Thursday, October 30, 2008
This is just a quick link to follow -- an "aside." These are links to interesting things that, for one reason or another, I didn't place into a full posting. Click the link to visit the full article. Go to the blog index for a regular listing of posts.
Fouad Ajami: Obama and the Politics of Crowds - 'There is something odd -- and dare I say novel -- in American politics about the crowds that have been greeting Barack Obama on his campaign trail. Hitherto, crowds have not been a prominent feature of American politics. We associate them with the temper of Third World societies. We think of places like Argentina and Egypt and Iran, of multitudes brought together by their zeal for a Peron or a Nasser or a Khomeini. In these kinds of societies, the crowd comes forth to affirm its faith in a redeemer: a man who would set the world right...'
The real unease is the crowd that has occupied and manipulated power for the last eight years including the crowd of conservatism. The distribution of 700 billion dollars and then some was given without preconditions or transparency, or is this an entitlement? Conservatism and its goal that preaches never to feel past one’s own nose (those against us) has crippled many crowds. There was a time when people enslaved people. Those enslaved people who gave birth to children were born into debt. Similarly, today there will be numerous generations that are unborn and given debt.
There are many stories of people getting robbed in the dark or getting robbed through identity theft. But, for those noses that are against abortion have hit on something. No illusion of equality, just a subtle way of crowd distinction and a method that keeps the affluent from paying for programs.
How does one explain to a crowd that distributions are necessary and that certain crowds must be generous? We live in a generous democracy. Those qualified who need government assistance to build and provide work should not be turned away. Unless of course the assistance is given to Enron, Worldcom, Adelphia, the airline and automobile industry and recent requests.
When Barack Obama’s crowd is persistent enough, their common sense will recognize that private burdens need solutions, not wands. Magic is a funny thing because there are those who don’t know they are performing it. And yes, even without crowds! For example, John McCain has voted against numerous health care issues that are designed to provide care and comfort to our veterans and the GI Bill that would promote a middle class, yet he boasts friendship to veterans?
John McCain has pulled out magic dust from his bag of tricks. His left and right hands sprinkled colorful dust that turned into a magic carpet. He then sailed away from the columns that represented respect and honor. He left a crowd of thousands without their money and he magically gained. His present trick is to make health care disappear…completely! No need for a wand here, just the magical phrase of “deregulation.”
Performing magic is tricky business for the magician. In order to keep the illusion real for the paying crowd there must not be any mistakes. Like a business that must maintain its business ethics, social responsibilities, morals and be conscious of the environment, including juggling with the purpose of responsible shareholder interest.
One man’s unease is another man’s ease. Together they form a crowd that can be guided by certainty or uncertainty. Which will it be? Should we follow a man of depth, intellect and articulate? A leader that will encourage and speak the truth and reveal to the scarecrow that he always had a brain, or to the lion that he always had courage or, to the tin man that he always had a heart. The other alternative is the Peter Principle.
Fouad is a wonderful writer and thinker, and he said it well; we know little about Obama except how driven and how pleased he was with himself; I hope it turns out well, but I don't look forward to the media lovefest and continuing "crowd" mentality.