Progress That Provides For Everyone

I really like The Daily. I don't always agree with everything I hear, but it is always thought-provoking and well-produced.

As a kid who grew up with steel mills and auto plants in my blood and in my neighborhood, I found today's episode really worth listening to. I felt like I grew up with everyone who was interviewed, and I can hear the real struggle in their voices -- trying to reconcile a perfect world someday with a better one now.

Whatever side of the political spectrum you're on, the episode gives a fascinating glimpse into the limits of positional politics. Despite the divisive messages we are bombarded with, it is actually possible to see both sides of an issue; to want to see positive incremental improvements so everyone benefits instead of losing half the ship every time we lurch the wheel of progress to and fro; to endeavor to create consensus rather than separation; and to actually like people who disagree with you.

This election, I'm listening for that more than anything else. The rich aren't the problem; the poor aren't the problem; the frackers aren't the problem; the greens aren't the problem; the whites aren't the problem; the blacks aren't the problem; the gun owners aren't the problem; the gun control advocates aren't the problem. Fear, division, and lack of empathy are the problem. It's not a win for any candidate or party if we leave half of the country behind.

Listen here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/24/podcasts/the-daily/fracking-2020-presidential-race.html