"The problem is that they also wanted this ideal form of political dialogue to be more like sitting around "chatting" on someone's porch while the fireflies light up the neighborhood. They described the ideal as "chatting" so frequently that it was striking to listen to the interview tapes and read the transcripts. And this, I think, is a remnant of a society where, as I said, the goody-goody, I'm-Okay, You're-Okay, it's just my opinion approach to dialogue is dominant. We're fighting that every step of the way and it simply isn't something that individuals can do much about. That doesn't mean we need to sit idly by and wait for the revo, of course."
I agree with everything in your post except this last para. Yes, didactic writing, nothing wrong with that. Yes, poetic forms; nothing wrong with that. Yes, writing is very hard -- that's ok.
But as for the "chatting" -- I don't see it as a remnant of (I'm OK ...); it's my ideal form of any dialog. I don't see chat as necessarily superficial -- It can be impassioned, eloquent, intelligent...it's most of what I do on this list, for better or for worse. It's a working through to some kind of consensus or acknowledged truth; it's the refusal to cast anything in stone.
Joanna