Love Your Enemies | Civil Discourse |
On the politics page we discussed the political polarization common in 21st century politics.
The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September 2020 prompted me to think about the subject of Civil Debate.
On a trip to India, they famously rode an elephant, with Scalia sitting up front. What about feminism? "It had to do with the distribution of weight," Ginsburg deadpanned slyly.
See: What made the friendship between Scalia and Ginsburg work - The Washington Post
John Kenneth Galbraith and William F. Buckley
In a 2010 web post about the juvenile name-calling by some of todays national politicians,
Deborah Boykin of Prattville commented:
"Maybe the debates between John Kenneth Galbraith and William F. Buckley from the 1970s should be made available on TV again. These men disagreed on policy just as vehemently as people do now, but they were able to debate their positions eloquently and civilly, using facts, statistics and educated opinions. The level of public discourse in this country today is stunningly low and it doesn't bode well for the future."Galbraith was a frequent guest on Buckley's conservative public affairs TV show Firing Line.
See YouTube examples:
Cambridge Union: William F. Buckley Jr. vs. John Kenneth Galbraith
William Buckley vs Keynesian Economist
He said,
"One of the great tragedies of our time is this impression that has been created that science and religion have to be at war." - Francis CollinsAll evangelical Christians I know reject evolution as being incompatible with the bible. Most also reject Climate Change.
I for one never missed the PBS Newshour on Friday nights just to watch Shields and Brooks.
Links:
Honoring Mark Shields and his decades of political analysis
Mark Shields and the Best of American Liberalism | NY Times, Davis Brooks
Links:
Politics and Science
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