17 February, 2015

America's Tolerance Problem - Bloomberg View

America's Tolerance Problem - Bloomberg View: Democracies don't need agreement. They do need tolerance of disagreement. The politically engaged -- progressives and conservatives alike -- mock the disenchanted majority for asking, "Why can't we all just get along?" In one way, they're right: Politics divides, and it should. In another way, they're wrong. Getting along doesn't require milquetoast moderation, flaccid centrism or "moving beyond left and right." However, it does require some willingness to compromise, some curiosity about what might be valuable in the other side's point of view, and some minimal attention to the civic virtues of tolerance and restraint.