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A deadly miscalculation: Biden's speech will make it worse, not better [1]
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Date: 2022-09-04
Joe Biden is rightly being hailed for the bravery and importance of his “soul of the nation” speech at Independence Hall on September 1. He spoke clearly and directly about the looming danger of violence and authoritarianism that put our democracy is in grave peril.
The danger is real and calling it out is vital and long overdue. But tragically, Biden is making it worse by attacking 'MAGA republicans’ instead of attacking their politics and beliefs. This is not a fine or trivial distinction but an essential one. Calling out millions of people as enemies will strengthen their resolve, their feeling of isolation, and their belief that only armed rebellion will save them.
Instead of calling them out as enemies, Biden should be reaching out to them. He needs to say something like
There are those who would tell you that our democracy is broken, that the election was stolen, that violence is the answer, that taking up arms is the only solution. I say there is too much division in this country. Let’s work together, not against each other.
The danger of civil war, and the unraveling of our democracy, is real. Biden is right to name it, and connect it to Trump and MAGA. But as Sun Tzu said, "When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.” It’s essential that Biden reach out and invite them back into the discourse of American democracy.
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