Barack Obama writes in The Audacity of Hope, “It’s hard to imagine the CEO of a company giving himself a multimillion-dollar bonus while cutting health care coverage for his workers if he thought they were in some sense his equals. And it’s safe to assume that those in power would think longer and harder about launching a war if they envisioned their own sons and daughters in harm’s way.”
He made these statements after he interjected, that “as a country, we seem to be suffering from an empathy deficit.”
These words, written in 2006, underscore some actions he later took as president: his deliberation on the troop increase in Afghanistan, and his solemn visit to the plane bringing back war dead. These plainly show that he is possessed of this empathy—the mockery of these actions by some conservative right wing show hosts notwithstanding.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
"The Infamous Generation"
P. Richard Rittelmann, a partner at Burt, Hill, and Associates, a firm of architects from the Pittsburgh area in the early 1970’s, said: “Long-standing government controls have allowed the prices of energy to reflect only cost and not the value of diminishing resources. If somehow energy had been permitted to seek its true market value, energy conservation would now be a way of life, and alternate energy opportunities could quite conceivably have followed an evolutionary development process rather than the revolutionary process to which the nation must commit itself.”
Remember, this argument was made in the early 70’s. And indeed, steps were taken at the time to find alternate energy sources, that is, until we foolhardy, impatient, short-sighted, Americans could not stand being told the truth—that we couldn’t have what we wanted and have it right now—so we elected those who told us what we wanted to hear. And the much needed search for alternate energy sources was put off for the next twenty-eight years.
We certainly can’t afford to waste another twenty-eight years—in fact, it is very possible that we didn’t have the luxury of the last wasted period—the unimaginable harm to our planet may already be unstoppable.
Some of us won’t be here to witness it, but our children, and their children will. Instead of the “Greatest Generation” as our folks were named—we can be called the infamous one, not a legacy of which to be proud.
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Remember, this argument was made in the early 70’s. And indeed, steps were taken at the time to find alternate energy sources, that is, until we foolhardy, impatient, short-sighted, Americans could not stand being told the truth—that we couldn’t have what we wanted and have it right now—so we elected those who told us what we wanted to hear. And the much needed search for alternate energy sources was put off for the next twenty-eight years.
We certainly can’t afford to waste another twenty-eight years—in fact, it is very possible that we didn’t have the luxury of the last wasted period—the unimaginable harm to our planet may already be unstoppable.
Some of us won’t be here to witness it, but our children, and their children will. Instead of the “Greatest Generation” as our folks were named—we can be called the infamous one, not a legacy of which to be proud.
.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Take a Stand
In The Audacity of Hope Barack Obama makes the point that our country needs more basic research; investments in training more engineers, scientists, and innovators; and a critical investment in energy infrastructure to move us toward energy independence.
He admits that it will cost some real money but says, “…we can afford what needs to be done. What’s missing is not money, but a national sense of urgency.”
Rhetorically though, I ask, how do you get urgency in schooling, in technology, in energy—indeed, in any kind of progress from conservatism, when the very definition of a conservative is: A person who from prejudice or lack of foresight is opposed to true progress.
For those who claim to be a conservative and vote that way: I ask, again rhetorically, is that who you really are, how you really feel—if not, then you are not a conservative, so don’t vote that way.
And, to the so called Independents (fence sitters), are you really opposed to true progress, if so, get off the fence, commit yourself to your beliefs and become a conservative.
On the other hand, if you do feel that we, as a country, as a people, can make some positive changes leading to an abatement of the problems we face, then take a stand, get off the fence, don’t be an Independent, taking the easy way out, following whatever is popular at the moment; instead, take a position, be for and vote for true progress—become a liberal, it is not a dirty word, look it up in the dictionary, it means: generous, broadminded, tolerant, not narrow in your views and ideas, favoring progress and reforms.
He admits that it will cost some real money but says, “…we can afford what needs to be done. What’s missing is not money, but a national sense of urgency.”
Rhetorically though, I ask, how do you get urgency in schooling, in technology, in energy—indeed, in any kind of progress from conservatism, when the very definition of a conservative is: A person who from prejudice or lack of foresight is opposed to true progress.
For those who claim to be a conservative and vote that way: I ask, again rhetorically, is that who you really are, how you really feel—if not, then you are not a conservative, so don’t vote that way.
And, to the so called Independents (fence sitters), are you really opposed to true progress, if so, get off the fence, commit yourself to your beliefs and become a conservative.
On the other hand, if you do feel that we, as a country, as a people, can make some positive changes leading to an abatement of the problems we face, then take a stand, get off the fence, don’t be an Independent, taking the easy way out, following whatever is popular at the moment; instead, take a position, be for and vote for true progress—become a liberal, it is not a dirty word, look it up in the dictionary, it means: generous, broadminded, tolerant, not narrow in your views and ideas, favoring progress and reforms.
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