof of their wrongness or ineffectiveness. This does not mean that we are left unprincipled; policies in and of themselves should not be viewed as a principle. One can remain true to their fundamental principles but be willing to accept new and different solutions in their pursuit.
This introduction is simply a glimpse into the world view that drives my motivations, thoughts, and policy ideals. There will be plenty of time in this space to expand into other areas, but before one can react to and judge the opinions here, one must first understand their roots.
And since I grew up in a place called Root, that seems fitting to me.