We can all feel proud of Obama and Markos when they tolerate dissenters posting critical points of view on their websites. Such self confidence and commitment to free expression represent some of the finest of progressive ideals. And are probably some of the reasons why DKOS is the best, most diverse, and intelligent site around. And one of many reasons Obama stands out as an exceptional leader. Those sites who bash down dissent rapidly become stale. Those leaders who surround themselves with sychophants quickly fail from poor quality thinking.
So it is sad, poignant and discouraging when we see so many roving gangs of self appointed vigilante "purity troll" police, gang up to ridicule, bully, name call, and bury with pie recipes, those who express post-traumatic FISA shock in imperfect ways. I'm reminded of the commercial where the snotty kid yells at the homeless vet with PTSD "get a job!"
But with the "Black Tuesday FISA Shock" day approaching we should prepare a better strategy. Beating down honest, and loyal dissent with name calling and ridicule instead of well reasoned responses constitutes bulling, at best, that is the anti-thesis of the progressive values of respecting free speech, minority voices, and diversity of opinion. And may make things worse.
And such abuse intimidates others as we shamefully watch these brutal mugging like assualts in silence - afraid to come to the aid of the victims out of fear we will be attacked as traitors as well.
Promulgating fear and intimidation is not the best way to build winning coalitions out of diverse and progressive groups of stakeholders -- this is the GOP approach, best left for reactionary conservatives.
Nearly all progressive causes were at first shouted down, derided, and bullied, so such behavior here at KOS is especially sad, poignant, and potentially damaging to our ultimate success. Although, it may feel worse and messy in the short-term, I honestly feel that tolerence for diversity and respect for free speech aren't just catchy progressive siboleths and buzzwords, but actually really work and can pay rich return on investment like dividends in the long term for groups willing to make the painful investments in the short-term.
Let's keep this in mind for Tuesday when there will be much weeping and nashing of teeth.
Let's not make it worse with attempts at suppression and accusations of betrayal if some at their emotional low points, say they so are mad at Obama, the Democratic leadership, the party, or even that they aren't going to vote.
Protecting DKOS Readers From the "False Truths" and Threats of Not-Voting"
How absurd to think the rest us of us high information readers, here at Dkos, need to be protected against hearing the plaintive sufferings of traumatized 4th amendment advocates, as if letting a few angry bloggers threaten not to vote for Obama will cause such sentiments to spread like a virus and will cost us the November election.
Remember, many of Senator Clinton's supporters who swore to never vote again, are now among Obama's strongest advocates. Many angry 4th amendment and FISA voters will also come around if treated with respect and given a safe space to vent. I can't even remember how many times I've threatened not to vote after Democrats failed to pass the Feingold Censure or impeach Bush, Cheney, Gonzoles, Rumsfeld et. al. Some of us are just more emotional than others. But, we will come round eventually. And faster if we are not berated, ridiculed, and given pompous lectures along the way. (We like giving pompous lectures more than receiving them. lol)
But which is more absurd? The idea that we need such protection against false thinking? Or the idea that some of the of the purity troll police can unilaterally and exclusively know that such expressions of free speech jeapordize our chances of winning the election? Anyone with even a limited imagination could easily create several plausiable hypotheses that could argue the opposite. For example, that our political system is a dynamic system and our leadership can respond to such pressures with learning and adaptation.
Or that attempts at such suppression that appear "mean spirited" are more likely to hurt, rather than help our election chances and our ability to forge a strong vibrant, positive and diverse coalition to govern successfully after our fall election victories. Or, for example, that aliented dissenters ostracizied here, will form a coalition of "progressive independents" that eventually become a viable third party.
Markos, Obama, progressives, and even most regular Democrats, do not need to fear the free expression of ideas, and do not need to be protected with heavy handed supression of dissent -- because we are capable of winning arguments with open and free discussion, based on the merits with data, logic, and values -- and without fear and intimidation. Over time, if we don’t win an argument we change our minds to go along with the better thinking, the essence of progress.
Whether we agree with them or not, we should at least honor and respect, those dissenters who take the time and have the courage to write diaries that contain respectful and constructive feedback intended to help our candidate, our party, and our leaders get back on a course a supporter believes is better. These efforts are in keeping with the finest progressive traditions and causes espoused by Gandhi, King, and Socrates.
Self appointed gangs suppressing individual expression based on their own unilateral assumptions about "absolute truth" are the opposite of egalitarian grass roots progressive coalition building.
Learning Faster Than Our Competitiors Is The Only Sustainable Competitive Advantage
We frequently criticize those sites and authoritarian leaders that stifle dissent, and surround themselves with sychophants, and eject and retaliate against those that question the gospel of the authoritarian leaders. Such leaders do not survive long in complex and rapidly changing complex systems. No one can be right all the time. The only sustainable competitive advantage, in the long term, is to learn and adapt faster than your competitors. Everything else changes.
We are in a complex dynamic system, in which we all have the capacity to learn and improve. Constructive dissent may actually improve a candidate's long term election chances if listened to, and incorporated into collective learning.
Progressives are not only capable of learning and change, but, in fact, insist that all policies, beliefs, customs, and actions be subject to scrutiny and change in order to that we can progress towards better ways to meet human needs and goals.
Dissent and learning are core critical success factors for our kind of progress.
This application of the scientific method to social policy and individual beliefs is one of the most foundational progressive values we share with humanists, scholars, scientists, total quality pioneers, highly profitable companies, learning organizations, and modern thinkers of many stripes.
We do not take policies and beliefs for granted as absolute truths, just because someone writes them in stone, or we’ve always done things in a certain way, or the authority figures of the state, the church, or the majority tells us what we should think. Every person has not only the right, but also the responsibility to challenge every assumption and ask if this is the best way to achieve the best outcome for the individual and the common good. This is the scientific method applied to all social policy and personal beliefs.
Which is why freedom of speech, and belief, as well as the "rule of law not men" as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution is so sacred to all Americans and progressives can count ourselves as patriotic as anyone in our defense and respect for these values.
Catching More Flies With Honey Than Vineger: A Better Response Than Shooting Ourselves In The Foot
If you disagree with the message of an honest civil diary, then either ignore it or respond with substantive points. It does not help the credibility or electability of our cause, or candidate, to swarm in with a big gang to beat them down with pie recopies, name calling, and "gang diary-muggings" to suppress someone we disagree with.
Such behavior is the opposite of true coalition building, where we win over dissenters with patient, and respectful dialogue, and where all sides can benefit from the consequent learning and emerge as a stronger, more electable coalition.
We need to not only tolerate, but cultivate and cherish a continuous churn of internal, supportive, dissent to optimize our ability to continuously test and improve our mental models, assumptions, data, logic, strategies, and culture. This is what learning and progress looks like.
We can gain an incredible competitive advantage if we build and cultivate our collective ability to learn. And convert opponents with patient consensus building techniques used by the followers of Gandhi, King, the Quakers and other proponents of peaceful and non-violent change who have learned that violent or forceful suppression always blows up in tangential unintended side effects through unexamined feedback loops.
Gandhi, in fact, used such a strategy to win over a better armed stronger "enemy."
The most successful leaders in these kinds of environments, stake their legitimacy on learning faster than others, being able to create and nurture learning communities, not on always being right, nor refusing to admit error, or change a position, in light of new facts or viewpoints.
Those that cannot admit error, or resist learning and adaptation do not last long in dynamic complex systems.
Whioh is one reason I still have hope Obama will rejoin us in opposition to this FISA bill and other efforts to support the 4th amendment. And I appreciate those who couragiously continue the battle. When is the best time to defend the Constitution and Bill of Rights? Whenever and whereever they are attacked or diminished.
Intolerant behaviors towards such couragious and positive efforts inhibit collective learning, can be disrespectful to well intentioned individuals with different and diverse viewpoints. A better way to support Obama and help him win might be to imitate some of his more noble behaviors, including respect for others he might disagree with.
I applaud his willingness to not only tolerate, but support posting on his website by folks who disagree with some details. Fortunately, Obama’s grace and kindness in potentially contentious settings is setting a higher example for us all. For example, in several debates, the moderators set up some easy opportunities to take some politically advantagious potshots at Senator Clinton, which he gracioiusly (and wisely) declined to go for.
I wish all of his supportors could learn more from his examples: that you catch more flies with honey than vineger. And that gracious and kind behavior is seen by many, as markers of superior character and for some groups of voters, gracious and noble character are more important than even policy positions.
Winning Faith Based Voters By Pretending To Be Gracious and Noble: A Machiavellian Approach
And for those not already convinced to take the higher road, let me try a ruthlessly Machiavellian approach to argue that we can gain significant electoral advantage by pretending to be as gracious and noble as Obama, even if we aren't thusly inclined.
Several polls show Obama is making inroads into several communities of faith, often written off as conservative strongholds.
If more us could exemplify traits such as kindness, forgiveness, mindfulness, compassion, tolerance for diversity and graceful dissent, and cultivate an environment here at DKOS that embodies more of such an ethos, I believe we would improve our election results, not diminish them. And if you are not inclined or capable of such behavior, at least making an effort to pretend to be could be a great help.
And for the same reasons, so many advised kindness, and patience for the HRC supporters after her loss, to give them space and time for healing, and to bring them around to voting for Obama, treating those with post traumatic FISA shock with kindness and respect is equally wise and strategic. Even if in the short term it appears to get worse before getting better. It could be a valuable longer term investment.
Let the Republicans be the party of the jack-booted, intolerant, brown shirted thugs of the 21st century, not the progressives. (I mean this in the nicest possible gracious and progressive way. :-) )
Let’s endeavor to create a safe blog-space where respect for minority expression, free speech, tolerance for diversity of opinion, and a culture free from the fear of retaliation and ridicule are the norm.
Let’s encourage and support those who have the courage to finally participate in democracy and honestly speak up and state their opinions --even if they are wrong and stupid. (lol -- a little egalitarian secular humanist humor for you all.)
After all, at the essence of progressive values are the believe in the "rule of law and principle" not men or the "might makes right" ethos. That's why we find the Constitution and Bill of Rights so important. Why the ACLU was founded. And is part of the reason so many of us in the minority here are really upset about this FISA situation. It's part of a life-long struggle for freedom. And we've been told "now is not the right time" for much too long.
Plus remember the "means is the ends in the process of becoming."
True progressives are a different breed and use a more noble, sophisticated, and effective modus operandi: intelligence, compassion and kindness, grace, tolerance for diversity, and respect for all.
Values Obama (and DKOS) excels at, and are among the main reasons I am voting for him, even though I disagree with his support of this upcoming FISA bill.
If we can get Obama's supporters to be half as wise and noble as he is we could probably win over another 10% of faith based voters just based on these superior virtues and noble characteristics.
And if our Democratic leadership passes this terrible FISA bill as expected on Tuesday and we are deluged with angry 4th amendment advocates who feel betrayed let's give them space to heal and vent, and not add insult to injury by beating them down with ridicule, pictures of purity Dove soap bars and recipes.
We are going to need all the votes we can get to win in the fall. Respecting those we disagree with helps us create a bigger tent in the longer term.