4/5/2005
David Brooks, an Op-ed columnist for the NY Times wrote an interesting article today which he entitled, “A House Divided, and Strong.” Here is the gist of the article:
Conservatives have not triumphed because they have built a disciplined and efficient message machine. Conservatives have thrived because they are split into feuding factions that squabble incessantly. As these factions have multiplied, more people have come to call themselves conservatives because they’ve found one faction to agree with.
I agree.
Most of the conservatives I know LOVE a good debate. The more challenging, the better.
And I’m not talking about shouting matches. I’ve been shouted down many times while debating liberals face-to-face. When you begin shouting, you’ve lost the debate.
Actually, though, I debate my fellow conservatives far more often than I debate liberals. These days, many of the liberals I debate love to give me bumper sticker slogans, or quotes from obscure reactionary websites, but not a whole lot else.
Now, on my blog and here at Blogcritics.org, I’m accused all the time of being “a mouthpiece” for the GOP. “David has his talking points out,” they say. Really, though, I have many differences with my party.
I’m a strong supporter, not just of diversity in general, but diversity training. I wholeheartedly support equal opportunity/access initiatives. We do not yet live in a perfectly equal society, and probably never will, so it makes sense to try and even the playing field as much as we can.
I’m liberal when it comes to immigration. This country has grown and thrived because immigrants coming into this country (legally and illegally) by and large just want a chance to work hard and support their families. It is their hard work and their commitment to family values that have helped keep America strong and prosperous over the centuries.
I’m moderate on issues related to gun control. I’m perfectly okay with requiring background checks and registrations for gun owners. Having said that, if my state were ever to pass a concealed carry law, I’d be the first to sign up.
And there are a host of other issues that I wind up in debates over with friends, including things like Medicare spending, the deficit, the UN, etc.
And you know what? Debating with friends and with others too, makes me a better person.
Win or lose, I learn something from every debate. I learn because I go into the debate with the knowledge that I could be wrong on specific points I’m trying to make, or on the whole thing! Been there, done that many times over.
It’s like calling someone out in the old west. You can almost hear the cheesy music playing as you face off with your opponent. The wind stirs up the dust, townsfolk run for cover… Then one person makes their move and the bullets fly. Blam, blam, blam!
And when the smoke clears and the dust settles, it may just as likely be me lying on the ground as the one across from me. Such is the nature of the gunfight… And any given debate for that matter.
Here’s the difference; if I go into a debate with an open mind, losing will probably make me stronger than winning. You learn more when you lose, you know. But, unlike a gun battle in the old west, you can pick yourself off, learn from your loss, and do better the next time.
Conservatives in general have done that. What’s more, we’ve anchored ourselves to the solid foundation of this country’s history; acknowledging that we’ve made MANY errors, and have far to go, we also can lean on the strong minds of our forebears as we formulate and debate contemporary issues, policies, and life in general.
Some liberals do this, but then again, many do not.
Overall, though, when you look at a site like this one, or Blogcritics, or even the Blogosphere in general, you have to think that there’s good being done here. We don’t always have the facts, or truth, or even a clue, but at least we have the ability to say, “I disagree and here’s why.”
I respect those who can disagree in a thoughtful way, and challenge my own thinking. Those who choose simply to sling idiotic sayings and baseless accusations… Well, I generally just ignore them.
David Flanagan
Viewpointjournal.com
2 Comments
Diversity is A Republican Strength
Why is the Republican party thriving? Because we love a good argument.
Trackback by Blogcritics — 4/5/2005 @ 2:28 pm
Good one, David. I completely agree. The reason I’m a stronger and stronger conservative each year isn’t because I’m closed-minded to others’ points of view. It’s because I regularly debate opponents of my viewpoints and read as many liberal blogs and media as I have time for. I’m not a conservative because I avoid Al Franken, Michael Moore, and Jim Carville. I’m a conservative because I’ve seen their speeches, read their books and web sites, seen their movies, and listened to their radio shows, and then concluded that their conclusions and speculations are factless and far-fetched. Sure, I’ve changed my mind on some issues because my previous ideas were just flat wrong. And every single time, I have shifted a little more to the right.
Comment by Bryan W — 4/5/2005 @ 2:47 pm