Guy W. Farmer: Plea for civility: Use some diplomacy

Former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough, now the host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program, recently used President Obama's failed attempt to land the 2016 Olympic Games for his adopted hometown of Chicago to make an important point about civility in American politics.

"The fact that President Obama failed makes me respect him more for taking the chance," Scarborough said, "and the fact that many right-wing figures opposed him shows just how narrow-minded partisanship makes us all." Hear, hear. Why isn't it possible for us to have a more rational political debate without so much yelling and shouting? The "I win only when you lose" school of politics does a disservice to our nation, and we should call a halt to the hateful vitriol.

During my diplomatic career I learned that it's possible to disagree with someone without being disagreeable. In fact, it's also possible to win an argument by disarming your opponent with kindness, consistent with my favorite definition of diplomacy: Telling someone to go to hell in such a way that he/she actually looks forward to the trip.

Like most columnists, I get a fair amount of hate mail on the Appeal Web site, and usually turn the other cheek. My response to the screamers, the shouters and the name-callers is short and direct: Get a life!

Over the years my detractors have called me a conservative ideologue and a left-winger, among the nicer epithets. When I first started criticizing Burning Man for tolerating illegal drugs and admitting children, some of those peace-and-love folks wished me great bodily harm. And when I endorsed Obama for president last fall, some of my conservative friends felt betrayed even though I've been a registered Democrat since 1962.

Many people blame radio and TV talk shows for the serial shouting and screaming that infects our national media. "Talking heads" have become shouting heads, and it's getting worse. Right-wing shouters, or insult artists, like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have been joined by the terminally weird Glenn Beck, who cries on cue to build his audience. And on the left we have MSNBC loudmouth Keith Olbermann, a good sports reporter gone bad, along with fringe characters like the supercilious Bill Maher and smug filmmaker Michael Moore, who makes millions of dollars by denouncing capitalism.

Those who called President George W. Bush a Nazi can't turn around and denounce criticism of President Obama as racist. The fact is that neither party has a monopoly on name-calling, and we should lower the volume as we address vital issues like the economy, health care reform and the war in Afghanistan.

• Guy W. Farmer, a semi-retired journalist and former U.S. diplomat, resides in Carson City.