Enemies' Enemies

 

                        The enemy of my enemy is my friend. An ancient proverb originating in Sanskrit about 4^th century BC. Most often applied in Christianity to the ongoing discord between the Sadducees and the Pharisees who came to an agreement over a common hatred. That of Jesus Christ. The relationship is described in the Gospels although both groups were admonished for their hateful ways.

            Today’s application of that proverb is complicated.

            I prefer to add a qualifier – “The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend.”

            Unfortunately, the social environment that has propagated the tendency to label others as “friend” or “enemy” is a result of the divisive, tribal, partisan climate we’re marinating in. We can no longer tolerate a difference of opinion without relegating that opposition to the rank of “enemy”. We just don’t have the patience (or energy) to properly debate issues. Largely because we’ve become entrenched in those group-think tribes so deeply that it takes a lot of digging to remove the overburden and expose the seam. And like mining, you have to move a lot of rock to yield a small amount of the mineral. It’s exhausting, dirty work.

            But like mining, the mineral in the ore is often precious. There are debates worth having, opinions worth promoting, misinformation and disinformation to expose, and relationships worth salvaging. It’s this effort that builds bridges between dissenting parties. Long lasting conduits that promote exchange of knowledge, ideas, prosperity, and friendship. Extracting those minerals and utilizing them for the furtherance of social and epistemic progress might sound utopian, but it truly is a sign of an advancing civilization to be able to elevate debate above discord to a place of healthy discussion. Creating an environment where opposing thought is not necessarily adversarial but stimulating. An environment where robust discussion is illuminated by knowledge and evidence-based scrutiny. An environment where expertise is respected, and morality and ethics are considered. An environment where empathy is elevated, and ego is diminished. Yes, utopian, but ultimately enlightened.

            So, why then do I lead with that proverb? Why would I not consider an enemy of my enemy as a friend? Why wouldn’t I claim some sort of social victory if dissonant factions had a common goal? Why couldn’t that lead to that place of enlightenment?

            Let’s look a bit at the consolidation of the political Right in my home province of Alberta. Faced with the threat of Left-wing control of our provincial government, the split right forged a questionable alliance to become the United Conservative Party. United only because of the hard-handed leadership and Conservative in only the Social Credit sense that panders to a fundamentalist base. As we’re seeing in real time, the forced mash up of differing ideologies didn’t elevate the political quality but diluted it. The only success was mathematical. It consolidated votes and won an election. It gathered enemies of enemies. It didn’t build those bridges and conduits. It didn’t elevate discussion. It didn’t fracture group think and tribalism, it inflamed them. Enlightenment is now considered wokeism in the vilest interpretation of that word.

            In real time we’re seeing why my enemies’ enemies aren’t my friends. Canadians are consolidating over a common challenge - the trade disputes with our once closest ally. That consolidation is a forced arrangement. It’s useful only in its mathematics. For now, that might be enough. But it’s a dilution. A dilution that reflects the character of the more unruly of the mash up. A tendency towards nationalism when we need to be patriotic. A relationship that results in the kind of disrespect for institutions that leads to a place where people develop hatred and boo another nation’s national anthem. Those people share some powerful emotions with me, but they’re simply falling into another tribe. And today, that group think, division, lack of empathy, and disrespect does nothing to elevate us. It just puts us in a race to the bottom. I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to consort with or support those zealots who, not so long ago, I regarded as a threat to our democracy. There’s already too many people at the bottom. We should be going the other way, and we should be reaching out our hands to lead people there. Help erase that “enemies” label and go towards that enlightenment.

            Much more than I know though.