Legal Commentary

Let's Argue Policy

By Big Tent Democrat

Ed Kilgore, who I am friendly with, writes a very good post that I want to riff off of in a post tomorrow (about the different conceptions of effective reform for health care). But I want to highlight now a key point he makes:

[I]deology, however muddled, is part of what makes most politically active people tick. And if we don't talk about it--and about differences in strategic thinking as well, which should be the subject of future discussions--then all we are left with to explain our differences on this issue or that is questions of character. And anyone paying attention must recognize there's far too much of that going on.

Ed's right. And I am as guilty as anyone. For now, I will stop it and will instead stick to the policy and the politics. More . .

Ed continues:

"Progressive pragmatists"--the camp with which I most often personally identify, as it happens--often treat "the Left" condescendingly as immature and impractical people who don't understand how things get done. Meanwhile, people on "the Left" often treat "pragmatists" as either politically gutless or personally corrupt. This is what happens when you don't take seriously other people's ideological and strategic underpinnings; whatever you gain in ignoring or minimizing differences in perspective or point of view is lost in mutual respect. Sure, the character attacks on both sides are sometimes accurate, but nobody should assume that in any particular case without further examination of each others' ideological and strategic views. That examination is long past due.

All true. Ed and I used to have good discussions about these things back in the day. I hope that discussion can be recommenced throughout the progressive side.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on December 17, 2009 (boomark / email).