Today's lack of political good will is worrying enough, but it also comes with plenty of economic ramifications. For that matter, both NIMBYism and culture wars tend to reduce economic dynamism. Just as the "not in my backyard" mentality turned housing markets into major headaches, it even affects technological change such as transitioning to electric vehicular transportation. Many aspects of our lives and environments come down to what people of all political stripes don't want us to successfully engage in, as opposed to what could be accomplished.
In all of this, whatever happened to the hopes and dreams of centrist politicians and citizens? After all - even a decade earlier - moderates were still a meaningful part of public dialogue. While centrists occasionally held alternative views, they were often able to bring opposing parties to the table to get things done.
Indeed, moderates have been important for societal progress up until recently. A relative few remain who still highlight economic progress and the benefits of growth. Unfortunately however, the majority of such gains became associated with prosperous citizens and regions rather than average citizens - let alone those with limited incomes.
If polarized landscapes weren't already dangerous enough, what might that mean for younger generations? Indeed, will they eventually become receptive to the idea of civil war? Don't forget also that younger generations aren't convinced of the future viability of Social Security in the U.S. Even though I hope Social Security continues to function as a glue for economic stability and common purpose, one can't be too certain. Should Social Security benefits be reduced in the near future, that might further destabilize political desires to remain united.
Polarization also represents a loss of what was once known as Third Way political thought. For instance, when I was much younger, Bill Clinton's presidency was associated with this line of reasoning. Alas, other than environmental protection, who still believes such rationale is relevant? From Wikipedia:
The Third Way supports the pursuit of greater egalitarianism in society through action to increase the distribution of skills, capabilities and productive endowments while rejecting income redistribution as the means to achieve this. It emphasises commitment to balanced budgets, providing equal opportunity which is combined with an emphasis on personal responsibility, the decentralisation of government power to the lowest level possible, encouragement and promotion of public-private partnerships, improving labour supply, investment in human development, preservation of social capital and protection of the environment.
Why was much of this abandoned? Part of the problem is how advanced education became a place for elite dialogue at the expense of economic dynamism. Meanwhile, active knowledge use - since it lacks any grassroots equivalency - is being confused with information and flawed logic mostly meant to circumvent action. Formal education is certainly not the place for increased distribution of skills and capabilities! Instead, the "gateway to the good life" hoards its limited slots according to what monetary compensation might amply reward. Worse, few policymakers remain willing to balance budgets, since abandoning financial restraint means squeezing a few more lucky participants onto the gravy train of human relevance. And decentralisation? The only decentralisation my state government is interested in, is the powers it can remove from both Washington and cities which might otherwise function better if they were allowed rights to do so.
I continue to believe the best way to overcome polarization, is to create a knowledge based economy that can bypass the culture wars of educational access. However, while I remain guardedly optimistic, my hopes have radically diverged from what many once considered optimal paths for abundance and success. Is it still possible to use knowledge in more practical ways, instead of wielding it as the ultimate weapon for income divisions and urban rural divides? Perhaps we will find out soon enough.
