Columns

In a recent radio interview, former secretary of state Henry Kissinger made an interesting point about how polarized our politics have become. I’m paraphrasing here, but Kissinger’s idea is essentially that positive changes in society are achieved only through moments of reconciliation, not conflict. It seems clear he views the partisan environment as a major obstacle to the continued success of America.
So how can we get to a point of reconciliation? And are we so polarized that reconciliation is no longer possible?

I wouldn’t have voted for Scott Walker for governor had I lived in Wisconsin in 2010. If I’d been asked to rate his performance over his first year and a half in office, I would have given him very low marks, as I thought his agenda to strip a variety of rights from government employees and make them scapegoats for all the state’s ills was inappropriate and overly divisive. Having said those things, I would not have voted to recall Walker in Wisconsin’s recent election either.

Did you hear about Romney Hood?  He steals from the poor and gives to the rich. The response: That’s “Obamaloney.” And this is how we choose the leader of the free world?

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and winter will soon begin to settle in. It is not bitter cold today but colder than forecast. This is no doubt due to a high overcast, which appears to be much thicker than expected.