Yes, Labels

[Valin]

The American:

No Labels’ goal of arguing less and getting more things done is not simply wrong but dangerous too. Instead, this country needs to vigorously debate how a free society is supposed to function, with the people ultimately deciding the victor.

Cliff Asness

March 7, 2013

 

A few days ago I received a personal email solicitation from a senior person at the organization No Labels asking, “Would you be open for 15 minutes to hear progress on No Labels?” The group advocates bypassing ideological gridlock, working together across the aisle, and all of us rolling up our sleeves and solving problems in Congress, government, and society at large.

 

My, those ideas sound nice. Who could be against them? Well, for starters, I am. To be clear, I’m not against the idea of getting along or working together. Of course, all else equal, those are wonderful things. But the implicit claim of No Labels is that these actions are more important than standing up for what you think is right, that we all must put principle aside at this time of crisis, and that if we would all just compromise more, everything would be okay. This I seriously question.

 

So why am I delivering my response to the No Labels email publicly rather than directly? First, since the sender keeps writing me personal emails ignoring my objections, I’ve obviously not gotten through. Second, and more important, I think perhaps others would be interested. The basic position of No Labels — that we just need to stop fighting and “start fixing,” as their slogan says — is the prevailing wisdom of so much of the media and electorate these days that a contrary view deserves a hearing. Third, people who keep emailing you when you’ve clearly asked them to stop must be punished as a moral imperative. It’s all that separates us from the wolves.

 

So, below is my unsent response to the latest unsolicited email:

 

My short answer is no. I'll now give you my far longer answer.

 

(Snip)

 

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What's wrong with gridlock? What's wrong with partisanship?

Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid have a very different view of America and what direction we should be going than John Boehner & McConnell.