People are frustrated with one another and finding it difficult to carry on conversations. My liberal friends think that the MAGA Republicans have lost their minds and aren’t worth talking to; consequently, they just make it worse.

Let’s try to understand the problem and then find a solution. Time Magazine said that a recent poll shows Biden and Trump voters are living different realities. That’s more an expression of frustration than a helpful description. There are no different realities.

But there are lots of people, on both sides of the argument, who depart from reality. In philosophy, there are basically only two main schools: one is based on feelings, faith or superstition and the other is based on reality as ascertained through our senses. We could also call the two schools “religious” and “scientific,” or, and this is my preference, “Idealism” and “materialism.” The materialist assesses their choices and asks “What is likely to happen with this or that course of action?” The idealists consults their feelings.

A materialist cannot usually win an argument with an idealist because they are using different world views. However, the good news is that reality is the great teacher and will eventually prevail. All of us are somewhat idealistic and somewhat materialistic, but in things that matter, materialism tends to erode idealism away.

The answer to the problem is civil discourse. It may be true that you cannot win an argument with someone who doesn’t believe in facts, but it is also true that you can keep communications lines open while the facts chip away at the fantasies. Civil discourse is America’s only hope for overcoming the polarity that is driving us to a violent end.

I notice this a lot because I am a talk show host on KNON.org and 89.3FM in Dallas (9AM Saturdays). People call with some of the most outrageous fantasies and outright lies. I’m well aware that I probably cannot out-argue them. But, if I keep the discussion civil, I can make my case for the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of radio listeners. Every caller on my show should get a chance to briefly make their point, and, if there is time, I get to respond. When somebody tells outrageous lies, subsequent callers can usually point it out, so the radio listeners benefit from the entire discussion. Yelling at the reactionaries who call, or cutting them off, has a big negative effect on the rest of the listeners. It makes the polarity worse.

–Gene Lantz 6/9/24