On Compromise As a Lost Art in American Politics: The world has a tough row to hoe to get to unity

I was minding my own business and eating my lunch in the staff room at work, looking at an issue from February 2007 of Behavioral Healthcare, a trade magazine for the mental health field, which I'm in. I found an editorial in the magazine to be rather prophetic, predicting that universal healthcare in the U.S. would face "an uphill battle." What really caught my eye was the following:

 

Political compromise for the greater good seems to be a lost art in current American politics, and such an ambitious expansion of heacare coverage would require broad support from lawmakers (and their supporting interest groups) on both the left and the right. Such consensus doesn't seem likely after what probably will be a very contentious presidential race.

 

The world has a lot to learn from the Baha'i way of avoiding conflict and contention and getting to agreement. Consultation is a spiritual art practiced among believers looking to build a new world order. As pointed out in a recent post on the subject,  as covered in Ruhi Book 8, defensiveness, a lack of generosity, contempt for other people's ideas, and a lack of faith in other people, all fuel contention. The world has a tough row to hoe to get to unity. -gw

 

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