As one might expect, Dave wrote another post about health care today, and it’s really outstanding.
It’s direct, it’s respectful of those who disagree, and it focuses rather than obfuscates the issue.
I still don’t agree with him, but this is the direction the discourse in this country needs to go.
Excellent post, Dave.
“With reasonable men I will reason; with humane men I will plea; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost.”
“Look, we are all reasonable men here. We don’t have to give assurances, as if we were lawyers.”
For me: a truely liberal person is reasonable. Now some might think the ability to change position is wishy-washy but for me it is the power of an intellect that it can accept new evidence and produce new findings.
The most effective critical mind does not criticize: it observes, adapts and investigates the mind of others.
The joy of debate is the potential to discover something we would have never considered and be improved by the experience.
Are we not reasonable (wo)men? Sometimes.
I do see that Dave will often withdraw after getting upset and return with a new vision for getting what he wants. He wants a different government and he’s going to work hard to get one. He just might learn to persuade in the process. In politics that is the true capital: persuasion. It can defeat vested interests by showing people that they can unite behind an idea and make this change. The mechanisms are right there… they just need a leader to define the options.
It would be really nice to see Dave lead: becuase all I think he really wants is to make a difference and be respected for the contribution(s) he is/has made.