Is Discussion A Lost Art?

Today I received an email from a friend of mine who does not see things from a Conservative standpoint. That is fine with me as we have had lunches where we have discussed issues from our differing viewpoints and I find it intellectually challenging to defend my point of view. However, today's message was regarding Obama and he disagreed. The following is part of his response:

"There is nothing fair or American in knowingly spreading lies, rumors, hate, and innuendos about the President of the United States.  This is sick character lynching and treason, pure and simple!"

 When I countered in a follow up email that he had no problem with the lies (he had sent me several) about George W. Bush starting to drink again or his AWOL status (both of which were proven inaccurate and Dan Rather lost his job over the AWOL issue), his response was that was fine because those were all true. In other words, anything his side says is correct and accurate and everything the other side says is vile, hateful or in his words "character lynching and treason."  


Is it just me or is discussion a lost art? Has civility gone the way of the buggy whip?  Can't two people living in the Midwest have a discussion, not an argument, where the points from each side are put on the table and some agreement be made? If not, to expect Washington to have a civil discussion and to come to a compromise is expecting the impossible.

Throughout the entire Debt Limit discussion, we kept hearing that neither side would change their point of view and commentators said "why can't they negotiate." .Yesterday on the Sunday shows after S&P reduced The United States AAA rating, all we heard was the blame game. 


 It is pretty hard to negotiate when neither group will accept anything that comes from the other.
For example, the House passed Cap, Cut and Balance as a proposal to tackle the deficit problem. Senator Reed would not allow it to come up on the Senate Floor for discussion. It was dead on arrival. This was a proposal that one half of the Legislative branch would not even take a vote on. If a similar bill had passed the Senate, then a Conference Committee could have worked out the differences. That would have been negotiation. However to add insult to injury,  Reed then goes out and says that the Republicans have NO ideas and only say NO. Political theatre at its best.

On the Sunday Shows, David Alexrod and others blamed the Tea Party for the S&P downgrade. This is patently disingenuous and false. Sixty  or so legislators did not control the House, the Senate and the Presidency! And of course, there is McCain's bright comment calling the Tea Party people," hobbits".  So both sides of the political divide are to blame.



However, can we expect anything else from Washington when we cannot talk civilly to each other?  I don't think so.


Civility comes from respecting each other and their opinion. We might disagree but there must be some topic to which we can reach an agreement.  Even if it is to not agree.  We should be able to do it pleasantly and without rancor.  But that respect for others opinions seems to be missing in today's society.


The reason  I started this blog was to have a discussion. I did not want any name calling or derogatory statements but rather a place where divergent opinions could be expressed without the negativity I see expressed daily in my daily life. I continue to use those points of view as my rationale for publishing comments. Luckily, there are few that are distasteful and so my decisions to not publish have been limited. However, in the broader society this is not the case.


What do you think we should do to increase civility and to encourage discussion?  Or should we just continue down this destructive path.  I would like to hear what you have to say.