Constructive Criticism is not always an Evil Plot

[Liberalynn]

The whole "love it or leave" it mentality frustrates me. How can a Democracy function properly without it?

Yesterday there was an editorial piece in the local newspapers condemning "liberal" educators for daring to hint that the U. S. A. has ever done anything wrong and denying "American Exceptionalism." They look at such teachers as traitors to the country.

There are also those fellow Democrats who believe that anyone who portrays the party as anything less than perfect is a Trojan horse wanting it to fail.

Let me ask this. Say your a parent. Your child comes to you and says Mommy or Daddy could you review my math home work? You say sure. In doing so you notice they have done several of their calculations wrong.

If you point those mistakes out to the child does that mean you hate that child and want them to doubt themselves and fail? Or do you want them to see where they went wrong so they can try again, get it right, and succeed in understanding it?

Of course there is such a thing as over objecting and people who do criticize with destructive intent but should even valid concerns be rejected because of it?

How can we get better, improve, learn from past mistakes, if we refuse to admit we all sometimes make them, and refuse to even consider that just maybe the critic has a valid point or two ?

I am.going to vote this November for Democrats and I encourage every one to do the same. The cost of the Republicans taking over everything is too sickening to even ponder.

But I still think there are areas that could use improvement like standing up with more passion for shared Democratic values against the Republican bullies. IMHO there is nothing wrong with people voicing their opinion about things that could use improvement.

On this whole "American Exceptionilisim" nonsense, if it's adopted as the norm then we are going to be forever stagnate as a country. If you think you're already perfect their is no motivation to move to try and become better or strive for more success and your just going to keep making the same mistakes over and over because you refuse to even acknowledge them.

[grahamhgreen]

1. Following your analogy, many of the arguments here are like having the child insist that 2+2=5, then

accusing the parent of then wanting them to be an Einstein should they be made to correct the mistake?

Example: you want Obamacare to evolve into Medicare-for-all? That's like wishing for pink ponies and unicorns!

[Liberalynn]

2. True!

If we concede that something like Medicare for all is impossible from the start, then of course it will always be like wanting pink ponies and unicorns. On the other hand if enough people were willing to stand up for it, speak out for it, fight for it, hearts and minds might be changed, making the seemingly impossible possible.

[Jim Lane]

3. I agree. In addition, limited praise of Republicans is also not an evil plot.

You'll sometimes find someone on DU mentioning agreement with, say, Rand Paul about a civil liberties point. Well, just as any constructive criticism of a Democrat is taken by some as full-throated Republicanism, the same is true of anything the least bit positive about a Republican.

I disagree with Rand Paul about a lot of things but I don't think he or anyone else possesses reverse infallibility. Therefore, showing that some Republican agrees with a proposition doesn't refute it. Unfortunately, the same all-or-nothing thinking that discourages constructive criticism applies here, too.

[Liberalynn]

4. I don't think anybody is right or wrong 100 percent of the time.

The majority of the time I agree with the Democratic party's position on most issues, that's why I'm a Democrat. At the same time. I don't think we are perfect. For example I just feel the leadership needs to be more forceful in defense of our main positions.