We don’t have politics anymore. Stop pretending we do.

We do not have politics anymore. Stop pretending we do.

Politics is where philosophy meets social and material reality. It is where all our grand ideas about society are put to the test. Those tests are our neighbors, other political parties and nations, and the material constraints we have. Philosophies theorize about how to flourish under these constraints, and politics is the art of putting philosophy to the test.

Left-wing politics died when Obama, while campaigning for his second term, championed divisive identity politics (a stark contrast from his “unity” messaging in his first campaign). Once the Woke were let through the gate, it was only a matter of time before the DNC was finished. Right-wing politics died with the dawn of Trump’s second term. In his first term, he was largely constrained by establishment Republicans. Now, he employs loyalists while his base violently fractures. However, this decay is a long process. Clinton, for example, blurred the lines between Democrat and Republican when adopting right-wing economic policy. And Bush was the “compassionate conservative.”

Do you think the politics of today are guided by serious philosophies of governance?

The philosophies of the Woke and the Groypers are merely tribal impulses rationalized post hoc. We are not having political discussions, we are having tribal arguments while wearing our party’s mask.

As such, you will not foster unity by having a discussion about politics. We can’t agree on the facts, and the values that give those facts meaning remain occluded.

We can unify by discussing what’s most fundamental: Consciousness. Or, what it is like to be a human being. The prolific psychologist Carl Rogers said, “What is most personal is most universal.” Our deepest selves are the same because we are all human. Discuss with your partner, your friend, your neighbor, that one aspect we all have in common: being human. Go deep. Empathy and perspective taking are human super powers. In deep discussion, you will see things as I see them. Then, we will establish a common world. Humbly, you can create a unity of two, and then three… From there can balance our concerns, first as a couple and then as a nation. If you want sane politics, start with deep relationships. Now isn’t the time to discuss distant political flashes, which would be unknown to you if it weren’t for the gasoline of social media. Now is time to return to consciousness and recognize what makes us human.