the center

battered but salvagable?

I attended a depressing discussion, hosted by the National War College Alumni Association, last night about Israelis and Palestinians into the future. I thought the speaker, Mr. Adam Oler, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, did a superb job talking about the factors at work in today’s conflict but what matters, of course, is how things resolve.

I wish I had a magic wand to fix this intractable problem and so many others but don’t. I left the warmth of the College thinking ‘I just want to make it all go away’. I am a determined solver so this was a particularly troublesome reaction.

Prior to the lecture, we had a welcome back social for people who have rarely been inside Roosevelt Hall over the past several years. Indeed, a mythology has grown up that the Class of 2021 never made it into the building except to collect their books in August (not true except for extreme medical cases) but tales take on a life of their own too often in the United States these days.

I was delighted to see a student I had taught in the Class of 2008. Our paths have crossed several times as he rose through the ranks in his service. We are also friends on Facebook. He is a cheery but extremely serious soul so I was quite pleased he made the trek to Fort McNair for this evening.

He greeted me by noting he wasn’t seeing me comment on ‘stuff’ on FB these days. I said I write a lot on Substack as I genuinely want to increase measured dialogue. He furrowed his brow to say ‘No, it’s too late. There is no longer a center to allow for measured dialogue. We have left that era behind.’

Wow. That is pretty bloody depressing as a starting position but it really made me pause. I have certainly whined to this august readership that we must pursue a center through respectfully listening to those whose views differ from our own. But I honestly did not think we would say that era was over.

He may well be correct. I have read several things this retired officer called out for his FB friends to consider, only to see him absolutely slammed into the ground at times. Not always but more than once this has happened so many of his entries focus on family these days. Each of us reading this can enumerate far too many times that happens. How often we read ‘You’re wrong….’ and it goes downhill from there if a conversation goes anywhere at all.

Fifteen hours after this encounter I wonder what specific steps it will take for our country to return to exchanging ideas rather than blowing up each other? I am asking at the personal, individual level as well as institutionally. What can any individual bring up her or his child to do to assure that we have a country fifty years from now? What can we do institutionally for government truly to appeal overwhelmingly as ‘of the people, for the people, and by the people’?

The sense of individual above the societal is profound. It’s rare to read an article anywhere lacking in details on a person’s background. Those details inevitably focus of the individual’s experiences differentiating from someone else, be it in ethnic, religious, gender, education, disability, or some other characteristic. Why are we focusing on those items all of the time? Do we need say Josefina Josefa is human?

Seriously? Do we need that information to provide credibility or do we only think that characteristics aligning us with someone else become bona fides? I genuinely seek your reactions and why, if you agree, you see this as the case. Talk about actions and consequences.

This indirectly ties back to Israel and the Palestinians as it increasingly looks as if neither side—with precious few exceptions anywhere—sees an incentive for talking with the other side. The distrust is so deep, based on too many pieces of damning evidence that any sort of center cannot hold in any way. Do we want to become that sort of environment among Americans?

What is going on with us as a people that drove us to camps? We have discussed individual turning points (creation of alternate news sources, the 2008 financial crisis, creation of the Affordable Care Act, and countless others) but why and when did we see this as more valuable or important than a sentiment of commonality? Why is grievance so bloody vital all of the time?

Or, do you see this as a non-issue?

Last night’s conversation really sticks with me as it’s hard to address something you don’t entirely understand yet all of us are living it every day.

Thank you for reading Actions Create Consequences. I appreciate your time, your willingness to circulate this, and especially those of you who subscribe.

I close with a watercolour morning, as I call them, which evolved into a pretty intense picture. Sometimes waiting for things really is worth it.

Be well and be safe. FIN