The Politics of Outrage

Am I just out of touch or has the nation gone crazy? Who are all these people who actually take talk shows seriously, especially those on radio?  Are they lonely souls who have no one else to listen to?  Are they angry, inarticulate souls who cannot express their anger and thus rely on professional mouthpieces to express it for them? Are they souls in turmoil or pain looking for someone who can sympathize, or looking for someone to blame for their troubles?

Whoever they are, there seems to be a lot of them.  And the demand for talk show blather shows no signs of ebbing.  The political power that the current bevy of celebrity spokespersons now seems to wield should be a source of shame for Americans.  Whether the name be Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, Oprah, Franken or Stern, these are entertainers, not political geniuses. No one should be taking them seriously or giving their political opinions any more weight than you would give David Letterman's opinions on sexual harassment.

Why? Because in the long run, they do what they do for one reason only: to sell advertising.  They are selling products just as assuredly as the used car salesman down on Main Street.

I have no beef with Main Street.  I have no beef with entertainers. My problem is with the number of people who look to these new cultural icons in order to know what or how to think.  It's like this huge segment of the population tunes in to find out what to be upset about.  "What would Jesus do?" seems to have morphed into "What did Limbaugh say?"

What happened to the age old search for truth or enlightenment? The modern search seems to be focused on fueling outrage. "What should I be mad about now?"

The problem with the politics of outrage, however, is that nothing gets done.  Sure there may be shouting and bluster, but when you start from a position of anger, the only option seems to be revolution rather than compromise. And few people are really angry enough to follow through with revolutionary options, as these generally include the spilling of blood and great suffering. We're not big on suffering, nor of much blood nowadays (except on TV or in the movies -- another personal gripe that we'll save for later).  So we just get a little angry and frustrated and grouse that someone ought to do something (specifically, someone else) while we preen in self-righteous indignation.

Real political progress, however, almost always depends on compromise, a continual give and take that requires both an understanding of and a respect for the opposition. Yes you can have strongly held opinions. But you must also realize that those whose opinions are diametrically opposed to yours probably hold them just as strongly as do you. Just like you, they also regard themselves as advocates for what is right and true. They may very well be dead wrong, but to see any progress in a democracy, the people must realize that many times it is more important to be together than it is to be completely right.

Outrage may be easier, for the world is thereby seen as black or white, good or bad, right or wrong, villains versus heroes. Battle lines are drawn, but all that occurs is polarization, not progress. Compromise is harder, but richer, its colors not only more numerous but infinitely more promising. When you choose the path of compromise, you start with the assumption that there are neither villains nor heroes--just good people trying to do good. And when that turns out to be true, common ground can usually be found and change can happen. Rarely will anyone get everything they want, but we move forward and together we can celebrate each small step.

Outrage fueled by today's talk show clowns prevents progress by diluting the nation's focus.  Entertainers certainly can't maintain an audience if they repeat the same things day after day, so they must come up with something new for people to be mad about each day.  Compromise, however, usually requires a concentrated focus on the same issue over a long period of time in order to discover common ground and the basis for change and progress. It's hard, often boring work -- not the stuff upon which products are sold nowadays.

I am, of course, speaking of politics specifically.  There are some areas of life where compromise is neither wise nor a precursor to progress. There are times when lines must be drawn and no quarter given. But even then, outrage is rarely helpful. Quiet determination and perseverance will win the day long before the fiery howling of the outraged.

Think Gandhi.

Change the channel. Turn down the volume. Then let's work together.