TIME FOR RECONCILIATION

Victor Bloom MD

Clinton's final apology contained a call for national reconciliation. He finally admitted, now that he is off the hook, that he was largely responsible for the nation's turmoil this past year. His saying he was truly sorry for his part came across as sincere for the first time .

Apparently the country forgives him his trespasses because he has been doing a good job as president, despite everything, and that good job has been to move to the right, triangulating between the liberal left and conservative right. He has been described as having been the best Republican president yet, in scaling down entitlements and working toward a leaner, more efficient federal government.

Extremists on both sides are angry and bitter and looking for revenge. The Republicans are still angry for the Borking of Bork and the attempt to trash his replacement, Clarence Thomas. The Democrats are angry with Kenneth Starr and the House managers, who relentlessly pursued their leader. Now they want to work against the re-election of those Republicans who were most adamantly working to unseat their elected executive.

One side said we were protecting the Constitution and the rule of law, and the other side said that we were destroying the Constitution by allowing the legislative and judicial branches of government to over-rule the executive. Many were predicting that the prolonged prosecution of the president would disrupt the country and ruin the economy. Evidently, this has not happened. The Constitution continues to demonstrate the wisdom and strength of our founding fathers.

What does 'reconciliation' mean? It means to 'conciliate' again. That means to get along, to cooperate, to find common ground. It means to forgive and forget and work together cooperatively, for the good of the nation, the voters, the taxpayers, the constituents. Why is it that the Left and the Right have to be so much at odds? Why do politics so easily break down into war? How can some people think they are entirely right and the others wrong? Has any one side amply demonstrated superiority in judgment and action?

Every time I see a hot controversy, I realize there are two sides, and all the merit is not with one side. Consider the longstanding abortion issue. Most of the people have opinions, but can live with other people who have come to opposite conclusions. Ideally, each person can see some validity in the other point of view. And yet extremists on both sides find the other extreme totally unacceptable and are ready to do violence or build walls.

The trouble with the country is that the extremists are the tail wagging the dog. The great majority of Americans are independent and free-thinking, and would just as soon their elected representatives work together cooperatively and rationally, with the good of the people in mind. For a time we thought this good government was happening, with Clinton cooperating with the Republican majority.

Like with individuals who cannot abide closeness and cooperation, they found a cause celebre to burst apart and fight. Some people are really more comfortable fighting than making love. There is a false feeling of safety in emotional distance. Can you imagine a two party system that actually worked? Ours 'works', but haphazardly, intermittently. We are a polyglot culture and some people are raised to admire trade unions and the workers, while others are raised to defend uncontrolled capitalism and management.

One side wants to share the wealth on a personal basis, while the other side wants to force the wealthy to share more by government taxes and entitlements. Who is your hero, Henry Ford or Walter Reuther? How have you come to the conclusion you have? How do you process the facts of current events and history? Do you see no merit whatsoever on the other side?

Reconciliation can only occur with a mindset toward consensus and compromise. Nobody can have everything they want. Concessions must be given. Creativity is necessary. Hopefully the turmoil of the recent year will leave the country a better nation than before, with a renewed respect for our Constitution, our government of laws and our law-makers.

And for the other guy or gal with a different point of view.

Dr. Bloom is Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Wayne State University School of Medicine. He is a member of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and he welcomes comments and questions at his e-mail address: vbloom@comcast.net