Saturday, February 23, 2008

• OBAMA, A SOCIAL PHENOMENON?

Pundits in every media are tripping over themselves to explain the dearth of Republican votes in the current primaries while the Democrats are apparently showing up in droves. It is perplexing that the media isn’t deciphering and proffering why a man with little experience, and little national recognition prior to just a few months ago, is making a bee line for the White House.

We are witnessing an unusual confluence of events. The American economy is slowing while the vast percentage of Americans are coming to a realization that the opportunity they’ve believed in, is not turning out as professed. As I’ve noted previously in these articles, the most consequential element unconditionally required for the long term health of a society is broadly available education. It all starts there. An educated society understands its needs and how to meet them. It is capable of achieving what is required for its own long term harmonious, and reasonable, well being. An educated society also understands its values, aspirations, and culture within the context of the broader global community. An educated society has a sense of evolution and remains sanguine in the preponderance of its opportunities. When greater and greater numbers are unable to achieve education to the maximum of their capabilities, hope evaporates. When such numbers reach significant percentages of the population, that society strains. Evaporation of opportunities accentuates any resentments that may be simmering.

We have all accepted that our free market system will produce prosperity for the greatest number. If any such system is to function adequately and serve the greater good over the long term, balance and reason should, and must, prevail. Today’s America faces a rapidly spreading divide between the proverbial “haves” and a much too large segment of the population struggling each day to achieve sustenance and shelter. While the burden of through-the-roof medical care costs is literally breaking families, and an avalanche of mortgages are sliding into foreclosure, and cars are being repossessed in unprecedented numbers, national headlines tell the newly displaced that the Head of America’s largest oil company has paid himself $400 million. He did it, not because he was smarter or more talented than millions of others, but because he could. His board members are in on the game and endless others at the top of the financial food chain are abusing their positions like the hedge fund manager who paid himself $2 billion in compensation last year. It is accepted because it would be inappropriate to say anything against such abuse, since that would imply denigration of the sacrosanct concept of “free market.” Unfortunately, there is nothing “free market” about such abuse. When the head of one the world largest internet based companies, who after receiving almost a billion dollars in company stock, proceeds to take shares in different new public offerings, adding another hundred million or two to the personal pot, something is rotten in the system. The fact that “others did it” is hardly a proper or moral rationalization, yet the media stayed silent. There was absolutely nothing free market about this abuse of position. No abuse is reasonable and rampant abuse only serves to break the system.

During the coming election voting booths will see millions of faces the booths won’t recognize. The Democratic candidate will likely be Obama, and he could become the next President, not because of his track record, but because he has been able to deliver speeches that resonate with millions who are feeling left behind in the opportunity sweepstakes. His addresses actually promise very little and provide little insight into the man. Their delivery evokes an unsettling sense reminiscent of proselytizations déja-vu. There is something discomforting about someone appropriating the power of the Presidency with so little experience and obscure intent, yet it is his appearance of “detachment” from the imperious top of the food-chain that is creating such broad based support amongst those feeling disenfranchised. Although one hopes that he takes this trust seriously and meets the monumental expectations, the national debt of over $9.2 trillion and the total U.S. combined debt at over $50 trillion provide almost overwhelming constraints to the restoration of broad based opportunity.

3 comments:

  1. Geez..the last time this country wanted change and a beer with the guy ..we got stuck with Bush..here we go again...and this was planned..don't think it wasn't. I was on the ground doing volunteer work for Edwards in Both Iowa and SC..I was also Precinct Co-Capatain for a huge caucus in Iowa..Obama Cheated..i saw it with my own eyes..and so did the media.

    Did the media report it..hell no ..and most of the big guys were at the Hotel i was and it was all the conversation at the hotel bar the night of the election..the media hid that from the American people...deliberately.

    Now look at who is Obama's Economic advisor..none other than Leo Strauss University boy..they call them in Chicago ..The Boys..

    do not think Leo Strauss only taught Conservatives..he taught neo Liberals as well, and that shcool produces nothing but neo's...wake up America..this is the neo cons phase 2..

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  2. About his advisors: His economic advisor Jeffrey Liebman favors the privatization of social security.

    For insight into Obama's successful "proselytizations" read:
    "THE CHURCH OF OBAMA: How he recast the language of Black Liberation Theology into a winning creed for white middle-of-the-road voters" at:
    http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=479778

    For a glimpse of one legislative attempt and what forboding of what his 'trans partisanship' might harbor, see:
    "NUCLEAR LEAKS AND RESPONSE TESTED OBAMA IN SENATE" at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/us/politics/03exelon.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

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  3. I do agree that Obama is a social phenomenon, but I believe that's a good thing. Obama is running with one central premise: that unless we, as citizens, come together with a plan we can agree upon we will never be able to force our government to change. The reality of the last 20 years of presidential politics is that we've all spent so much time in partisan bickering that we have literally gotten nothing of any quality done. Every other position Senator Obama takes is related to that core concept. He doesn't claim to have all the answers, he hopes that WE do.

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