One year is an age in politics. As President Obama nears one year since his historic win, I wonder if anyone is still hopeful of revolutionary change in Washington.
The New York Times article that looked at the Obamas' marriage provides instructive insights as to who they are as individuals.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/magazine/01Obama-t.html
As far as the issue of bringing revolutionary change to Washington is concerned, that's a different issue ...
We live in this media saturated world where every little issue is maginfied out of all proportions. So, if anything truly revolutionary were to take place, people who are affected would react so vociferously to it that the media would project that as if Armageddon was at hand.
For example, I believe that "Wall Street" should be a backwater of America and the industrial heartland of Detroit and Flint and the many factory townships across Pennsylvania and the Mid-West should be the true prioneers and leaders.
Everyone seems to have accepted it by now that financial industry executives "deserve" their multi-million dollar paychecks. I don't see why banking can't be made a safe and boring profession with very low wages.
The speculators on Wall Street with their arcane "instruments" certainly do not add anything of value to the productive economy.
Their "innovations" do not add value to human society ... much less advancing the cause of human society or bettering the chances that human civilization will survive or progress in the long run.
I think we need to remind ourselves that there are those folks whose life's work does contribute to a betterment of human civilization: scientists and researchers in physical and biological sciences whose breakthroughs ensure that once incurable diseases are now curable and crop scientists whose GM foods help feed the multi-billion throngs of this world.
Really, there can be no comparison between what these true geniuses contribute to the cause of mankind vis-a-vis the sleight-of-handers (if not tricksters) on Wall Street.
Bringing a rabbit out of a hat is not exactly true magic.
Finding cures for cancer most certainly is.
And understanding the origins and structure of the universe.
The New York Times article that looked at the Obamas' marriage provides instructive insights as to who they are as individuals.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/magazine/01Obama-t.html
As far as the issue of bringing revolutionary change to Washington is concerned, that's a different issue ...
We live in this media saturated world where every little issue is maginfied out of all proportions. So, if anything truly revolutionary were to take place, people who are affected would react so vociferously to it that the media would project that as if Armageddon was at hand.
For example, I believe that "Wall Street" should be a backwater of America and the industrial heartland of Detroit and Flint and the many factory townships across Pennsylvania and the Mid-West should be the true prioneers and leaders.
Everyone seems to have accepted it by now that financial industry executives "deserve" their multi-million dollar paychecks. I don't see why banking can't be made a safe and boring profession with very low wages.
The speculators on Wall Street with their arcane "instruments" certainly do not add anything of value to the productive economy.
Their "innovations" do not add value to human society ... much less advancing the cause of human society or bettering the chances that human civilization will survive or progress in the long run.
I think we need to remind ourselves that there are those folks whose life's work does contribute to a betterment of human civilization: scientists and researchers in physical and biological sciences whose breakthroughs ensure that once incurable diseases are now curable and crop scientists whose GM foods help feed the multi-billion throngs of this world.
Really, there can be no comparison between what these true geniuses contribute to the cause of mankind vis-a-vis the sleight-of-handers (if not tricksters) on Wall Street.
Bringing a rabbit out of a hat is not exactly true magic.
Finding cures for cancer most certainly is.
And understanding the origins and structure of the universe.
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