Civility in politics
If you follow politics at all, you have probably heard people complain that our political discourse has become dangerously rude and argumentative. Whether this is actually true is open to question; at least members of Congress haven't started beating each other senseless in the Capitol. But I don't deny that many people today substitute ad hominem attacks in place of arguments, and this does nothing for the health of our democracy. The good news is, I have an easy solution to promoting civility in politics: whenever you discuss an issue with someone, don't say anything you would not say to your best friend. If you were arguing politics with your best friend, you would assume that his intentions were good. If he was wrong about the issue, it would be because he misunderstood the consequences of his position. You would not assume that your best friend had a secret motive, that he or she really did not want the best outcome for the country but instead ha