Somewhere around 2,400 years ago, the esteemed Greek philosopher Aristotle promoted living one’s life according to the Golden Mean. Essentially, the Golden Mean referred to living one’s life in the golden middle-way between two extremes — focused upon moderation in everything.
It seems obvious to me that neither Donald Trump nor Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez subscribes to Aristotle’s teachings.
When we are children, we are taught some concept of fairness (the Golden Mean) that none of us gets everything we want when we want it, especially when what we want may adversely affect someone else.
We are taught during our early years that if one keeps insisting on getting one’s way despite being enlightened about possible negative consequences to one’s self or to others, that person may be considered very stubborn, very limited in thought, or outrightly bullyish.
It seems most politicians in America have never been taught the Golden Mean… as we now seem to be living in a political age in which most politicians have thrown the Golden Mean under the bus.
The extreme left and the extreme right traditionally have not represented the majority in this country. Yet at present, politicians representing the extreme left and the extreme right seem to be dominating the airwaves.
I truly wonder how the majority of America’s voters perceives what our founding fathers may have envisioned as America’s permutation 200-plus years post-Jefferson’s writing our Declaration of Independence.
The 2020 presidential election will determine what kind of republic that we, as Americans, will leave as a legacy to our descendants.
Will the extremists direct our country into a liberal frenzy? Will the extremists direct our country into a king-like/authoritarian dictatorship? Will our traditional Republic/Democrat democracy go the way of the Dodo bird?
Where is Aristotle when we need him?
Kathy Rittel
East Williston
