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02-10-2016, 11:29 PM
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As the New Hampshire primaries come to a close, many of us watch in awe as Senator Bernie Sanders directly takes on the Democratic establishment and energizes a populist nerve, calling out what some feel is legal corruption in our country's democracy. His authenticity, his freedom as an outsider and his willingness to call out special interests has ignited an otherwise politically disengaged demographic (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/05/us/politics/bernie-sanders-young-democratic-voters.html?_r=1), especially millennials, shocking political insiders. In the process, Bernie has resurfaced a long standing debate (http://www.aei.org/publication/the-progressive-crack-up/?utm_source=paramount&utm_medium=email&utm_content=AEITHISWEEK&utm_campaign=AEITW020616) in the Democratic party that highlights what many feel is the takeover of our nation's democracy by big business. The question on everyone's mind is: Can he deliver on the changes he promises? In the end, would he be able to bring about meaningful positive change as President?
Building Up vs. Tearing Down: While Bernie raises a number of legitimate concerns, it seems his focus is on pointing out problems and regulating bad players. We've heard very little about his practical plan for replacing a flawed system with one that matches his ideals, which would need to be implemented in relatively short amount of time. If his vision is to extract (tax the rich) and distribute (among the poor), regulate industry and dismantle corporate giants, if he doesn't bridge towards a new vision, he runs the risk of creating a vacuum that is more dangerous than where he began. If Bernie plans to scrap Obamacare without having any meaningful buy-in around a new plan to replace it, couldn't this leave the very struggling Americans he seeks to care for without healthcare for an indeterminate amount of time?
Can Bernie achieve his ambitious goals as President within the existing congressional environment? Most believe Congress isn't going to change much during the next term. As a Senator, Bernie has a long track record of speaking his mind and voting by his ideals, sometimes as a lone voice. These behaviors are a healthy part of our democratic process and Bernie offers an honest and authentic voice within the political establishment. However, some of Bernie's biggest Congressional accomplishments are not for what he created, but what he dissented against (opposing the Patriot Act, war in Iraq, TPP, NAFTA, CAFTA, and Keystone XL) or regulated (e.g. clean water bill). Building and creating (vs. opposing and regulating) require skills in building buy-in across values and interests. In order to reach his GHG reduction targets or transform healthcare to a single payer system, Bernie would need to garner support from the existing political establishment - or he may embody the very failed plans and empty promises he criticizes in others.
Uncompromising Authenticity vs Willingness to Compromise: One of Bernie's most appealing qualities is that he consistently votes for what he believes in. This garners trust in his supporters, and Bernie's persona as an uncompromising and authentic leader creates hope and feels refreshing. However, not compromising is also what is most frustrating about our current political climate. Congress can be gridlocked in moving decisions forward as both sides of the political spectrum dig their heels in a battle of wills. One of Bernie only critiques of Obama is that he won on a populist message of change, and then worked to negotiate for that change within the belt. Bernie's campaign promise has been that he won't do that, yet how will he do so without being willing to negotiate and compromise? How will he deliver on a national level beyond his campaign, when he faces a grassroots base as energized and engaged as his progressive supporters, who ardently oppose progressive reform (social conservatives and the Freedom Caucus)?
Incremental change and negotiating within the political establishment are widely seen as selling out, especially as we become aware and angry about inherent systemic injustices embedded in our power structures. Bernie's voice as an activist hits a nerve of very real frustration a segment of the populations feels. Yet as we dig deeper into our conceptions of leadership, we find that the ideal of uncompromising and authentic leadership may be, in large part, a misguided myth, as suggested by Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer in Leadership B.S. Compromise isn't sexy or inspiring to the idealist in us. However, effective leadership can sometimes mean going against what you authentically feel in a given moment, if it is the best available option or can lead to future compromise on other important issues down the road.
If we look at social movements, activists play an important role in surfacing problems that go unrecognized or unaddressed, through agitation and dissent. Yet those same activists fighting for progress can sometimes block progress in the hope for radical change. When we look more closely at successful and lasting change, activism is one part of a multistage, multifaceted process. Leaders we laud as icons of powerful social change had to, at some point, compromise in order to build imperfect solutions through consensus, and were criticized for doing so. Many felt Nelson Mandela sold out when he transitioned from being an activist into a leader trying to bridge towards a united South Africa. Gandhi was criticized by his own base for giving up too much in an attempt to keep India united, and eventually conceded to the formation of Pakistan. In many cases, lasting change requires leaders who are skilled and willing to build consensus and compromise.
In choosing a leader, it may be okay to disagree with some of their decisions if, on balance, they move us forward. We need a leader who is not only willing to fight, as Bernie is, but also one who can concede, build alliances and pick their battles. Bernie is a powerful voice for people left out of the political process, playing an important role alongside outsiders of the political machine. Whether he is the right candidate for president remains to be seen. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=terms.html/) It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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As the New Hampshire primaries come to a close, many of us watch in awe as Senator Bernie Sanders directly takes on the Democratic establishment and energizes a populist nerve, calling out what some feel is legal corruption in our country's democracy. His authenticity, his freedom as an outsider and his willingness to call out special interests has ignited an otherwise politically disengaged demographic (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/05/us/politics/bernie-sanders-young-democratic-voters.html?_r=1), especially millennials, shocking political insiders. In the process, Bernie has resurfaced a long standing debate (http://www.aei.org/publication/the-progressive-crack-up/?utm_source=paramount&utm_medium=email&utm_content=AEITHISWEEK&utm_campaign=AEITW020616) in the Democratic party that highlights what many feel is the takeover of our nation's democracy by big business. The question on everyone's mind is: Can he deliver on the changes he promises? In the end, would he be able to bring about meaningful positive change as President?
Building Up vs. Tearing Down: While Bernie raises a number of legitimate concerns, it seems his focus is on pointing out problems and regulating bad players. We've heard very little about his practical plan for replacing a flawed system with one that matches his ideals, which would need to be implemented in relatively short amount of time. If his vision is to extract (tax the rich) and distribute (among the poor), regulate industry and dismantle corporate giants, if he doesn't bridge towards a new vision, he runs the risk of creating a vacuum that is more dangerous than where he began. If Bernie plans to scrap Obamacare without having any meaningful buy-in around a new plan to replace it, couldn't this leave the very struggling Americans he seeks to care for without healthcare for an indeterminate amount of time?
Can Bernie achieve his ambitious goals as President within the existing congressional environment? Most believe Congress isn't going to change much during the next term. As a Senator, Bernie has a long track record of speaking his mind and voting by his ideals, sometimes as a lone voice. These behaviors are a healthy part of our democratic process and Bernie offers an honest and authentic voice within the political establishment. However, some of Bernie's biggest Congressional accomplishments are not for what he created, but what he dissented against (opposing the Patriot Act, war in Iraq, TPP, NAFTA, CAFTA, and Keystone XL) or regulated (e.g. clean water bill). Building and creating (vs. opposing and regulating) require skills in building buy-in across values and interests. In order to reach his GHG reduction targets or transform healthcare to a single payer system, Bernie would need to garner support from the existing political establishment - or he may embody the very failed plans and empty promises he criticizes in others.
Uncompromising Authenticity vs Willingness to Compromise: One of Bernie's most appealing qualities is that he consistently votes for what he believes in. This garners trust in his supporters, and Bernie's persona as an uncompromising and authentic leader creates hope and feels refreshing. However, not compromising is also what is most frustrating about our current political climate. Congress can be gridlocked in moving decisions forward as both sides of the political spectrum dig their heels in a battle of wills. One of Bernie only critiques of Obama is that he won on a populist message of change, and then worked to negotiate for that change within the belt. Bernie's campaign promise has been that he won't do that, yet how will he do so without being willing to negotiate and compromise? How will he deliver on a national level beyond his campaign, when he faces a grassroots base as energized and engaged as his progressive supporters, who ardently oppose progressive reform (social conservatives and the Freedom Caucus)?
Incremental change and negotiating within the political establishment are widely seen as selling out, especially as we become aware and angry about inherent systemic injustices embedded in our power structures. Bernie's voice as an activist hits a nerve of very real frustration a segment of the populations feels. Yet as we dig deeper into our conceptions of leadership, we find that the ideal of uncompromising and authentic leadership may be, in large part, a misguided myth, as suggested by Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer in Leadership B.S. Compromise isn't sexy or inspiring to the idealist in us. However, effective leadership can sometimes mean going against what you authentically feel in a given moment, if it is the best available option or can lead to future compromise on other important issues down the road.
If we look at social movements, activists play an important role in surfacing problems that go unrecognized or unaddressed, through agitation and dissent. Yet those same activists fighting for progress can sometimes block progress in the hope for radical change. When we look more closely at successful and lasting change, activism is one part of a multistage, multifaceted process. Leaders we laud as icons of powerful social change had to, at some point, compromise in order to build imperfect solutions through consensus, and were criticized for doing so. Many felt Nelson Mandela sold out when he transitioned from being an activist into a leader trying to bridge towards a united South Africa. Gandhi was criticized by his own base for giving up too much in an attempt to keep India united, and eventually conceded to the formation of Pakistan. In many cases, lasting change requires leaders who are skilled and willing to build consensus and compromise.
In choosing a leader, it may be okay to disagree with some of their decisions if, on balance, they move us forward. We need a leader who is not only willing to fight, as Bernie is, but also one who can concede, build alliances and pick their battles. Bernie is a powerful voice for people left out of the political process, playing an important role alongside outsiders of the political machine. Whether he is the right candidate for president remains to be seen. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=terms.html/) It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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