I’ve seen Van Jones on CNN many times so the announcement
that he had published his thoughts about the political juggernaut in the U.S.
immediately caught my attention. I read Beyond the Messy Truth (2017) in less than a week and commend it to anyone who
wants to find hope in the challenging times in which we live.
Jones does not pretend to be anything other than what he is
– a progressive Democrat who seeks to work toward equity, inclusion, and
justice for all people. But he claims this space while also saying that both
Democrats and Republicans are failing the public and that the only way toward a
more sane society is to recognize that “common pain should lead to common
purpose. And common purpose should lead to common projects and solutions” (Introduction).
His critique of the Trump presidency is sharp and reflects deep concern about
the ignorance, divisiveness, and exploitation that characterized Trump’s
campaign style and now his approach to governance. Trump’s election should have
been anticipated because the political elite failed for so many years,
resulting in a backlash (or “whitelash” due to the nature of those who voted
for him) against dysfunctional government that ignored the needs of many
Americans who suffered from the dynamics of globalism, a changing economy, and
the decline of old industry.
Two chapters of Beyond
the Messy Truth are letters to Democrats and then Republicans. In each he
critiques the failures of the party and proposes ways for party leaders to get
back on track, maintaining their distinct approaches to governing but proposing
ways that the party can connect more effectively with the numerous non-partisan
citizens who only want effective policy, programs, and Constitution-based
governance. One of the contested groups in the middle of the two parties is
people of faith. Democrats are advised to recognize that those inspired by
faith have been the backbone of many progressive initiatives, often willing to
sacrifice personal gain to support the common good and welfare of others. Republicans are advised that, while
independence and personal responsibility are important to conservatives, demonizing
those with concerns for the welfare of others in the name of freedom of
religion and the right to bear arms is a serious violation of the very
foundations of almost all forms of faith. The addiction of both liberals and
progressives to bickering and blaming must end if the ideals of democracy on
which the U.S.A. is based are to be fulfilled.
Jones not only offers critique to the two major parties, he
offers a potentially unifying agenda based on common pain as the basis of
common purpose and action. The cross-partisan issues Jones proposed are: fixing
the justice system, an issue that has captured bipartisan interest; ending the addiction crisis; and creating and educating for
21st century jobs, particularly those in high and clean technology. Each
of these is described in detail, building a case that there is common ground and
providing examples where liberal and conservative coalitions have had some
success. Some of Jones’ most compelling text is in chapter five, “Prince, Newt,
and the way forward.” This chapter gets to the core of how conservative/progressive
coalitions can be built, using his own experiences as a compassionate progressive
who cultivated many friends and respected colleagues with much more
conservative views. Jones quotes former Speaker of the House Gingrich as saying
“Your ‘ninety percent enemy’ can still be your ‘ten percent friend’ – on every
point where you agree.”
The legacy of ugliness and abuse in the American experiment has
left many deep and divisive scars. However, Jones advocates the idea of
American exceptionalism where, “At our best, our mission is simple… close the
gap between the ugliness of our founding reality and the beauty of our founding
dream… we will never have a perfect union. But we can always have a more perfect union.”
