Sorry I haven't been updating the blog a lot lately, life has just been crazy for the last month or so doing everything from sorting through gigabytes of sound-effects, to studying Sociology (Read: Introductory Marxism) to designing and creating various (padded) weapons of war for the upcoming church camp-out.
However, to atone for my lack of blog-updating I bring to you what I consider a particularly juicy video. Put together by various celebrities like Forrest Wittaker, Barry Manilow, and Whoopee Goldberg, it is what I consider to be the summit of the media's infatuation with Barack Obama.
Prepare to be nauseated!
10 comments:
Blarghghhhhh... ooog.
-Graydon :-P
So why does this make you ill?
Frankly, because of the amount of devotion shown in to a political candidate in it. The fact is, I would have the same problem with this video if it featured John McCain as I do with it featuring Barack Obama.
No political candidate can possibly deliver the utopian-esque happiness that is presented in this video. The idea of people actually believing that this is possible is, to me, "nauseating".
Ahh... then I understand your feeling, however your idea that this is about Obama is incorrect. The reason that these people are so happy is not just about Obama it is about what he represents.
For a very long time the promise of America was not truly available to all "Americans."
Samuel (may I call you Sam), the reason these people are so full of hope is not any explicit promise that Barack has made. It is that the implicit promise that is America has been fulfilled.
The election of Barack Obama has changed the way that billions of people look at America and themselves within their own communities.
These things shouldn't nauseate you they should make you love your country even more regardless of party lines.
You know, Juan, I would still make the case that this video is about Obama, as well as what he represents.
If in the instance that Obama had not been elected, the dreams and hopes presented in this video would have been (temporarily) crushed. The ideas shown were part and parcel with the Obama campaign.
Obama is (quote) "the promise of America" as is "the promise of America," Obama.
These people are indeed putting their hopes on, (and writing a song about) nothing more than a candidate for office.
They are putting their hopes on Obama yes, only because he is the first AA to reach the office. If it had been Power you would see the same sort of thing. However your statement that they are putting their hopes on "...nothing more than a candidate for office." is false. They put their hopes on America, they did it for hundreds of years. Each time it looked like they were getting close to the "promised land" they would be slapped down.
The statement that he made "Change has come to America." For millions of Americans meant you are now truly Americans. The country that shunned you, beat you, enslaved you, now truly accepts you.
I challenge you to do something, contact 5 black people, and ask them what the election of Obama has meant to them. Also ask them if it had been Powell would they have been as excited.
Great discussion, Juan, I really enjoy discussing these different issues with you that are so essential to our nation. I'm sure that you enjoy discussing these ideas with Auntie Leah as well from time to time ;-). Be sure to tell her hi from me.
Anyhow, I could not agree with you more that the AA community has been very optimistic concerning the upcoming Obama presidency. Only time will tell if those hopes will actually be justified.
However, for the American people at large, I can only see an Obama presidency to be more harmful than beneficial to a person trying to achieve the American dream.
We have alluded to the "Promise of America" and the American Dream a couple times in this discussion. I think it would be helpful to remind ourselves exactly what these are.
The United States is unique in that it is built almost entirely on a population of immigrants or their descendants. Most of these immigrants came from great distances and sold most of their possessions in order to make the journey. Did they expect their lives to be magically better simply because they were in the U.S.? Not at all, they knew and expected that their standard of living would be the equivalent to or lower than the one they were living before.
So why did they come? Because America was the 'Land of Opportunity'. A land where it didn't matter where you came from or who you were, all that you needed was initiative and hard work to make yourself into whatever you wanted to be. That was the "American Dream" or the "Promise of America." America gave you nothing but offered you everything. People's path to greatness did not lie through the checks the government sent them, but rather the checks that the government did not place on them.
Unfortunately, the AA people came here under greatly different circumstances and have suffered discrimination and degradation for many years.
However, the principle remains sound that the capitalistic, laissez-faire economy that the United States remained under for so many years was the greatest contributing factor in its rise to greatness among the nations in the late nineteenth century. Regrettably under the administrations of such presidents as Teddy Roosevelt and F.D.R., this system has changed quite a bit and moved more and more towards a socialistic model.
I hope you will pardon this little excursus, but I think you can see where I am going here. Sen. Obama has advocated an economic model that is polar opposite with that which has allowed people to realize the "Promise of America." Although his tax plan is designed to lift people off of the lower rungs of the economic ladder, it is also meant to push people off of the top. Sen. Obama's solutions to economic problems are rooted in more legislation and wealth distribution, where history has shown us that the answer lies with not more, but less of these measures.
You change the topic of discussion. The reason why people are excited about an Obama presidency, AA or not is because it show that anyone can become anything in this country. Something that for a very very very long time was restricted to only one group of people. My challenge still stands, the fact that people, white, black, hispanic, asian, men and women for the first time in a long time have hope in this country really shouldn't make you feel sick. Ask the question you might be surprised by the answer.
As far as economic policy goes, capitalism without restriction is not a good thing. It leads to restricted innovation and a concentration of wealth by the very few with a very large gap between the haves and have nots.
Tax policy wise, I've been very amused by the discussion about taxes. Any form of taxation is wealth distribution. Regardless of how little government a country has there are basic things that need to be paid for. During the election season the country that was mostly brought up was Ireland as an example of a location where corporate taxes were very low. Couple of things about Ireland, (1) socialized medicine, (2)18% corporate tax, 40% VAT (Value Added Tax), 20% minimum income tax. This type of tax policy shifts a larger tax burden upon those with less wealth. Why? Those with wealth have the ability to manipulate the Tax system, to hire accountants to itemize their taxes. So their tax burden tends to go down allowing them to keep more of their wealth than those at the bottom or the middle.
Obama's specific Tax policies do not hurt America. Read the actual plan, their are not tax credits to people who do not pay into the system. The tax rates are the same as they were under Pres. Clinton, the person under whom we had the largest creation of millionaires and billionaires.
As far as what has made America a great country. That would depend on what your definition of Great is. Prior to the advent of Social Security 90% of the aged died in poverty. Today it keeps 40% of our population over the age of 65 above the poverty line. Unbridled capitalism was only a small part of what made our country "Great" at that time.
What makes a country Great?
That's Uncle Juan to you.
Hey, sorry it took me so long to get back to you, between the bunch of different projects I have just started and all the homework Uncle Juan keeps giving me, it's been a little difficult to get back here to make a reply...
It's not the fact that millions of people have found hope that I find sickening. It's the fact that these millions of people are putting their hopes in a person that, I believe, isn't going to live up to the promises that he has made to the people of our country.
I would agree with you that capitalism without any restrictions is an iffy proposition. The issue should be over the type of restrictions and the relationship of the government with the economy. If we were to liken the economy to a football game, with the players being the different economic forces at work, the government would be the ideal referee figure. An impartial force, with no stake in the game one way or another, who’s job is simply to make sure that everyone plays fair and to settle disputes. The government should never, ever, take part also as a player in the game, the results are just as unsettling as if a referee started playing in a football game.
Tax policy-wise, I would agree with you in that our modern day taxation is essentially wealth distribution. However, it doesn't need to be that way. I believe that if a government were to follow three simple points in designing its tax code, wealth distribution would be eliminated.
1. Government should only tax to cover operating expenses. The government has NO business taking one person's money and giving it to someone else in order to 'help' them or otherwise.
2. The government should be no respecter of persons regarding taxation, whether by race, sex, or personal means. Therefore, the concept of progressive taxation should be considered hostile to this tax plan.
3. Government should recognize that, above all things, free people in a free society are much better stewards of their funds, and can make much better decisions concerning them than can the government. Therefore, the government should, wherever possible, allow the people to retain their funds by reducing taxation.
By following these simple principals, it is my opinion that a government could construct a tax plan much more conducive to capitalism and much closer to our constitution than the one we are under today, and the one Sen. Obama has proposed.
Just so you know, I did take the time, on your suggestion, to read in detail Obama's tax plan. I must say that a lot of it, concerning the lowering of taxes for the majority of America, sounds pretty good. However, I cannot support his idea of becoming a Robin Hood of sorts and take from the rich to support these cuts for the poor.
I am surprised that you would point to Social Security as an example of the success of socialism in our country. By your own statistics, SS has only raised 30% of our seniors over the poverty line. I wouldn't say it has been an absolute failure, but I would say that its success has been limited and I do consider it to be in violation of Tax Principle #3.
What makes a country Great? I would say that a country that allows its citizens to be truly free, and to pursue their hopes and dreams, however foolish they may be, is a Great nation. Why? Because a people who have the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness will excel any other in industry, innovation, and productivity and will propel their nation into Greatness. It is what made this nation great, and if we return to those base principles, we will continue to be the greatest nation on God's green earth.
Pardon the cliche.
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