Bipartisan Authoritarianism

 Both parties are guilty of creating the difficulties our nation is now facing. Both exhibiting increasing authoritarian tendencies for decades, as predicted by modern day prophets since the 1960’s. Progressives like to point out examples of how winner-take-all politics push the U.S. further toward the authoritarian end of the spectrum, yet, in their own way, have become so disillusioned with "the system" that they too demand radical changes to civic institutions, which they view as tools of oppression. Like the right, they are willing to work around, alter or ignore those institutions to get what they want. This is our current dilemma.

The reasons for this threat are varied. For one, a rapidly decreasing interest in mutually beneficial compromise, replaced by a desire on both left and right to utterly defeat and dominate the other at any cost equals an "us-vs-them" framing easily manipulated by aspiring authoritarians.

Hyper-polarization destroys civility and paves the way for authoritarianism. When Democrats and Republicans increasingly view the other as not merely wrong but evil, both become willing to justify coercive and violent behavior. Each side downplays their party’s willingness to subvert policies and procedures that contribute to the common good, while vastly overestimating the likelihood that their opponents would, and believes that if the other side acts that way, they have no choice but to respond in kind.

The best solution? Adjust our expectations and divest ourselves of the belief that the state, courts, or carceral systems are the primary agents in producing safety and health. Encourage more faith based and non-partisan civic organizations to experiment in imagining and crafting alternative, consensus based, holistic solutions, encouraging neighbors to work together to solve problems, make meaning and shape their own future in their local community. Suggestions are initiatives such as restorative justice focused on fostering accountability for the accused of crimes and healing for their victims; reentry and recidivism reduction; free health clinics; and more. The thread connecting all of these is anchoring those capacities in local communities focused on relationship, participation, mutual aid and spiritual formation.