I am an expat who lives and works in Norway; I believe this time abroad has given me a much needed perspective, I have had the chance to live and experience a different culture, to see other approaches to some of the same problems we face in the U.S. and I have come to realize that during this time abroad, while my core beliefs are the same, many of those beliefs have been broadened and I have come to the conclusion that there are other ways to solve the problems of the day than what the traditional left/right in the U.S. peddles.
In the interest of full disclosure, my father is Norwegian and I speak the language so I am not the traditional outsider here. Furthermore, I am fully aware of the fact that it is quite impossible to compare a nation with roughly 4.8 million people with one that has almost 400 million! Norway is also flush with oil wealth, has one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world and has run a budget surplus for over 30 consecutive years, so again, direct comparisons are hard but broader ones are possible.
One of the fundamental problems in the U.S. today are the ideological purity tests that seem to be en vogue on both the left and the right. It is most dramatically illustrated by the Tea Party of course, but the left suffers from the same disease! It used to be that if a politician, writer, or academic reached across party lines in an effort to find common ground he, or she, faced sniping and suspicion from the members opposite. While that individual might face grumbling from the base of their own political party or movement it was usually rather limited both in scope and duration. Today, however, anyone doing the same thing faces open revolt and can be the subject of the most vitriolic abuse imaginable! Accusations are hurled not from supposedly “natural” opponents but from members of the same political families in a sense. Politicians of both parties now have to worry about potential primary challenges in addition to a general election opponent. Time is spent, or wasted depending upon how one views it, shoring up the base. This has of course, since members of each party need to be ideologically “pure”, led to both parties becoming more partisan since they each have to answer to their respective voter bases. The image of Tip O’Neal and Ronald Reagan seems almost quaint now, as if we are discussing ancient Rome or a story from Biblical times!
It is quite interesting to see the U.S. from a Norwegian perspective. It is a liberal Social Democracy, it has universal health care and some of the most generous and long lasting social welfare benefits of any nation on earth. It is also a very civil society. By that I mean the political discourse, while it can get heated and sharp words exchanged, is generally constructive and geared towards moving the nation forward. Norway is busy planning for the future, for the day when oil finally runs out. It is investing billions on infrastructure, clean fuels, alternative energy, revamping education and elder care. Granted, this is made easier with oil wealth, but there is a broader point here. This strategy is only possible because the left and the right have been able to forge strategic compromises at every step of the way. Fight when necessary? Yes. Disagree with particular details? Of course. Duke it out at election time over certain policies? You bet. But in terms of the broad, strategic interests of the nation, the left and the right have come to the realization that in this ultra-competitive global marketplace of the 21st century, where traditional power structures and poles of influence are shifting like tectonic plates, where nations such as Brazil, China, India and Turkey are continuing their relentless march to global prominence, it is critical to set aside ideological purity and get on with it!
While the left and right in the U.S. engage in fratricide the rest of the world is leaving it behind! Our infrastructure is crumbling, educational standards are slipping, and the economy continues to sputter along. But instead of addressing those needs members of both parties simply hurl accusations, spread fear, play to their respective bases and then blame the other when nothing gets done. We have entered a vicious cycle of self fulfilling prophecies, where we actively help to create the reality we rail against. On the left Obama is castigated for not being liberal enough, to the right he is a Socialist bordering on Communist. On the right, Bennett in Utah Missouri was not considered conservative enough while on the left he was considered borderline fascist!
I do not believe either side should give up or compromise core values and principles in order to forge a consensus or reach compromises but what I am saying is that there are many different routes one can take to reach the same destination! We as liberals have to realize that some of our ideas and core values really do scare a large number of Americans and we have to do a much better job of explaining our vision for the future of the country. We have to stop acting like we want to be the nation’s parents and instead treat the American people as partners in this process. At the same time, conservatives must also realize that half the country is frightened by their vision for the country as well. They must stop trying to act like they are the moral conscience of the nation, that somehow they have a corner on patriotism and family values. America really is a 50/50 nation and that is something neither Democrats or Republicans can seem to grasp fully.
At the end of the day we are all Americans. I believe we all love our country and our families, we all want a better future for our children and we are all equally frightened that we have headed into a dark tunnel with no light at the end. We live in perilous times both domestically and internationally. I am a proud progressive/liberal but we need to get over ourselves on both sides of the isle. Ideological purity is an illusion, and a dangerous one at that.