Civil politics

Despite Gandhi beliefs which seemed to work in India, in a fight against Imperialism, America has never had a history of being civil in politics. It has always had the appearance of a bar room brawl. That has always been the hallmarks of American elections at every level since the first elections. The demand that we all be nice to one another is a new attitude, and maybe a better future option in the long run, but certainly not at the present.
It takes two rather reasonable people to carry out a nice discussion. In the US it’s almost impossible because of the nature of our politics, the money from the big corporations and other special interests buying politicians’, lobbyist, media outlets. (See if this fits the actions of the Medical Insurance Cartels, and its resistance to the Public option).
“Political forms have always been a mask behind which an owning class has sought to protect from invasion the authority which ownership confers, and, when the political forms have endangered the rights of ownership, the class in possession has always sought to adjust them to its needs.[Harold D. Laswell, 1902-1978]”
Then there are the nuts on radio like Russ Limbough and TV like Carl Beck, and the fact that often the more aggressive opponents are not looking for real discussion, but simply a statement of their position and any logical facts by the opponent will be simply be ignored. They try very hard to engage you in meaningless questions to throw you off track. Good and rational people are at a disadvantage in this situation, and tend to back away to avoid conflict. Unfortunately, when that occurs, it appears that the other, more aggressive side is somehow right and won the argument.
“Since it has been agreed amongst men that to cheat or deceive one’s fellow creatures is a mean and criminal action, there has been sought for, and invented, a term that might soften the appellation of the thing, and the word, which undoubtedly has been chosen for the purpose, is Politics. [Frederick II, 1712-1786].”

“Politics, as a practice, whatever its professions, has always been the systematic organization of hatreds. [Henry Adams, 1838-1918]”
“I recognize no moral law in politics. Politics is a game, in which every sort of trick is permissible, and in which the rules are constantly being changed by the players to suit themselves. [Adult Hitler [1889-1945]”

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary. [H.L. Mencken, 1880 – 1924].”

“In politics, an absurdity is not an obstacle. [Napoleon]”

“In our age there is no such thing as “keeping out of politics”. All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia. [George Orwell, 1903-1950]”