"If we believe in a dog-eat-dog world where only the fittest survive, we're likely to propagate very different memes from those that arise from a fundamental understanding of the interconnectedness of things. In large part, our future as a species will be determined by which of these memes win."
- Tim Flannery, Here on Earth: A Natural History of the Planet, Atlantic Monthly Press, 2010
Primacy of a deregulated market, denial of benefits to the many to protect tax breaks for the wealthiest few, the tepid effort to create jobs...which of these views on life do you think is dominant in America today?
Joseph Marie de Maistre (1753-1821) wrote: "Every country has the government it deserves." Elections are generally decided based on whether voters are fearful or hopeful. The 2010 elections, like most in the previous decade, were won based on the stirred-up fears of the electorate. Elect tea-partiers and you have the kind of economic blackmail that occurred most recently in the debt ceiling debate.
We need to work to restore the hope that glimmered briefly in 2008. I remember one of the progressive radio talk show hosts saying just before that election that the country was in such bad shape after Bush that he almost hoped Obama would lose. Or the Presidency would crush him when he saw how little could be changed. I don't think Obama is quite there yet but time is running out. The extremist right-wing now controls the debate in this country and they are winning the battle of the memes.
Good blog...we all transmit something all the time. Fear, hope. So much fear being played upon now and so little cooperation. Party of no seems to not care to work with Obama. Obama trying but those few who can block it are darkly ascendant right now. He must take back the conversation and keep to the straight and narrow with lots of other voices like in Egypt!
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