The Politics of Disrespect

In thinking and talking about the issue of the role of masculinity in society (see below), I've also begun to think about the issue of respect in our political discourse.

I think an unfortunate side effect of the hyper-partisan political atmosphere and interest-group politics is that no one has to respect the voters anymore. By that, I mean politicians go before amenable crowds and simply preach to the converted.

Andrew Sullivan has highlighted this, noting that some hyper-partisans have gone so far as to dehumanize their opponents, to the delight of their supporters. Not only is this villainy to your legitimate opponents, it isn't respecting even those who agree with you; it's sycophancy. Telling voters exactly what they already believe is not respect.

Think of a major debate that's currently deadlocked, and I wager you'll find this phenomenon at the heart. Why can't we as a nation have an honest dialogue, for example, about race and gender and how they affect our citizens and society? Because neither political aisle respects the voters, and fears saying things that might make them 'uncomfortable.'

A sign of respect is a willingness to present unpleasant facts and discuss honest differences. Respect is not - I repeat, not - stopping a political discussion because someone is offended or because you might stray away from 100 percent agreement. That just encourages denial, misinformation, and more temper-tantrums. It's also bad policy.

So let me ask you, commenters: what issue do you think has become a victim of this lack of respect? What unpleasant truth does a powerful lobby or interest group need to hear?