Newsletter - October 2025
- alcohn58
- Oct 13
- 2 min read
Vacation and the Jewish High Holidays offered me a chance at reflection.
There is so much to be stressed and upset about. The government shutdown is at the top of the list for me. Nothing epitomizes the dysfunction of our government than when our leaders can't have enough respect for each other and for the American people to keep our government running!
One theme I have thought a lot about recently is the many ways that conflict and polarization are rewarded and promoted by our institutions.
Social media makes money through "clicks". Social media posts that trigger emotions tend to generate the most clicks.
News media generates revenue through increased viewership; controversial and divisive headlines by the news media are designed to attract attention and drive viewership.
Most of the campaign related communication we receive from politicians and political parties demonize the opposition and are designed to motivate voters through anger and fear.
Regardless of what state you live in and what political party you support, 40% of the people support different candidates than you do! The vast majority of those people are decent individuals that want the same things from life as you do!
Bottom line, institutions try to trigger our emotions and divide us, causing strained relations and preventing us from having constructive relationships with nearly half of the population!
As I reflect on how I can be a better person, I resolve to resist the temptation to label someone as evil or unintelligent based on the candidates or political party they support. I will remain engaged on social media but will resist the temptation to respond to people who vent or post toxic content. I will try to check the accuracy of controversial information rather than unnecessarily jumping to conclusions.
Angst and tribalism are too often ruling the day and preventing us from working together as Americans to make life better and solve the difficult problems that we all face.
I am continuing to work with Voice of the People and Braver Angels on our participatory democracy pilot and have begun cursory analysis on an objective and non-partisan approach to the decennial apportionment process for the House of Representatives (i.e. redistricting and gerrymandering).
Stay tuned for more info on both items in my next newsletter.
Have a great month and a happy Halloween!
Ranked Choice Voting (using the single transferable vote with multi-member districts) would end gerrymandering by removing the incentive to gerrymander (as manipulating district lines would no longer flip a district from 100% one party to 100% the other). It could also reduce polarization and encourage bipartisan legislating by eliminating the need for primaries. The "instant runoff" process of Ranked Choice Voting performs the same function as a primary - narrowing the field of candidates - but RCV can do that at the general election, saving the time and cost of a primary and removing the main DISincentive to politicians working across the aisle: fear of being primaried by the extreme wing of their own party.
Allan, I’d say one of, if not the, principal problem is that no one in power wants to “solve the difficult problems we all face.” They want only to address the problems and perceived problems that ONLY THEY face, and the rest can fend for then-selves. There is no sense of leadership of a country full of all different types of people. There are only battle lines, and winning at all costs, certainly including the cost of kicking honesty to the curb. We are witnessing the beginnings of societal collapse. Still salvageable, but not currently headed in that direction.