Helping Public Debate

I read some interesting insights put forth recently by Matt Bai, a political reporter, comparing George Orwell and Aldous Huxley in the context of the political climate these days within the United States. In "1984," Orwell outlined a world where books are banned and people's access to information is compromised. In "Brave New World," Huxley painted a world where people choose to ignore information in favor of technologies that eliminate any need for them to think. Both are far from rosy scenarios as in either one mankind is portrayed as being controlled by those in power in terms of actions and thoughts.

The good news, of course, is that neither currently exits at least at least in the U.S. I note this with the full understanding there is no guarantee that this current state will never change and that people must remain vigilant if they are to ensure we continue living in a land where freedom of thought and open access to information exists. Having said that, particularly in the U.S., there is ongoing debate as to identifying ways to make citizens not be more secure but feel that way, too. At the same time, citizens are always on the look-out for ways to make their lives more comfortable and less demanding.

This is a good and even healthy debate to have not just in current times but for the future as well. All of us want to be happy and live lives that bring us the most satisfaction. But such a discussion to be as good as it can and should be, it is important that is be carried out in a most respectful manner. It is here where there is a breakdown within the U.S. People, simply put, are not being nearly as respectful toward each other as they should. Professional communicators can help with this - assuming they do not allow themselves to be caught up in the name calling and non-listening that seems to define so much of public discourse these days.