A
Rumination on the Role of Love During A Condition of Extreme Conservatism and
Extreme Liberalism: A Political Essay
Independence
Educational Publishers
1.
What inspired you to write your newest book?
I
usually pay close attention to the news (television, radio, internet, and
print), and ever since the Vietnam War, there has been polarization between
conservative and liberal positions. It started during the 1960s and
really gained steam during the Clinton Administration, only to rear its ugly
head now during the Trump Administration. Honestly, I have followed
politics closely for most of my life, even as a young child when Jesse Jackson
ran on his “Rainbow Coalition” platform, and I’ve never seen it get as bad as
this. I have never seen a polar split so wide between two opposing
ideologies. I knew that something had to be done about it. But what
could I do? I am only a humble writer after all. And meanwhile, I
had close friends who refused to discuss politics because of their deep-seeded
animosity towards the opinions of those they opposed. As a result, I
could not discuss how I felt with anyone. I wanted to propose solutions
to the mess that we’re in, or at least attempt to persuade others to head in
that direction instead of miring themselves in a battle that has no real victor
and is dangerously close to spinning out of control, especially now that we are
closer to November 2020. And this is what inspired me to write this book:
my simple, impartial assessment and response to our current political climate
in the hopes that we may steer clear through this storm to a better, more
harmonious union among our citizenry.
2.
What is it about?
Basically,
it builds on Dr. Martin Luther King’s study of Aristotle and his three forms of
“Love”, which are Eros, Philia, and Agape. Using each of these forms, I
try to show how extreme conservatism and extreme liberalism, at their very
least, have Eros, Philia, and Agape in common, and those commonalities of love
can be used as starting points for better relations between the two polarized
parties at this time. It is a strong argument for détente instead of
conflict, a strong argument for the use of non-violence and elements of
persuasion, rational, level-headed discussion and debate, and a return to the
more traditional forms of conservativism and liberalism – not tearing each
other’s throats out – but discussing our issues among colleagues of differing
points of view to hammer out solutions to great divide our country finds
herself in. To do this, I propose relying on the discipline of political
science and public choice theory as well as the newer generations and their
incredible imaginations to create new governmental systems that function much
better than our old binary form of democracy.
3.
Politics seems to turn off half the country—why?
Because
half of the country that tunes it out of their lives is much better off and
even much smarter, if you think about it, than the ones who pay close attention
to it, like me! Stare at this stuff too long, and you will find yourself
in an insane asylum. Ignorance is bliss in this case, and I really
couldn’t blame any of them at all for the way politics affects them It is
much better to stay away from politics than to pay attention to it, there is no
question. But somehow, just like a tractor beam, it pulls you back
in. Whether you glance at a newspaper in the check-out line, watch a news
break during your favorite program on television, or are hit with reminders of
political life when you watch a movie, it is always there waiting to sink its
teeth in again and again. I respect and admire those who are turned off
by it, for they are the ones who probably care the most about how terrible our
country has been split apart as of late. Ultimately, though, they will
have little choice but to deal with it as we head deeper into this election
period.
4.
The half that takes an interest is fiercely split
along party lines. How do we break the deadlock?
We
have to find things that we share in common. We have to find policies
that both parties believe in. And most importantly, we have to put the
well-being of our own country far ahead of our own self-interests. This
is very hard for anyone to do, but it must be done if we are to save our
country from breaking apart in future, should this scenario happen multiple
times in future. We do, indeed, have a crisis in our democracy, and it is
no one’s fault, and it is all of our faults. I think we do have to rely
on the best minds of political science to find that bridge, or at least imagine
one where there is no bridge now. We have to employ the colleges and the
universities, not to bicker and argue about what policies are best, but to mend
fences, finally, and to bridge gaps among deeply entrenched political positions
so that consensus can be reached. Once we get close enough, then we bring
it to our public servants to implement these solutions within the policies they
write, no matter how unexciting or compromising they may be. We must
remember that “compromise is not a dirty word,” especially now.
5.
Does President Trump get booted by Congress? Will he
get re-elected?
He
has already been impeached by the House, as we know, but I don’t think he will
be convicted in the Senate. I really don’t know if he’ll be
re-elected. If the economy continues to roll along as it has been as of
this interview, he has a good chance of being re-elected, yes. But
really, I don’t know.
6.
What are five reasons someone must read your book?
I
will try to come up with five, and thank you so much for the opportunity.
1)
To redirect the reader’s attention
away from self-interest and towards a more collective interest that has the
entire country in mind.
2)
To return to some ideas
that have worked in the past regarding the forming of a more harmonious union
rather than a union that is constantly at war with itself.
3)
To insist that even our
greatest leaders were also human with real human problems and real human needs,
and therefore, we need more humane solutions to the problems of today rather
than the fierce vitriol and rhetoric that dominates our public discourse and
the fierce reactions to real human social problems.
4)
To remind the reader of
some of the things that have plagued all nations when times become difficult –
such as bigotry and scapegoating and the need to blame “the other.”
5)
Finally, to give the
reader much hope that there are people who are working on the problems that our
country, as an entirety, faces, and that even though the reader may never hear
of them or from them, there are indeed those out there who are working
tirelessly to pull this country together instead of ripping it apart, either in
a conscious or unconscious manner, despite the fact that this upcoming election
does have to have a one-party victor. In other words, there is still hope
that we can get out of this alive, provided that we find things that we have in
common and that we are willing to compromise. When it comes to our
condition, there is no winner or loser. There is only the choice between
existence and non-existence.
7.
What challenges did you overcome to move away from
penning fiction to writing about politics?
I
have always been interested in politics, so it wasn’t very difficult.
Plus, I studied a lot of political science and public choice theory in the
school that I went to, so it has become second nature to follow the news and
current events as well. Currently, I am working on a book about September
11th and the events that led up to it, and this work is incredibly
political. I guess it’s something that I need to write about, despite how
unpleasant the subject matter is. I have written many essays on politics
and current affairs as well, so it just makes sense at this time that I would blend
the two fields of fiction and politics and hope the reader will find interest
in what I am working on. My other fiction has been mostly about
unrequited love and the longing for a woman and things of that nature, so
politics is a much welcome diversion from the every day. Hopefully, I
won’t have to return to my former subject matter, assuming all goes well!
I have hope that things will go well.
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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and
interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not
that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on
Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels
much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2020. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in
Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and
IBPA’s Independent. This was named one of the best book
marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and
recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also
named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted
a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America.
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