This episode of The SitRoom features David Smick, writer and director of the Virgil Films feature “Stars and Strife,” Mary Habeck, a strategic planner who teaches about al-Qa’ida and ISIS at Johns Hopkins, and Jordan Blashek, author of No. 1 bestselling book Union: A Democrat, a Republican, and a Search for Common Ground.
Writer and director of the Virgil Films feature “Stars and Strife”
--- David—bestselling author of “The World Is Curved” on the financial perils of globalization—believes that polarization is ripping the country apart.
--- His latest firm interviews leaders ranging from the head of Black Lives Matter-NY, Secretaries of State and Defense, Arthur Brooks, Niall Ferguson, and Rahm Emanuel.
--- Of “Stars and Strife,” NYT columnist Thomas Friedman said: “At a time when our country is full of hate, the film gets it perfectly: we need to rediscover EMPATHY to move forward.”
--- David argued that part of the reason that “our leaders keep putting their parties ahead of the country” is that “both parties are now entirely led by old people, and old people are grumpy, they don't like to change, and they don't like to compromise.”
--- At the core of this problem, David believes America’s elites have failed to solve the problems of the American people, whose wages have stagnated along with their social mobility, which has fueled the emergence of a professional “hate industry” of media personalities and political strategists “who make their living starting fights.”
--- David’s acclaimed new documentary is in theaters in September, but you can watch it at home already on Apple TV or Prime Video.
Mary Habeck
A strategic planner who teaches about al-Qa’ida and ISIS at Johns Hopkins.
--- Mary—who has spent her career studying extremists, terrorism, and the process of radicalization—recounted the history of polarization in the U.S. and how to “depolarize” yourself.
--- First, how her work began: “It all started in the 90s, when I found myself absolutely hating President Clinton in an unhealthy way,” Mary said. “In retrospect, it was laughable compared to today, but I realized I had to stop hating people. Everyone. No matter how much I don’t understand you, I will not hate you.”
--- Mary argued that radicalization and polarization occur when “both sides begin to believe that the other side hates America, and lacks all good intentions… and right now 42% of both Republicans and Democrats think the other side is ‘evil.’”
--- “The first key to depolarization is being able to explain the other side’s perspective in the way that they would explain it themselves, in the most winsome fashion, rather than your own caricature,” Mary suggested.
--- Mary noted that “A conservative’s definition of ‘freedom’ is completely contrary to a liberal’s conception of ‘justice,’ even though both think that their definitions deliver both freedom and justice. If you want to learn more about how the left really thinks, consider reading their great writers and works of the past century, like Michel Foucault or the Huron Statement by the Students for a Democratic Society.”
--- Intrigued? Mary will be a special guest at the Teneo Retreat next month.
Jordan Blashek
Author of No. 1 bestselling book Union: A Democrat, a Republican, and a Search for Common Ground.
--- Jordan—director and head of talent at Schmidt Futures—wrote his book, in part, because he believes people want to learn how to come together. And his is a how-to.
--- Echoing David conclusions, Jordan suggested, “It is very difficult to find common ground when you introduce the personalities of politics, who are almost entirely defined by the media bubbles each of us reside in, rather than our heart of hearts.”
--- So how do we find common ground? “It’s not that we have to agree on our core policy beliefs, it’s that we have to understand and respect why we each believe what we do,” Jordan noted.
--- Jordan reminded us that “compromise is part of our founding creed—our country is built on finding common ground between our great and diverse interests, and nothing is more conservative than having empathy and trying to work with your fellow citizens for the good of the country.”
Stars and Strife: https://starsandstrife.com/home
The World Is Curved: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wor...
Stars and Strive documentary: https://starsandstrife.com/home
Michel Foucault: https://www.amazon.com/Michel-Foucaul...
Huron Statment: https://www.amazon.com/Port-Huron-Sta...
Union: A Democrat, a Republican, and a Search for Common Ground: https://www.amazon.com/Union-Democrat...
