Are We Fiddling While Rome Burns?
Newsletter 329 -March 9, 2025
Note: All our newsletters are also available on the BI Newsletter Archive.
In this post we respond to a question that David Beckemeyer asked in his February 5 Outrage Overload newsletter, and that Heidi had been asking herself too: are we "fiddling while Rome burns?" We then share Guy's answer to this question — NO! — and explain his answer. We also briefly discuss a Tangle newsletter at the end, which we find particularly valuable.
Are We Fiddling While Rome Burns?
On February 5, 2025, our colleague David Beckemeyer, who produces the Substack Outrage Overload sent out a "message to the Outrage Overload Family." It addressed a quandary that we too, especially Heidi, had been feeling ever since January 20, 2025, the date Donald Trump was once again inaugurated as President of the United States. David put it as follows:
I’ve been thinking a lot about the moment we’re in — what it means for democracy, for the country, and for the work we do together on this podcast [and in the related newsletter]. Like many of you, I’m struggling with anger, fear, and a deep sense of urgency. Reports from multiple sources confirm that we are seeing an unprecedented power grab within the government — one that threatens constitutional constraints and undermines the rule of law (see references below).
It’s hard not to feel like we’re slipping — or have already slipped — into autocracy. And if that’s true, how do we continue talking about polarization, bridge-building, and lowering the temperature without ignoring the gravity of what’s happening, or i.e. while Rome burns? How do we express the outrage that is warranted while still holding onto the values of dialogue and persuasion?
Indeed, Heidi has been worrying a lot about whether we, at BI, are "fiddling while Rome burns." Are we building a bridge (or a reference source) that nobody wants?
Before we explore that question, we want to finish off David's thoughts. He went on to say
I don’t have easy answers, but I do know this: Staying silent isn’t an option. And neither is giving in to pure despair. Many Americans — our neighbors, friends, and even family — simply don’t see things the same way. Some don’t know what’s happening. Others see the alarm as overstated, or even as proof that they should double down, viewing the administration’s actions as “good policy” or “necessary reform.” If we care about democracy, about the constitution, about the rule of law, about the future, then we have to communicate in ways that are not just cathartic for us but persuasive to those who might still be reached.
This is not about being neutral or passive. It’s about threading the needle — holding onto our principles, refusing to accept what’s happening, standing up for democratic values but doing so in ways that are strategic and effective, rather than reactive or self-defeating. I invite you to join me in reflecting on these complex emotions and in exploring how we can maintain our bridge-building efforts even in times of crisis. Let’s continue to share our insights, strategies, and support, reaffirming that while we might be deeply critical of certain developments, our shared commitment to democratic principles and open dialogue remains unwavering.
We very much agree with all of David's points. We don't have easy answers either. We agree, staying silent (and closing up shop) isn't an option. If we care about democracy, and we do care deeply, then we must engage the question of how we can "save it." We agree, U.S. democracy, as we have known it for a very long time, is being gravely threatened by many of Trump's and Musk's actions. The destruction they are imposing both in the U.S. and around the world is far worse than we had expected. But "resistance" must come in a form that (1) stands a chance of working and (2) doesn't anger or alienate the other half of the country, if, for no other reason (and there are other reasons), that if it does so, it won't work!
So where does this leave us? I (Heidi) was asking this of Guy today on our daily exercise and sanity walk in the mountains and he asked a very interesting question: why do "bridge builders" want to build bridges?
Some, we agreed, — the facilitators who run bridge-building workshops — likely do so for the same reason we are running this newsletter. They see hyper-polarization as a serious threat to democracy and they believe that bridge-building workshops are a way (or some would say the way) to reduce polarization. (See James Coan and Imre Huss's thoughts on the difference between "a way" and "the way" in Newsletter 327.)
But why do the participants come to these workshops? I asked ChatGPT why people participate in these workshops and got the following quite credible answer:
1. Desire to Reduce Division: Many participants recognize the increasing polarization in society and want to be part of the solution rather than contribute to the divide.
2. Improving Communication Skills: These workshops teach participants how to listen actively, express their views respectfully, and engage in meaningful discussions without resorting to hostility or defensiveness.
3. Personal Growth & Empathy: Engaging with people who have different viewpoints can help participants expand their perspectives, challenge their own biases, and develop greater empathy.
4. Building Stronger Communities: Many participants want to create more cohesive communities where people with differing opinions can work together on shared goals.
5. Frustration with Political Hostility: Some individuals feel disheartened by the toxic nature of political discourse and want a space where they can have constructive, respectful conversations.
6. Professional & Leadership Development: Leaders, educators, and professionals join to enhance their ability to navigate difficult conversations in their workplaces or social circles.
7. Curiosity & Open-Mindedness: Some people simply want to understand why others think the way they do and explore viewpoints different from their own.
8. Restoring Relationships: Some participants may have experienced strained relationships with family, friends, or colleagues due to political disagreements and seek ways to rebuild those connections.
What is missing from the list, but is implied by numbers 1, 4, 5, and 6, is the desire to repair the damage being done to our democracy and to make the places we live (be they our community, our country, or our world) a safe, healthy, and happy place where everyone can live and thrive.
As much as half of the country believed before January 20 that Donald Trump was more likely to bring them health, safety, and happiness than was Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. A great many of them, apparently, still do. But if prices rise (from tariffs), if services diminish or disappear (from DOGE), if people get sick (from lack of immunizations and/or health care), if our national parks are degraded or even close, if we can’t get weather forecasts anymore — more and more people are likely to want to find a different way forward.
Will the Trump supporters decide to become progressive? Of course not. But they might be willing to work with progressives who are willing to work with them to build something new and different that works for both of them. That's the promise that bridge building holds. We need to see the other side as reasonable people who share many of the same concerns as we do, and who can actually be worked with to get things we all want done, done.
Guy observed that in addition to building bridges, we need to build "islands." We need places in the middle where people can find agreement and maybe start building a society in which most all of us would like to live— a place where all sides can feel safe and be respected, be heard, and hear, and get refuge from the storm raging on both shores of the "mainland." As James Coan argued in his interview with us in March of last year, people are actually much more in agreement than we think they are. Our divides are not nearly as profound as we expect and act on. If we can build safe, attractive islands in the middle that are more conducive to sanity and the health of democracy than are the mainland shores, could we convince many people to "visit" or even "move" there? We don't know, but we hope so. Because continuing to intensify the storms on the mainland (meaning doubling down on either progressive "wokeness" or "MAGA") is going to cause even more harm and suffering than is being caused now. And that's a lot!
If we want to stop this insanity, we need to chart a different way forward. We need, urgently, to get as many people as possible to understand what democracy is, how it is supposed to work, and why it is better than the alternatives. Everyone needs to understand about the separation of powers, the rule of law, individual and group rights, and individual and group responsibilities. We aren't just consumers of democracy. We need to be producers of democracy. That isn’t just voting (though voting helps!) We also need to participate in our governance by staying informed and weighing in on issues that matter to us. We all need to learn how to tell truth from "fake facts" and learn why truth matters. (Because it is out there, and it will come back to bite us if we ignore it or pretend it doesn't exist!)
We also need to understand that we do have agency. We don't have to—we must not— give up and give in. There are ways to voice our concerns, stand up for our rights, and participate in forming organizations, and communities that work for us, not against us. But we need to do so in a way that works for the other side too.
That's what we are trying to help people see and learn from BI.
Another thing that we are trying to do is to dispel the myth of "partisan infallibility." On both the left and the right, the prevailing view is that it's all the other side's fault and that one's own side is blameless. Criticizing one's own side is considered traitorous, since it might, in some way, strengthen the other side.
People on both sides could do much to change the chemistry of this conflict if we could only muster the wisdom and the courage to say, "we went too far and we have not been treating you (i.e. the other side) in a way that you deserve (and that we would like you to treat us). You have valid criticisms that make it clear that there are better ways in which we could balance competing interests. If we were to then follow this up by actually taking more broadly attractive positions on the key issues, then we really could lay the groundwork for a more positive future — one that would learn from, but move beyond, today's partisan arguments.
Bottom line, we are trying to help our readers, listeners, and viewers to see that there is a way to build a future (a metaphorical island) on which democracy and its people can flourish, even as the mainland is suffering from a raging storm. And once that storm calms down (and we think it must, as all storms do), the islands of sanity — the islands of thriving democracy — will be there to provide models and help rebuild the mainland that temporarily lost its way.
This explanation helped me (Heidi) a lot to decide that we are not fiddling while Rome burns — we are trying to create a refuge for the Romans to move to if they need to evacuate, and to provide a source of help once the fire is out to rebuild Rome to become better than it was before. (Lots of mixed metaphors here, but hopefully, you get the point!)
A Note About Tangle
Since this post is short, we thought we would just take a paragraph to alert readers to another valuable newsletter, that being Tangle. Tangle is an "an independent, nonpartisan, subscriber-supported politics newsletter that summarizes the best arguments from across the political spectrum on the news of the day — then “my take.” "My take" is written by Tangle's creator, Isaac Saul. On February 28, Isaac shared a newsletter post entitled "Debunking some myths about Tangle (and me). I found it illuminating and fascinating, and it helped explain why I find Tangle so refreshing and valuable. If you don't have the time to read twenty plus news sources every day, but you want to get a sense of what America thinks about what is going on outside your personal bubble, Tangle is the best place I know of to do it. We subscribe — and strongly suggest you, too, at least check it out.
Lead Graphic Credit: Picture Created by Shena Tschofen. Obtained from Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/shenamt/11015203525)
on 3-5-25. Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
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