Marc Yacht
Generals understand the concept “Divide and Conquer.” On June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln accepted the nomination to run for the Illinois U.S. Senate and stated that, “A house divided against itself shall not stand.” Jesus Christ gave similar oratory that can be found in the gospels of Matthew, Luke, and Mark.
If ever there was a divided house, the United States is the poster child. Perhaps the nation could more accurately be called, the Divided States of America. The division is not new but not since the Civil War it has been so intense or so costly. Never have so many pulled so hard in different directions.
Two major factions divide the nation: liberal and conservative. The liberals are further partitioned as moderate, left-wing and extreme left-wing. Similarly, the conservatives segregate as moderate, right-wing and extreme right-wing. Internal squabbling exists on both sides in a battle for dominance. The left-wing holds most sway among the liberals and the extreme right has greatest influence among the Conservatives. The moderates have been neutralized.
Republicans have become embedded within the conservative movement and Democrats identify with the liberals. The influential divisions undermine communication and block efforts to consensus on important issues. Republicans will usually describe Democrats as extremely left. On the other hand, Democrats will argue that Republicans must be seen as the extreme right. These perceptions are wrong and further fuel the raging political bonfire.
Polarizing issues such as gun control, Obamacare, human services, immigration, debt, and tax equity are the most visible casualties of the “Great Divide.” A federal budget to stabilize government services is another victim and simply passing short-term appropriations hampers institutional stability.
The focus is more on winning a point of argument rather than meeting the needs of the nation, and the political parties are to blame. The middle ground has lost most of its influence. No outside enemy could undermine our nation more than the political gridlock caused by the extreme elements of both political parties.
The failure to make progress on sensible gun regulation is the most glaring example. What argument could there be to keep terrorists on no-fly lists from purchasing guns? The only conclusion is that two sides avoid agreement because they chose not to agree. The issue is secondary.
The “Trump phenomenon” is significant because his popularity rolls on in spite of efforts by the media, Democrats and Republicans efforts to discredit The Donald. The general public is so outraged at the current state of national politics that they are casting aside party leadership influence. Bernie Sanders is the other example of the rise of a nontraditional candidate undermined by party leadership. Rank-and-file Democrats and Republicans have lost trust, and much can be attributed to the party divisions that thwart progress on myriad issues.
Both national committees should heed their message: Trump’s popularity has nothing to do with his ideas but more to do with him being viewed as not being part of politics as usual.
Americans want to see their political system work. The Great Divide serves no one. Most attention has been given to the Republican debacle as Trump leaves the party’s picks in the dust. Hillary should also have concerns. Bernie continues to excite Democratic voters and many are not convinced Hillary is the answer in 2016.
The solutions require both parties to move toward centrist ideas. Some gun regulation should come forth, certainly the banning of people on the federal no-fly list from buying guns. The Democrats should take a hard look at debt and the cost of human services. The Republicans must cooperate and address the bloated military budget. Tax equity requires attention.
As is popularly, but likely incorrectly, attributed to Abraham Lincoln: “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
So it goes for Republicans and Democrats. They need to work together now … for the good of the country!
Marc J. Yacht M.D., M.P.H., is a retired physician living in Hudson, Florida. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
