Political Discourse

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

We live in the age of rage.  Civil discourse and calm conversation, unless you are in full agreement with the wokesters, is a thing of the past.  Even non-wokesters, sometimes.  Pretty much everyone under 40, except for a handful of exceptions in my life, can't talk about anything, and if you disagree, they get in your face and scream.

It's pretty frustrating, especially when they think what they think on a nugget of information that doesn't even remotely have any foundation in truth.

I once had someone tell me that arguing politics is useless because you will not convince the other person to change their mind. That person who said that to me was a millennial. The purpose of political discourse is not necessarily to change the other persons mind. Political discourse is an exchange of information. It is a healthy debate that is necessary in a system of liberty. If political debate is not occurring, then one side will take control and the society will be doomed. Political discourse is the opportunity to share one's beliefs or ideas, with the hopes that the other side of the conversation will listen, and consider what is being said. They may not agree with anything, they may not take any of what you say into account for how they believe, but one small tidbit may change their approach to a particular issue.  That is the goal. If another person can even consider why I believe what I believe, or add a small nugget of what I believe to what they believe, then the political discourse was successful. If they don't, at least I tried.

And, even more important is the fact that there are others listening, and they may learn, or change their mind, or take into consideration of at least learning about the topic at hand.

An informed society is a free society, more often than not.

While in political discussions it is also important to listen. What the other person may say may not fit into what you believe at all, but it may help you to understand why they believe what they believe, or help you alter your argument regarding what you believe.  You may add something to what you believe, or you may not.  

All of this is an important part it's a part of the political game.  Without political discussion, without political debate, without political discourse that does not elevate to shouting and screaming, liberty is lost.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary