Change IS Good, and the Costs Are Worth It
It is time for a new kind of politics.
I have heard it said by my favorite politician, among others. It is a call to battle with more far-reaching effects and implications than our call to attack Afghan insurgents and the Iraqi dictatorship. To have a new political sensibility might mean that our leaders will inform us instead of working us into a frenzy of propaganda-fueled patriotism. To really need to ask for this small, but indispensable feature in a leader would let us know that our democratic system is floundering and in need of help.
Our generation and those in the upcoming voting generation, by and large, are not as interested in voting or politics since we distrust those figure heads already in place. As Americans, we have grown up privileged and cannot even begin to know the liberties, defining issues, and forgotten ideals of our nation. It’s easy to see how we take for granted our upbringing and leisure activities. We don’t remain glued to our radios for news on the war in Iraq—we’re too busy listening to personal playlists on our iPods and performing our roles as “Me Generation” adults—so it comes as no surprise that Americans inside and out of our generation are classically disaffected. If the common tie of the citizens of the United States was WWII in our grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ era, then ours must logically be the War on Terror. But how many of us truly see this as a defining moment…a turning point for our nation?
There are some changes that we desperately need before we don’t even notice that our country has become too socialist, too capitalistic, too racist, too liberal, or what have you. First, I propose a new kind of political party—either within the existing parties or a totally new concept—where the superficial and petty politics of today don’t exist. Long shot, I know. In addition, we need a media that is truly responsible for what they say—and must be as thorough as possible without distorting the facts or showing undue bias. The last change should come first in the series. This will not be a change from Washington, but in fact, we need a fundamental change from within all everyday American citizens, from the oldest to the youngest. Let me start with the media of today.
They wonder why the printed newspaper is dying, when they are bought by media moguls, often combined with television and radio networks. They choose allegiances and defend their journalistic opinions with a partiality that borders on unprofessionalism. And their antics merely serve to generate ratings and promote agendas, which Americans should be aware of when looking for facts in current events. I do have an opinion, and I am sharing it here…but…I am a regular citizen and not held by the standards that we should have for our running “historians”. Pan American Flight 103 in 1988, The L.A. Earthquakes and new awareness, The Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing, the shootings at Columbine, and that most tragic September day in 2001—all have shaped my perception of and feelings about events, and I never was present for any of them.
How else could I have known about any of those tragedies but for the media’s omnipresence? If events of the last twenty-five plus years were only accessible to me through the media, think of many other Americans who depend on the nightly news, cable networks, and newspapers for their information. Journalists (and their bosses) owe us a brand of truth unsullied by partisan agendas or propaganda. We are not so dumb as to need a hand-packaged opinion about our world—the facts should suffice. In order for the mindset of this nation to progress, we need the whole story presented neutrally and in detail. If not, a 1984-esque future awaits, where instead of journalists and others retelling the news in the context of their opinions (or those of their networks) it could easily become one where our opinions and beliefs are being dictated to us. Sadly, there are those of us who are content to be told opinions on issues, but theses people need to be reminded that they live in the United States of America, where they have the right to their own.
Closely tied to this idea is the public awareness of the actions of our national leaders, and television journalism, especially, is the medium. There is a need for a new political party, or a vast reformation of existing party ideas. Highly shaped by popular opinion, candidates of this years’ election are prime examples. I have a favorite (Barack Obama), but with the way even his campaign has changed since securing the Democratic nomination and the public attention from the 2008 DNC. But I get an uneasy feeling every time I sense that McCain, Obama, and other center-stage politicians are saying or doing something only to sway favor.
Statistical data and polling have shown that voters already go for a more aesthetically pleasing candidate, so by default, some very genuine people are out of the running based on looks. Voters also tend to migrate to a candidate with the same morals/religious beliefs/upbringing as themselves. Then, there are the “hot-button” issues of abortion, gun control, the war, race, gender, etc. In this case too, opinions are a**holes, because we can be swayed because of opinions. The difference however is that politicians’ opinions are the most important because it is they who decide our national course of action. When they have a position on an issue that has been influenced by special interests or personal ambition, and we follow like sheep—then we play into their hands. When presidential, gubernatorial, mayoral, or PTA presidential nominees are not genuine, we suffer even more.
What if we had politicians that wouldn’t manipulate sometimes fragile emotions? Could U.S. voters be enamored with a politician that not only remained true to their core beliefs, but would be more than willing to reconsider positions if current actions were detrimental or not particularly helpful—despite any criticism? Could Americans adjust to a politician without artificial glitz and hype? Could the next thinkers, policy-makers, and true leaders be recognized for their merit as the best representative of our nation instead of what we have now? Even I am not sure what to believe in, although I am prepared to take the ultimate gamble on my candidate because I feel that he is closer to that genuine person I want to see in office.
Actually, I am impressed with the overall quality of candidates this election season. I have spent my days since all the candidates have been publicly known hoping that no real dirt is being dug and that, even unintentionally, no dirt is being found. The revelation of Palin daughter Bristol’s teenage pregnancy, was sensationalized from the very start, based on a rumor that Palin’s last son, Trig, was actually her daughter’s. This was due in part to not only the media, but a new element…the blogosphere…where the issue was first raised. The rumor actually began as a benign fancy, if there was no valid truth to it—then, was discredited by revealing the truth that she is currently five months pregnant, which ideally would have rocked the conservative base to the core. In this instance, however atypical, this did not really raise any eyebrows in an election season where republicans are grasping for straws.
All I can hope is that the Obama campaign had nothing to do with it, and I am slightly reassured that he has condemned such tacky actions and promised swift dismissal if it is being propagated by any of his staffers. We have known since the 2000 election that George W. Bush was excessive in his drinking habits…but the general population didn’t know this when his father ran for office. Barack, after all, does have two young daughters that he and Michelle would like to keep out of the close scrutiny of the political spotlight. Senator Biden is the only one I’m not sure about, because I don’t know very much about him, except that Jay Leno cracked on the senator for butting into a conversation to brag on Obama. Troubling comments from Moscow surrounding the Russian involvement in the Georgian conflict, comes from Medvedev and others—the belief that the pot has been stirred from Washington—have me very worried about what is really going on in this election. After all, who is best prepared to face issues reminiscent of the cold war?
If these four, very prominent politicians can find some way to be ultra genuine, and give this country a fighting chance at an unknown future. The United States cannot afford to once again have more trouble created than we can get out of (remember the war in Iraq?).
But we voters are fickle. The biggest change must come from within. We must DEMAND a level of truth from the media and politicians, because the United States is built upon the principles that every man, woman and child has inalienable rights. That dream has been marred by lack of power for women, finally extended in America in the twentieth century; even then there was a pervasive belief that women would vote with their eyes and feelings—something that politicians count on today. That dream had been denied to minorities until nearly one hundred years after the end of slavery; seen as backwards and somehow intellectually less than the white majority, African Americans reinforced these truths in the desperation of our shared “cultural conduct,” even though the best of us are the same as any other person of comparable class and education…but now, when we have the best chance to see eye to eye as Americans and push for the promise that our nation still holds, we wallow in old wounds and mistrust.
Government is going to be much more comfortable with a population that is too complacent and dumb to question the questionable. The call to action is for us as an entire, unified nation to use those inalienable rights—to question, to never settle for less than the American ideal, and to get more comfortable with the fact that not every idea, belief, practice and policy will please us as individuals…but that there’s a chance that tolerance and present discomfort will benefit our children’s future. For these same reasons, we must have political leaders with integrity. For these same reasons, we must only accept a media presence that is committed to fact-telling for the public good. A truly intelligent America will become a threat unless we ensure that the right people are pulling our national strings.
Change is good, and it is time for a rebirth in the United States. Both candidates are currently talking about their versions of change, and enough of us are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs to really get that much-needed change this time. It may very well be our last chance for a while.
The Meaning of SIGMA 
Change IS Good
September 9, 2008 in politics, Uncategorized | Tags: commentary, McCain, media corruption, Obama, political parties, politics, Presidential Election 2008, voters | 2 comments
Change IS Good, and the Costs Are Worth It
It is time for a new kind of politics.
I have heard it said by my favorite politician, among others. It is a call to battle with more far-reaching effects and implications than our call to attack Afghan insurgents and the Iraqi dictatorship. To have a new political sensibility might mean that our leaders will inform us instead of working us into a frenzy of propaganda-fueled patriotism. To really need to ask for this small, but indispensable feature in a leader would let us know that our democratic system is floundering and in need of help.
Our generation and those in the upcoming voting generation, by and large, are not as interested in voting or politics since we distrust those figure heads already in place. As Americans, we have grown up privileged and cannot even begin to know the liberties, defining issues, and forgotten ideals of our nation. It’s easy to see how we take for granted our upbringing and leisure activities. We don’t remain glued to our radios for news on the war in Iraq—we’re too busy listening to personal playlists on our iPods and performing our roles as “Me Generation” adults—so it comes as no surprise that Americans inside and out of our generation are classically disaffected. If the common tie of the citizens of the United States was WWII in our grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ era, then ours must logically be the War on Terror. But how many of us truly see this as a defining moment…a turning point for our nation?
There are some changes that we desperately need before we don’t even notice that our country has become too socialist, too capitalistic, too racist, too liberal, or what have you. First, I propose a new kind of political party—either within the existing parties or a totally new concept—where the superficial and petty politics of today don’t exist. Long shot, I know. In addition, we need a media that is truly responsible for what they say—and must be as thorough as possible without distorting the facts or showing undue bias. The last change should come first in the series. This will not be a change from Washington, but in fact, we need a fundamental change from within all everyday American citizens, from the oldest to the youngest. Let me start with the media of today.
They wonder why the printed newspaper is dying, when they are bought by media moguls, often combined with television and radio networks. They choose allegiances and defend their journalistic opinions with a partiality that borders on unprofessionalism. And their antics merely serve to generate ratings and promote agendas, which Americans should be aware of when looking for facts in current events. I do have an opinion, and I am sharing it here…but…I am a regular citizen and not held by the standards that we should have for our running “historians”. Pan American Flight 103 in 1988, The L.A. Earthquakes and new awareness, The Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing, the shootings at Columbine, and that most tragic September day in 2001—all have shaped my perception of and feelings about events, and I never was present for any of them.
How else could I have known about any of those tragedies but for the media’s omnipresence? If events of the last twenty-five plus years were only accessible to me through the media, think of many other Americans who depend on the nightly news, cable networks, and newspapers for their information. Journalists (and their bosses) owe us a brand of truth unsullied by partisan agendas or propaganda. We are not so dumb as to need a hand-packaged opinion about our world—the facts should suffice. In order for the mindset of this nation to progress, we need the whole story presented neutrally and in detail. If not, a 1984-esque future awaits, where instead of journalists and others retelling the news in the context of their opinions (or those of their networks) it could easily become one where our opinions and beliefs are being dictated to us. Sadly, there are those of us who are content to be told opinions on issues, but theses people need to be reminded that they live in the United States of America, where they have the right to their own.
Closely tied to this idea is the public awareness of the actions of our national leaders, and television journalism, especially, is the medium. There is a need for a new political party, or a vast reformation of existing party ideas. Highly shaped by popular opinion, candidates of this years’ election are prime examples. I have a favorite (Barack Obama), but with the way even his campaign has changed since securing the Democratic nomination and the public attention from the 2008 DNC. But I get an uneasy feeling every time I sense that McCain, Obama, and other center-stage politicians are saying or doing something only to sway favor.
Statistical data and polling have shown that voters already go for a more aesthetically pleasing candidate, so by default, some very genuine people are out of the running based on looks. Voters also tend to migrate to a candidate with the same morals/religious beliefs/upbringing as themselves. Then, there are the “hot-button” issues of abortion, gun control, the war, race, gender, etc. In this case too, opinions are a**holes, because we can be swayed because of opinions. The difference however is that politicians’ opinions are the most important because it is they who decide our national course of action. When they have a position on an issue that has been influenced by special interests or personal ambition, and we follow like sheep—then we play into their hands. When presidential, gubernatorial, mayoral, or PTA presidential nominees are not genuine, we suffer even more.
What if we had politicians that wouldn’t manipulate sometimes fragile emotions? Could U.S. voters be enamored with a politician that not only remained true to their core beliefs, but would be more than willing to reconsider positions if current actions were detrimental or not particularly helpful—despite any criticism? Could Americans adjust to a politician without artificial glitz and hype? Could the next thinkers, policy-makers, and true leaders be recognized for their merit as the best representative of our nation instead of what we have now? Even I am not sure what to believe in, although I am prepared to take the ultimate gamble on my candidate because I feel that he is closer to that genuine person I want to see in office.
Actually, I am impressed with the overall quality of candidates this election season. I have spent my days since all the candidates have been publicly known hoping that no real dirt is being dug and that, even unintentionally, no dirt is being found. The revelation of Palin daughter Bristol’s teenage pregnancy, was sensationalized from the very start, based on a rumor that Palin’s last son, Trig, was actually her daughter’s. This was due in part to not only the media, but a new element…the blogosphere…where the issue was first raised. The rumor actually began as a benign fancy, if there was no valid truth to it—then, was discredited by revealing the truth that she is currently five months pregnant, which ideally would have rocked the conservative base to the core. In this instance, however atypical, this did not really raise any eyebrows in an election season where republicans are grasping for straws.
All I can hope is that the Obama campaign had nothing to do with it, and I am slightly reassured that he has condemned such tacky actions and promised swift dismissal if it is being propagated by any of his staffers. We have known since the 2000 election that George W. Bush was excessive in his drinking habits…but the general population didn’t know this when his father ran for office. Barack, after all, does have two young daughters that he and Michelle would like to keep out of the close scrutiny of the political spotlight. Senator Biden is the only one I’m not sure about, because I don’t know very much about him, except that Jay Leno cracked on the senator for butting into a conversation to brag on Obama. Troubling comments from Moscow surrounding the Russian involvement in the Georgian conflict, comes from Medvedev and others—the belief that the pot has been stirred from Washington—have me very worried about what is really going on in this election. After all, who is best prepared to face issues reminiscent of the cold war?
If these four, very prominent politicians can find some way to be ultra genuine, and give this country a fighting chance at an unknown future. The United States cannot afford to once again have more trouble created than we can get out of (remember the war in Iraq?).
But we voters are fickle. The biggest change must come from within. We must DEMAND a level of truth from the media and politicians, because the United States is built upon the principles that every man, woman and child has inalienable rights. That dream has been marred by lack of power for women, finally extended in America in the twentieth century; even then there was a pervasive belief that women would vote with their eyes and feelings—something that politicians count on today. That dream had been denied to minorities until nearly one hundred years after the end of slavery; seen as backwards and somehow intellectually less than the white majority, African Americans reinforced these truths in the desperation of our shared “cultural conduct,” even though the best of us are the same as any other person of comparable class and education…but now, when we have the best chance to see eye to eye as Americans and push for the promise that our nation still holds, we wallow in old wounds and mistrust.
Government is going to be much more comfortable with a population that is too complacent and dumb to question the questionable. The call to action is for us as an entire, unified nation to use those inalienable rights—to question, to never settle for less than the American ideal, and to get more comfortable with the fact that not every idea, belief, practice and policy will please us as individuals…but that there’s a chance that tolerance and present discomfort will benefit our children’s future. For these same reasons, we must have political leaders with integrity. For these same reasons, we must only accept a media presence that is committed to fact-telling for the public good. A truly intelligent America will become a threat unless we ensure that the right people are pulling our national strings.
Change is good, and it is time for a rebirth in the United States. Both candidates are currently talking about their versions of change, and enough of us are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs to really get that much-needed change this time. It may very well be our last chance for a while.