"It means discovering a shared sense of mission."
"It means discovering a shared sense of mission."
It is often said that never has Philippine politics been as polarized as it is today. This political divide is most evident on social media, where discussions by either side are usually angry, hurtful and personal. As a result, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to carry out a reasoned exchange of divergent views.
Many people think that the solution to this malaise is for people in politics to focus more on finding a common ground. This suggests that we focus on what we agree on, rather on what we disagree, and to work on what unites, instead of what divides.
There is no question that the search for a common ground in politics is no easy task. Political contests are, by nature, highly competitive exercises, where one candidate aims to better the other. In fact, the concept of liberal democracy is built on the premise of an inclusive political society—where there is room for every ideological belief or partisan political loyalty.
However, what makes finding a political common ground even more difficult is the misconception that such common ground requires absolute ideological or political like-mindedness. That the way for societal solidarity is complete agreement in terms of ideological persuasion or political allegiance, to a point that criticism and competition are considered antithetical to the mainstream political ideal.
Far from conformity and unanimity, finding a common ground in politics is about providing room for divergent viewpoints and disagreeing opinions. It is our capacity to disagree agreeably that is the true hallmark of a mature democratic society. The truth is that democracy is not served by asking everyone to think in the same manner, or for that matter—to vote for same candidates.
Truth be told, our disagreements and differences in viewpoints and perspectives can help define our political common ground. The beauty in democracy is that politicians have to periodically take their case to voters—not by presenting what they share in common, but how they are strikingly different from each other. That is how candidates compete and fight for every vote. The paradox is that the sooner that we accept that is healthy and helpful for people to compete and disagree in a democracy, the closer we become to building a political common ground.
Finding a common ground in politics, first and foremost, means accepting that we are different from each other – in terms of our backgrounds, experiences, cultures, allegiances and beliefs. The common ground is the realization that we need to engage with others who may think, live or believe differently from us—to listen when we don’t like what they have to say, to respect what they have in mind without attempting to change them, and to remain openminded enough to the possibility of changing our own views, if need be in the end.
Unfortunately, many people simplistically reduce a political common ground to simple political civility. That is why expressing a differing view is misjudged to be disruptive of the social order. That is why being indignant for one’s political belief is thought to contravene social cohesion. That is why critical language is shunned as “sowing negativity”—in favor of “spreading positivity.”
But that is far from what a political common ground is meant to be. Phony civility in politics—or even this culture of “political correctness” can result in a complete abdication of what democracy is, in its essence. A democratic society matures when people are able to hold on to their beliefs, have clarity about their principles and the confidence to think and speak freely—whether or not they are in agreement with the rest.
In simple terms, building a political common ground begins with agreeing that the society we live in needs to be better. Not perfect. Just better. Not some utopian construct of what society ought to be. But that shared human phenomenon of progress and growth. That is why even if there is no single shot solution to end poverty, we never give up—because we know of our potential to make human lives better. We never managed to eliminate wars, but we have come to learn its price and decide accordingly. We may never be able to outrun the lure of profit, but we can always temper it with justice and fairness.
Becoming better, being better is what is at the heart of a political common ground. That is, to know that despite our divergent political views, our differing partisan allegiances—each one has in his heart a prayer for a better tomorrow. That even if we may appear to work in contending ways, we are actually laying the foundations for complementary action. Our political system have grown and matured, not by exacting uniformity in beliefs and opinion, but by that continuous testing of differing ideas—complemented by reason and shaped by past experience. As history has taught us, when people or their political leaders disagree on issues, reasoning with each other allows them to reach mutually acceptable decisions. How we think differently about the issues around us can help us come up with far better societal choices and political decisions, and indeed, for us to thrive as a society.
The basis, therefore, for a political common ground is far from being common. It means accepting, that while we want our lives and communities to be better, we will always have different words and ways to express and pursue it. So just when you think you are right in what you believe in, it doesn’t mean the others are wrong. Just when you think your side of the political divide is correct, it doesn’t follow that the opposing side is incorrect. In fact, as we argue, disagree and debate, so does our understanding of the social and political problems around us increase and deepen.
With this in mind, it is but logical to understand that the supposed polarization that we see is far from the political darkness that it is often associated with. It follows then that it wouldn’t be right to say that we should all be “spreading positivity” instead of “sowing negativity.” While the atmosphere may be adverse and tense at times, and there may be situations that don't always bring out the best in people—it is important to be reminded that oftentimes what divides us will ultimately help define what unites us. By embracing our differences and divergences, we are able to understand each other’s ideas and interests—and that makes it even easier to see how our ideas and interests would overlap and realize that we might be more alike than we are different.
In the end, building a common ground in politics means discovering a shared sense of mission—even when we may vehemently disagree on the details—for the simple reason that such action is important to the country, and that it can make life better for the people.