Exceptional Delusion

Professor J,

I cannot agree more with your words about how "W and his administration squandered the goodwill of the world" and "the unity and communal fellowship we had with each other."  I remember that day he came out to speak, I was waiting to see what words of wisdom he would impart. The spirit of the country was one that was ready to be told what work needed to be done, what sacrifices needed to be made. Go shopping? My heart sank. More than just squander an opportunity I think he did real damage to a national psyche that was then left without a way to channel the fervent desire to help. The country desperately needed something worthwhile to pour that energy into. Instead the lack of leadership left us feeling adrift and helpless.

While I'm writing this, CNN is showing a story about some New York Police Officers who were videotaped simulating sex acts under the guise of dance while patrolling a parade recently. The commentator is referring to the "further coarsening of our culture." I keep being surprised that I can still be shocked. Sometimes I feel positively quaint.

On to our illusions: Watching the GOP debate was excruciating. Lots of "truthiness" on that stage. But when Ron Paul offered up a more complex explanation of the motivations of the 9-11 terrorists than that they hate our American Exceptionalism, freedom, and opportunity, (Santorum's mantra) the hall erupted in raucous, loud booing. Watch the clip here.  Hedges explains:

"We ask to be indulged and comforted by cliches, stereotypes, and inspirational messages that tell us we can be whoever we seek to be, that we live in the greatest country on earth, that we are endowed with superior moral and physical qualities, and that our future will always be glorious and prosperous, either because of our own attributes or our national character or because we are blessed by God. In this world, all that matters is the consistency of our belief systems. The ability to amplify lies, to repeat them and have surrogates repeat them in endless loops of news cycles, give lies and mythical narratives the aura of uncontested truth. We become trapped in the linguistic prison of incessant repetition. We are fed words like war on terror or pro-life or change, and within these narrow parameters, all complex thought, ambiguity, and self-criticism vanish." (p.49)

The story the same news channel is now airing is about a group of citizens banding together to pull a motorcylist  out from under a burning car. They quickly ascertained the situation, decided what needed to be done and worked together, risking their own safety, they used their combined strength to lift the car up and rescue the injured man. Would that we could translate that kind of behavior on a massive scale.

Just this once, your brevity is appreciated (and matched). This successful spectacle producer is recovering from massive amounts of joy, work, and partying. :)