"Healing the Political Divide" with Bill Shireman
Bill Shireman is a republican environmentalist and far more than that, he is an activist and change agent dedicated to supporting practical solution-based politics. He is the co-author of In This Together: How Republicans, Democrats, Capitalists and Activists are Uniting to Tackle Climate Change and More and the Founder and CEO of Future 500.
In this conversation we talk about our political system and how it is designed to be ineffective, encourages us to be divided and fight with each other. We talk about how our this system will lead to the ongoing destruction of our lives and planet.
We talk about practical ways that we the people can and must take responsibility for fixing this system. It is time for us to realize that we are giving all of our power to the government and to businesses, but that they don't really exist. It's all people.
A key message from this episode is the fact that a vast majority of us are eager and able to find solutions to all of the problems. We talk about complex systems, economics, the future of democracy and the fundamental importance of listening.
Bill Shireman Resources
Bill is the President and CEO of Future 500.
“We envision a future in which business and civil society work as equal partners and responsible stewards of a clean, just, and prosperous world.
By helping companies and their stakeholders step out of their respective echo chambers and seek common ground in uncommon places, we aim to catalyze innovative, systemic solutions that enable both our planet and society to thrive.”
EarthX
Bill is deeply involved with EarthX, an international nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to educating and inspiring people and organizations to take action towards a more sustainable future worldwide.
In This Together
Bill is a partner with In This Together:
A Declaration of Interdependence
“E Pluribus Unum
We’re not all the same, but we are a family.
We don’t always agree, but we are not at war.
From many, we are one, not in a melting pot, but a complex social fabric.
In the spirit of caring, connection, and creation we embrace four principles:1. No Enemies – We work through our conflicts to find solutions.
2. No Denial – We face facts, discuss our differences, and resolve them.
3. No Excuses – We each do our part – every citizen, leader, and business.
4. No Delay – We each take action together, now.We are all in this together.
Our differences are part of us.
Together, we are whole.
Sign the Declaration of Interdependence here.
Here's and episode with Bill and Trammell Crow on the Climate Changers podcast.
Other Episode Resources
Understanding the Problems: The Challenges We Face and the Systemic Political Division that Prevents us from Solving Them
7 in 10 Americans are ready to solve problems together
System that gives more voice to “Warriors” than “Problem-Solvers”
Bill points out in our conversation that 70% of the population is ready to work across their differences to find solutions to the problems we face. Bill calls these people “problem solvers.” Nonetheless, we are more polarized than ever. The division is actually designed into our political system, and is a benefit to those who perpetuate it. There are a number of features to this problem.
The media benefits from the attention it gets by highlighting division over solution. More airtime is given to the 30% at the extremes who are unwilling to compromise and rather fight than work together. Bill calls these folk “warriors.”
Left and right rationalize their respective blind spots by embracing the group think cultivated by political forces, seeking to win the next election on behalf of their party or interest group. But since there's always a next election, their process of power-jockeying never seems to end. Neither party’s power brokers are willing to dispense with the hope that, in less than two years, they will finally achieve a permanent political victory over their ideological foes.
But living within our means is dangerous to a political and media system that thrives by skimming its share from the massive flow of power from nature and people to big corporations and big government. So long as the left denies economic debt and the right denies ecological debt, no governing majority can emerge to challenge uncontrolled spending. Power brokers decide what is politically feasible and care little whether they call it capitalism or socialism, their cash cow is the corporate state.
Different Points of Focus for Left and Right
Here are some excerpts from In This Together where Shireman and Crow explain to two sides of climate denial and how the power brokers profit off of the ongoing division.
“There are two kinds of climate denial, one conservative, and the other progressive.
Conservative climate denial goes something like this: Scientists tell us that, to avoid climate catastrophe. we need big government to limit our freedom and prosperity to protect life on earth. As conservatives, we hate big government, and love freedom, prosperity and the free markets that bring them. If the science requires we sacrifice that, the science must be wrong.
Progressive climate denial goes something like this: Scientists tell us that to avoid a climate catastrophe, we need a big government to limit corporate power and protect life on earth. As progressives, we hate big corporations and love the shared sustainable prosperity that government can require of them. If the science requires that we regulate corporations, the science must be right.
Neither science nor logic tell us any of that. They indicate that climate change is real, human-caused, and potentially catastrophic. But they don’t conclusively tell us what to do about it, or the roles big corporations or big government should play.Conveniently, however, both narratives deliver enormous profits to political and media power brokers. First, they keep the two sides at war, one fighting for freedom and prosperity, the other for justice and fairness. Second, they guarantee that no matter which side prevails, the status quo will broker the deal.
Put our left and right eye vision together, and most of us could see what is going on. Both sides are correct. We are going bankrupt. Our economic and ecological spending are both out of control.
Left and right rationalize their respective blind spots by embracing the group think cultivated by political forces, seeking to win the next election on behalf of their party or interest group. But since there's always a next election, their process of power-jockeying never seems to end. Neither party’s power brokers are willing to dispense with the hope that, in less than two years, they will finally achieve a permanent political victory over their ideological foes.
The reality is, is that neither the left nor the right, each spun by their numerous power brokers, want to face this: we simply cannot cut, drill, or spend our way to prosperity. It is impossible to live off subsidies forever. Eventually, someone has to create real value.
Ecological Debt
Here is are some markers of the state of ecological crisis that we face in the world right now. These counters are from The World Counts.
Financial Debt
Here is some information about the U.S. National Debt. The counter here measures the public debt on a cash basis. When one looks at debt on an accrual basis (ie: considers financial liabilities of the federal government) this number increases immensely.
Visit USADebtClock.com to learn more!
How much is a Trillion? (from: betterexplained.com)
1 second is 1 second
1 million seconds is 12 days
1 billion seconds is 30 years
1 trillion seconds is 30,000 years
According to US Debt Clock.org, as of Dec 4, 2022 (updated):
The total U.S. National Debt is over $3 trillion,
The Federal Debt to GDP ratio is 121.5% (130% in Jan 2021. In 2000 the ratio was $59.71%)
The debt per taxpayer is $274,882 ($222,190 in Jan 2021).
The U.S. Total debt is $93.4 trillion, including…
24.2 trillion total personal debt
1.8 trillion student loan debt (40k/student)
1.2 trillion credit card debt
Here are some articles to put the U.S. Debt in perspective:
“America's $25T Debt Explained in one Chart” (HowMuch.net - 7 May 2020)
Understanding the Systems that Divide Us
Here is a small collection of videos that explain the system that keeps us divided and point to strategies for overcoming that system.
Healing Division and Fixing Politics
The following is a small collection of organizations and movements that are focused on healing the political divide.
Using Dialogue
Living Room Conversations
Living Room Conversations are a simple way to connect across divides - politics, age, gender, race, nationality, and more. The backbone of a Living Room Conversation is a conversational model developed by dialogue experts in order to facilitate connection between people despite their differences, and even identify areas of common ground and shared understanding.
Divided We Fall: Unity Without Tragedy
DIVIDED WE FALL is a PBS documentary that brings ordinary citizens together to wrestle with the complex issues that divide our nation. Breaking out of partisan echo chambers to listen to one another, the participants - equal numbers of whom strongly approve and disapprove of President Donald Trump - explore what it means to be an American. It’s a great demonstration of the power of dialogue to heal our division.
DPACE Initiative
The Democracy, Politics, and Conflict Engagement Initiative is committed to enhancing the capacity of social movements and political organizations in the U.S. to engage with conflict creatively and constructively in order to strengthen democracy and create a more just society.
Our goal is not simply to increase civility but to explore our differences without losing touch with our common humanity. To turn our political passions in the direction of social and political problem-solving, making change easier, more effective, more inclusive, and less painful.
Using Political Advocacy
Unite America
Unite America is a movement of Democrats, Republicans, and independents working to put voters first by fostering a more representative and functional government.
We invest in campaigns to enact reforms and elect candidates so that the right leaders have the right incentives to solve our country's greatest problems.
All Sides
All Sides strengthens democratic society with balanced news, diverse perspectives, and real conversation. They expose people to information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum so they can better understand the world — and each other.
Represent Us
Represent Us brings together conservatives, progressives, and everyone in between to pass powerful state and local laws that fix our broken elections and stop political bribery. Their strategy is central to ending political corruption, extremism and gridlock.
Other Resources
Fritjof Capra and Complex Systems
Based on Bill's invitation to learn more about complex systems, I wanted to include this excellent talk from Fritjof Capra where he explains taking a complex systems approach to understanding life.
If you find this interesting, consider joining me for the Capra Course beginning on Feb 24th. You can get more information and register here: www.capracourse.net
I also recommend that you check out the first episode of Season 3: "Integrating Wisdom & Finding Meaning" with Jeremy Lent
Related Fractal Friends episodes:
Here is the series of episodes where I interview forward-thinking people from the conservative side of the political spectrum in the spirit of facilitating cultural healing, exploring new perspectives and demonstrating the power of compassionate conversation that is rooted in mutual human dignity.
Here is a collection of Fractal Friends episodes focused on Transforming Politics and Healing Democracy
Music
“Cripto Tango” by Tanghetto
From their newest album Reinventango
Listen to Tanghetto on Spotify or Bandcamp.
Follow them on Facebook.
Gratitude to Diego Velázquez (co-founder of Tanghetto with Max Masri) for giving me permission to use this song.
Diego is also the co-producer of Fractal Friends.
If you want to work with Diego you can find his profile on UpWork here.