Some of us face peril at Thanksgiving and Christmas. And at other times when we gather with friends and family at the dinner table or in the living room.

The peril is that someone may set off a firestorm. By spitting out words that are as incendiary as Molotov cocktails. Examples include: Trump, Judge Kavanaugh, Trump, border wall, Trump, illegal immigrants, Trump, pipe bombs, Trump, fake news, Trump, etc.

Comments incite snarky remarks, which lead to accusations — which light a fuse to insults. Next thing you know, the air is filled with projectiles likes Brussels sprouts. Aunt Myrtle mutters, “Swine!” and accidentally slops red wine down mouthy Fred’s shirtfront. And somebody spikes your partner’s pudding with a chocolate laxative.

Unafraid of mixing analogies, I humbly offer oil to calm troubled waters. This works, so long as everyone follows a few simple rules.

Suppose a contentious issue flares. Curmudgeon Jack and razor-tongued Aunt Til have broached the dangerous subject of climate change. Snarls of “Absolute rubbish!” and “Idiot denier!” erupt from their end of the table. Supporters of both sides chip in.

If you can call a brief truce, here is how you prevent a bonfire. You set a few rules. Each person can speak for one full minute — or two. Whatever. The person can speak for that amount of time. No one may interrupt. No one can lob in remarks. All must hold their tongues until the time is up.

Now the next combatant may speak. For one minute. With no interruptions. When all have spoken, any one may speak for thirty seconds. To rebut anything that was said by another.

If people feel they should battle on, repeat the drill. One minute more for everyone. No interruptions allowed.

I have seen this work wonders with a group ready to lop off each other’s heads.

There are a few reasons why this works.

First, you hate to be interrupted. Just when you are about to make your best point, some SOB shouts you down, saying “Ah, but what about the satellite readings, you idiot. You’ve been glugging the Kool-Aid.” Under this routine, you get to make your points. And nobody cuts you short. You get a mighty good feeling when opponents shut their mouths and listen to what you have to say.

Second, I know you listen. You are perfect. But when we argue, most of us usually don’t listen. We are so intent on saying or shouting our piece we ignore the other guy’s point of view. People who listen and consider before replying? You might find them in novels. In real life, they are in short supply.

Under the no-interruption rule, suddenly, you have people like yourself, free to express themselves. Free to make their points fully, uninterrupted. And you have people who listen to what the other folks say. It’s like a miracle.

And then you have the smaller voices. The people who usually don’t dare speak up in a tumultuous discussion — because someone will insult them. “Shut up, Sam. You’re too drunk to know what the hell your talkin’ about.” Under this system, the little guys get to speak; they get to be heard. Wow.

Meanwhile, consider the folks who usually flee to the kitchen to avoid the nastiness and Brussels sprouts. When the discussion is polite, they are more likely to remain.

And everyone gets to go home saying or thinking, “I guess I told them a thing or two!” Pure satisfaction.

You hear complaints that we are no longer civil with each other. Well, that is because we aren’t. We take our lead from the insults we hear spokespeople fling at each other in “discussions” on TV.

But those people are paid big money to insult. They are not paid to say, “You make a good point. People on my side of the issue would do well to consider it before…” Nah, they are paid to go for the jugular. And they do with comments like this: “You’re reading deceitful talking points that failed in the last election.” “Well, when I hear that coming from a racist…”

Next time you face the perils of un-civil discussion, try the above strategy. It will calm everyone. Guarantee it.

But just in case, do keep an eye on the pudding.

From Tom…as in Morgan.                  

Tom Morgan writes about political, financial, and other subjects from his home in upstate New York. He has a new novel out, called “The Last Columnist,” which is available on Amazon. Contact Tom at tomasinmorgan@yahoo.com, read more of his writing at tomasinmorgan.com, or find him on Facebook.

In the 15 years since I moved back to Syracuse, I have never seen the level of economic activity across industry sectors that we do today. The current macro-economic environment is strong and reflected in the fact that we celebrated a record 302 companies and organizations as “Economic Champions” [on Oct. 30]. All told, they represent the collective hiring of more than 2,600 employees, 1.2 million square feet of expansions, and nearly $750 million in capital investments. More than 80 new businesses were recognized for opening their doors and 68 were highlighted for celebrating a milestone anniversary, speaking to businesses’ commitment to the local and regional economy. 

This high level of growth and opportunity energizes all of us at CenterState CEO. As we shift our focus from celebrating the achievements of the past year to evaluating the opportunities and economic trends anticipated in the year ahead, we encourage [our members] to share their insights on the trends that impact their business through our Economic Forecast survey. 

We’ve again partnered with Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. (RMS), a third-party market-research firm, to conduct this field work. In the coming days, [our members] will receive an email from RMS with the survey. Survey results are reported in aggregate; responses will not be attributed to individuals but respondents will have the option to be acknowledged in the report as a contributor. 

[We will release] the report at CenterState CEO’s annual Economic Forecast Breakfast on Jan. 9, 2019, [an event] presented by M&T Bank and St. Joseph’s Health. 

Congratulations again to all of our 2018 Economic Champions and thank you [to members] in advance for their thoughtful participation and support as we develop our Economic Forecast for 2019. For more information on the Economic Forecast survey and focus groups, contact Christa Glazier, VP of communications and marketing at (315) 470-1800 or email: cglazier@centerstateceo.com.                  

Robert M. (Rob) Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development organization for Central New York. This viewpoint is drawn and edited from the “CEO Focus” email newsletter that the organization sent to members on Nov. 1.