Much Of Our National Debate

A Basic Assumption Shapes Most Americans’ Mindset About Labor: The Belief That The Death Of Unions Isn’t My Problem Because I’m Not In A Union. That Assumption Is Wrong. Even If You Aren’t A Member, Your Pay Is Influenced By The Strength Or Weakness Of Organized Labor. The Presence Of Unions Sets Off A Wage Race To The Top. Their Absence Sets Off A Race To The Bottom.

The Boomers Have Modeled A Set Of Bad Habits, And One Grand Gesture Is Not Going To Unwind All Those Bad Habits.

We Tend To Think Of Politics As Bad, Full Of Dirty Tricks, Negative Ads, Big Campaigns, But I Am Here To Explore The Original Meaning Of Politics, Which Is Positive And Has To Do With Balancing Competing Interests And Looking For Solutions.

Many Smart Folks Seem To Think That If You Just Get Your Metaphors And Messages Right, You'll Win. That If You Start Describing What You Favor As A 'moral Value' - 'affordable Health Care Is A Moral Value' Etc., - Then You'll Appeal To Red-state Voters.

The Strongest Streak In The American Character Is A Fierce Pragmatism That Mistrust Blind Ideology Of Every Stripe And Insists On Finding What Really Works.