Risking Our Nation's Sovereignty
By Nancy Salvato
December 22, 2008
Anyone who is successful at forging relationships has mastered the art of diplomacy. There are a few simple rules. There is a time and a place for everything. You cannot change another person, only yourself. You have to give to receive. Maintaining a balance of power is probably the most difficult. If one person denies another a relationship, there can be no balance of power because that person has taken all the control. Both parties have to want the relationship for one to occur. Any parent soon realizes that a dictatorial style will not foster loyalty or the intrinsic motivation to behave within a child. At the same time, giving in to a child's demands grants the child all the power. A well-timed tantrum can put an end to a parent's agenda.
When people learn and respect each others' boundaries, they can interact within them and have no fear of upsetting the balance. On the other hand, if a person has difficulty accepting or respecting another's boundaries, that can be a recipe for a confrontation, a break in the relationship, or an unbalanced relationship. Learning how to practice diplomacy is a worthwhile endeavor. By granting each other mutual respect, we can usually get along.
Group dynamics can change the nature of relationships. Working within a group or as part of a team is much different than negotiating the needs of two people. Groups or teams usually have a larger goal which forces us to look beyond our individual differences to achieve this mutual goal. We might have to compromise on some of our personal preferences and beliefs to get along. These personal beliefs and preferences might not even be relevant to the larger purpose.
Within our own country, the Framers recognized the importance of maintaining a balance of power. They divided power between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches of our government. They divided power within the Legislative Branch between the Senate and the House of Representatives. Finally, they divided power between the federal government and the state governments. When the balance of power shifts, what happens is that power swings in the direction of one particular interest. Many factions try to tilt the balance in their direction. The result is that most of the time the balance doesn't move too far because all of the opposing forces are pulling at the same time. This is what the Framers intended. Substantial change needs lots of groups pulling in the same direction all at the same time. In order to get a lot of people to pull in the same direction, they all must feel at some level that their need will be met. This takes compromise. A larger purpose might be enough to set aside personal beliefs and preferences. Therefore, what feels like a small concession is actually reflective of larger change that takes into account on what all factions agree. Again, this is what the Framers intended. Should a minority faction force substantive change that denies other groups their rights, the likelihood is that this change will be rolled back when that faction loses influence by being voted out of power. This is what is considered a bloodless revolution.
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