Presidents and Dark Clouds

[liveonearth]

I must admit, after the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, I became despondent, depressed. I was alarmed at the direction our nation had taken, and it affected me deeply after the elections and continuously for the intervening years. If you have read this journal you have heard my despair and anger. I still despair now at the narrow margin by which intelligence and conscience have re-entered the White House. So many of our people are painfully, willfully ignorant. But gradually, in spite of my deep cynicism, a sense of relief is creeping in. At least now when the president's voice sounds out from the radio, I will not be disgusted and have to turn it off. At least now some in our government actually want to serve the people. My dark cloud hasn't dissipated, but every now and then a beam of light pierces through, past the edge of it. I wonder if there might actually be something real impending, instead of just inspirational buzzwords and tricky trade-offs that sound good but cost too much. A lot of people are really excited, and I am trying to hold my reservations and not fire on their glee. I don't really think Obama can save us from the logical outcomes of what we have done for the last 50 years. Rather, I think he will be crucified (or the equivalent) when he is unable to. The amount of hope and expectation heaped on this man are tremendous. At least I've lived through an election that for me inspired hope instead of anger and mourning. I do enjoy those beams of light when they reach here, under my dark cloud.

Comments

[neptunia67.livejournal.com]

My hope is that throughout his presidency, Obama convinces the American people that we must be accountable for our actions.

It is good to hear that small rays of light are coming through. That is a good thing.

accountability for actions--and inactions

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

That'll be the day. ... To me action and inaction are the same: we choose to act or not act, and we are responsible for the outcomes of our actions/inactions. Even if we decide by default--by not deciding--we are still accountable. It's hard to persuade people that they are responsible for their default decisions in daily personal life. Getting a nation of comfortable people to take responsibility for what we allow to happen by way of our apathy and inaction would be a miracle. I would love to see a miracle. That would make me so happy.

Re: accountability for actions--and inactions

[neptunia67.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. Doing nothing is just as bad as doing the wrong thing.

[sujatasong.livejournal.com]

I agree. I found Tuesday completely uplifting and hopeful. However, I, too have this heavy fear that haunts me. I am very nervous about assasination, particularly before he gets a chance to implement many much-needed policies. I have to constantly remind myself that security is much more sophisticated than in days gone by.

I find myself under a dark cloud today. I know it has to do with situations in my immediate reality, but I wonder if the absolute glee of Tuesday has caused me to crash.

All we can do is keep hoping.

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Well..... I hope your dark cloud is evaporating with the day's passing. I don't think hoping is all we can do. We can do more than hope, we can make decisions and act on them. We must. We cannot lay the burden of reversing our course on one man. We all bear responsibility for letting it get this far (are we citizens?) and we all need to DO what we can. In addition to hoping. I fear that the emphasis on HOPE is a trap, that people will believe that all they can do is hope, and remain inactive victims instead of active participants. .... The nuts and bolts of democracy have fallen in the dirt under the car, and we need a magnetized screwdriver. Desperately.

[inibo.livejournal.com]

I'm very encouraged by Obama's first steps on Iraq and civil liberties, but he has so far said or done nothing that indicates he has even half a clue about economics. If I learned anything at all from the candidate I was supporting, initially for his stance on Iraq and civil liberties, it was that without economic freedom the rest means little. You can have every appearance of freedom and still be an economic slave.

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Yes....this is the part that I cannot escape, the part that keeps me from really buying into the talk of "hope" and "change".....but at least for a while yet things will still be easy and good for most of us here in America. So I suppose I will simply enjoy it...even as I prepare for the tougher reality that awaits if I survive long enough. I don't envy the parents and grandparents who whose children will live to pay and pay on the debts we are currently expanding.

[sujatasong.livejournal.com]

You are right, of course. Right after I posted, I realized that I had over-simplified it. I think my "hope" at that point was referring to Obama's safety.

Of course he cannot do it alone. But as you know, many of us have been participating in making the world better. We just went unrecognized and unappreciated under the former regime.

It is not the time for inaction. I totally agree.

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

=-] I know that you are tuned into the complexity, no worries. I too hope and pray that Obama will be kept safe until he is able to do what he can. I keep hearing that the secret service has their hands full like never before.