Norman Finkelstein’s I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It: Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic Freedom is a provocative critique of modern leftist movements, identity politics, and the concept of "cancel culture." It challenges--no, skewers--widely accepted norms and influential figures within these realms, offering scathing critiques of both individuals and broader societal trends.
Had I not received it as a Christmas present last year I may have not been aware of it. Depending on your frame of mind it will either be a breath of fresh air or anathema as Finkelstein knocks over the sacred cows of identity politics and cancel culture. I found it a thought-provoking, liberating breath of fresh air.
The book is structured in two distinct parts. In part one (400 pages) Finkelstein--himself an unabashed liberal--takes aim at what he views as the betrayal of class-based politics by identity politics, which he believes diverts attention from systemic economic inequality. He critiques notable figures, including Ibram X. Kendi and Barack Obama, arguing that their approaches ultimately serve elite interests rather than fostering meaningful societal change. Finkelstein juxtaposes these figures with historical advocates of universalism, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Frederick Douglass, emphasizing a focus on universal human rights rather than fragmented identity-based advocacy.
When I saw that part two begins by addressing the matter of holocaust denial, I was most curious on how Finkelsten, whose parents both died at the hands of the Nazis, would approach this. It was brilliant.
This second part addresses academic freedom, suggesting that even objectionable ideas should be openly debated to foster critical thinking. He explores the broader implications of censorship in academia, particularly its impact on intellectual rigor and free discourse. This section reflects his personal experiences, including his denial of tenure at DePaul University, which he presents as a microcosm of the challenges posed by cancel culture in academic spaces.
Finkelstein’s critiques are grounded in his belief in the pursuit of universal truths, influenced by the philosophies of John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant. The book has benn praised for its fearless approach, though some readers may find its tone confrontational. He doesn't pull punches, and most are right on the mark.
Here are three reviews to sink your teeth into if you can't find the book itself. (It's not too late to ask for it for Christmas 2024.)
You do not have to agree with everything any writer says or believes in older to gain insights from it. That includes Finkelstein. Wherever your political feet are planted, this book will give you food for thought.
There are quite a few news stories asking if the fellow who inadvertently broke the Osama Bin Laden story had created Twitter's CNN moment. Frankly, I do not understand the question. I myself thought Twitter's CNN moment was two years ago in Mumbai* when that massacre occurred which so shocked the world. Twitter got it first that time, too. Unfortunately, we have become so inured by infoglut that we only remember the now and if journalists call this a CNN moment, so be it. In two years some other news story will break on Twitter and no one will remember this one either.
Jeff Moravec states that Twitter can make shared events come alive, but is wholly inadequate as a news organization. Yes, there are journalists on Twitter, and for these the social media site is a fabulous resource. But Twitter's strength lies elsewhere. As far as being a news delivery system, I agree with Moravec's blog entry at theMinnesota Blog Cabin.Personally, I think Twitter is a great resource for crowdsourcing. If you want an opinion on a hot issue, check out the Trending Topics. I predicted Obama would be president based on the 9 to 1 ratio of tweets favorable to Obama during the presidential debates. I realize this data has flaws because maybe only certain kinds of people are in that scene. It is still useful, however.
Nevertheless, the fall of Tunisia and Egypt has shown us that Twitter and the new media have great power, despite its limitations. Where it all will lead is anyone's guess though. One thing I know for sure, though, is that I want to talk about something else tomorrow.
Y'all have a good day. *see Mumbai Heartbreak Hotel, http://tinyurl.com/447fwj9
A New York Times headline caught my eye this morning: "Europe Set to Party for Inauguration." The Alan Cowell story notes that this is not only an American event. It is a global event.
Former Vice Presidents and Presidents, and dignitaries from the four corners of the world are present. Movie stars and other luminaries are likewise present. And an amazing mob of well wishers and seekers desiring to be part of the celebration.
I'm on the West Coast at the moment. Having just finished breakfast I'm able to watch the unfolding drama on a large screen TV. It's amazing.
The last commercial that played before CNN went uninterrupted was a Pepsi spot featuring the Who's "My Generation." The commercial is superb, positioning Pepsi as the choice for every generation.
I have no idea how many people are gathered on the lawn that stretches from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol, but it is quite a contrast from May Day 1971 when I stood in that same crowd as part of an anti-war statement many made in my generation. This crowd is waving American flags like crazy. I don't see anyone today throwing rocks at the police.
Perhaps the numbers are a positive, too. There may be millions here today. I stood in the midst of several hundreds of thousands.
Today, seven of the Supreme Court justices are present to participate in this extraordinary experience. In contrast, it was rumored that President Nixon had set up machine guns at the top of the steps in front of the Supreme Court Building lest the building be assaulted by the demonstrators.
I know that a lot of people have seen the Bush presidency as highly divisive, but my sense is that the past eight years was only the culmination of a polarization that began during the Viet Nam era.
Barack Obama's presidency may be a defining moment in American history. Based on the Times story cited above, and because our nation has such influence today, my prayer is that President Obama's reign will be a defining moment in the future history of the world.
"It has never been my object to record my dreams, just to realize them." ~ Man Ray
This morning when I woke, the dream I'd been dreaming was fresh in my mind. Some of the dreams I have are complete stories, others are fragments, scenes or simply images. Unlike artist Man Ray, it was indeed my object to record my dreams. To realize them, I am not so sure.
I'd developed the habit of keeping a dream journal when I was in junior high school. For six years I wrote hundreds of pages of detail. When it started I felt my night life, or subconscious imagination, was far more interesting than my mundane suburban existence.
The habit eventually dissipated when I went to college. Occasionally, however, as a young artist I would paint a scene from a dream. I remember one painting I'd done, maybe four by six feet, of two boys in swimsuits looking at a floating mattress. An image from a dream.
This morning I woke with a dream scene involving president elect Obama. The image was of a steak being served in the White House. On the plate was what appeared to be a slice of beet. In actuality, it was a listening device developed by the CIA or some other organization that deals with secret things like listening devices, etc. They were especially proud of this one, because it was so real that if you ate it, it could be chewed and eaten just like a beet. No evidence left behind.
They had several other such devices they were working on, all of them food items. A slice of cucumber, a slice of tomato. The tomato slice was totally juicy looking.
Honestly, I don't know what any of it means, but upon waking it was fun to ponder. What are you pondering today? Does it have anything to do with eating your vegetables?
Have a great day. And keep dreaming. It's one of the most original things any of us can do.
PHOTO CAPTION: A plate of eggs, bread and jalapeno is actually more than it appears. Which is the listening device? (click images to enlarge)
Don't know what came over me yesterday. I'd intended to do a year end review, something upbeat as we headed into the new year. But that WSJ story about the end of the U.S. as we know it just washed over me and swept me up in its current.
Yes, undertows are powerful and can be dangerous. No, it didn't wash me out to sea. Aside: Did you know that Jack Nicholson, while a teen growing up in New Jersey, once saved five peoples' lives who had been carried out into the ocean by an undertow? There were eleven swept out into the deep. Young Jack grabbed a lifeboat and headed out to save them. He says he puked his guts out after, but the newspaper only showed the shining face of the hero, which caught someone's eye, carrying him off in another current to the turbulent seas of fame in Hollywood.
Anyways, that WSJ story, popularized via the Drudge Report, certainly diverted me from my intentions. I don't really buy into the idea of our country breaking up into fragments by 2010. There are some who might enjoy seeing such things, like the Soviet analyst who saw his own nation crumble into pieces. Yugoslavia was similarly broken into fragments in recent history, which I can't help but think would weaken it and create inefficiencies. The most difficult problem is for geography students who simply can't keep up with all these changes. Yugoslavia was first broken into six parts in 1990's, into 8 a couple years ago and now, as of 2008, Kosovo has become a ninth entity.
A friend in Pakistan fears that the U.S., in an effort to strengthen its global stranglehold on that region of the world in the name of stability, has the same designs on his own nation. Some over there have expressed concern that the Mumbai tragedy will be used as a pretext for increased intervention.
We're not making much progress here in our year end review, though the last two snippets at least relate to the theme. Maybe I'm in avoidance mode since the collapse of housing, and the tsunami of bankruptcies and other financial disasters, culminating in the Madoff scandal as exclamation point, hardly bears repeating.
So, while all this tragedy was happening, what were the top searches for 2008 according to Yahoo Buzz? Number One, Brittney Spears whose police visit, hospital stay and psych evaluation were exceedingly important to Americans this year. Oh, she also appeared in a sitcom.
Number Two, the WWE heated up the cybersearchers in June with some kind of stir created when the effervescent Vince McMahon was purportedly injured in an explosion on a stage... or was it a staged explosion? Sorry, I missed it.
Number Three, Barack Obama. OK, this is a worthy number three. The guy overcame the odds, has charisma, defeated Hillary, steam-rolled the GOP and its veteran candidate John McCain... and has a lot of people rooting for him as he heads toward 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. My prayer is that we'll see miracles, because with the economic mess we're in and the international turmoil in every direction, it might take miracles to get us back to a place of stability and confidence toward the future.
Two additional quick observations. To my knowledge Obama has never walked on water. And despite his success in the primaries and election, president-elect Obama did not attract more buzz than Brittney Spears.
Rounding out the top ten stories as measured by Yahoo Searches, we have Miley Cyrus (the Hannah Montana siren), RuneScape, Jessica Alba, Naruta, Lindsay Lohan, Angelina Jolie, and American Idol.
No list of year end summaries is complete without those farewells to significant people who departed this year. I had a personal stake in at least two of the personalities on Yahoo's Top 10 list: Paul Newman and Boyd Coddington. Having the same name as a mega-star actor invariably puts him on your personal life radar from time to time. As a freshman at Ohio University in 1970 I had a room in Scot Quad, where I learned that Paul Newman had lived during part of his abbreviated attendance at O.U. I enjoyed many of his films over the years, especially his early classics The Hustler, Hud, and Cool Hand Luke. He lived a charmed life, married to his one true love throughout and generously giving tens of millions to charity.
My intersection with Boyd Coddington's life commenced in 2007 when AMSOIL began a sponsorship relationship with Boyd who, at the time, had a reality TV show building hot cars. Or cool cars, however you like to look at it. Coddington's influence on the Southern California hot rod scene was legendary. He lived his dream. At the end of 2007 I flew to Orlando where I interviewed Boyd and Jo, his good hearted wife, for a feature story in the AMSOIL Action News. It might have been the last published feature on Boyd as within weeks the effects of his diabetes put him in the hospital, from which he never recovered. Perhaps you'll enjoy reading mytribute to Boyd & Jo, Innovation and a Passion for Cars.
Other passings in 2008 included Heath Ledger, George Carlin, Tim Russert, William F. Buckley, Sydney Pollack, Charlton Heston and the European Bakery in Downtown Duluth.
On the positive side of the ledger, The Centerville All Stars produced and released a great new CD, Party with the Band. You can read my review and purchase your copyhere.
In the meantime, have a great 2009, starting today. Hot Tip:Enjoy your friends, make some memories with your families, and avoid the land mines. Happy New Year!
It's not hard to understand why Hollywood liberals were so eager to stand behind Barack Obama as he surged toward the White House. A few years back, it was easy to understand why they liked Pastor Rick Warren, too, author of the best selling book, The Purpose Driven Life. Warren was a big fan of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, though what Californian is not a fan of anything promising cleaner air?
This week Barack Obama announced that Rick Warren would be doing the invocation at his inauguration in January. The howls of protest coming from Hollywood's hills could be heard round the world.
I guess this is the age we live in. No longer can we count on common sense and civility to soothe our differences. Every decision, and even non-decisions, will have ramifications amongst one segment or another of our society. The gay community is outraged because Warren helped pass the most recent Proposition 8 which struck down gay marriage in California, an unforgivable sin.
Obama's selection of Warren is clearly an olive branch to the nation's Christian conservatives, saying let's be of one family. But many gays see Warren's selection as a slap in the face against their struggle for justice.
I have never been a big fan of Rick Warren, since I pretty much feel that the message of his books, living a purpose driven life, is not one of my weak areas.... and maybe because I am always suspicious about fame. But being a pastor of a Bible believing church as he is, and being that the invocation is historically a prayer by someone who actually believes in God, it seems Obama is not out of line in his selection.
Obama has a tough situation here. If he backs down and changes his choice, he looks weak. If he maintains the course, the viciousness of political gays may show no restraint in marring the transition of this new president to power.
The New York Times titled their article, "Obama's Choice of Pastor Creates Furor." The article focuses on Obama's response to the furor and defense of Rick Warren. "Mr. Obama’s forceful defense of Mr. Warren, the author of The Purpose Driven Life, has signaled an intent to continue his campaign’s effort to woo even theologically conservative Christians. As his advisers field scores of calls from Democrats angry because Mr. Warren is an outspoken opponent of abortion and same-sex marriage, Mr. Obama has insisted that a range of viewpoints be expressed at the inauguration festivities next month in Washington. 'That’s part of the magic of this country, is that we are diverse and noisy and opinionated,' Mr. Obama said, speaking to reporters here this week. He added, 'That’s hopefully going to be a spirit that carries over into my administration.'"
Actually, the bitter edge to this debate might be O.K. since a lot of the issues it raises have festered in back rooms and professional convocations behind the scenes for a long time. Good luck, Mr. Obama, as you strive to bring your ideals to bear on the public square.
A couple weeks back I saw an article about a Jewish rabbi from Israel who dreamed that Obama would select two Christians, two Jews and two Muslims in a more global symbol. Evidently the idea did not get much traction.
One way or another, we're watching history unfold. The depth of venom in some quarters is going to be a challenge to all of our ideals.
I am reminded of George Harrison's soft rebuke...
I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at you all
Still my guitar gently weeps
Can we find a way to love one another? We can only hope...
I know why Americans are sick of politics. About every three weeks we’re inundated with a new scandal-gate. This week it’s called Blagogate. (Google News: 63 stories today)
A big front page story early this week told how Illinois Guv Rod Blogojevich sought to capitalize on Barack Obama’s vacated senate seat. Yep. He was purportedly striving to strike a back room deal in which he could profit by selling the seat to the highest bidder.
“Come one, come all… Be a Senator and enjoy the benefits of power and privilege, D.C-style.”
Now here’s the part that gets bad. Within days some newsman tries to make a name for himself by giving the scandal a name. “What if we just add a ‘gate’ to the story somewhere?” Next thing you know, everyone is talking about this stupid thing that some guy did and comparing it, by the very nature of its name, to Nixon’s truly despotic Watergate atrocity.
Suddenly, no one cares about Mr. Obama’s appointments, or the continuing crisis in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Pakistan or Mumbai or Ethiopia or Somalia or Outer Slobovia…. Rather, in a strange media feeding frenzy, with tar slathering over everything related to Illinois, all the spotlights turn to the president-elect. How much did he know? Why wasn’t he outraged when he found out about it?
I guess it was CNN’s Rick Sanchez who came up with the tagline Blagogate. But someone would have sooner or later. And with deft innuendo Mr. Obama is on the defensive. Here’s Katie Couric on the theme:
Today, President-elect Barack Obama formally introduced his pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Daschle, but you wouldn't know it from the headlines. The press conference was dominated by questions about Illinois Gov. Rod Blogojevich, and very serious charges that he may have tried to sell Mr. Obama's Senate seat. Federal prosecutors have said there are no allegations that Mr. Obama was involved, and the president-elect stated he is confident his staffers had no hand in the hijinx.
So why is this news?
Fox News naturally gives an even more ominous spin in a story titled Obama Bungles Blagogate.
Hmmm… “Bungles” sounds like "screwed up" and fumbles and just plain messed up his first move. It also sounds like editorial jabbing, not news reporting.
And in what way did he bungle this “first major test before taking office”? In fact, why is this his first test? I would think his first test would been election night. He could have gloated. But he did not. He passed the first test… a gracious winner. The next set of tests were already waiting for him by week’s end. The automakers were on the ropes, and bleeding badly. He could have failed that, too. Or in his appointments to the cabinet… wouldn’t those be called “tests” of his judgment?
Instead, Fox focuses on this little item: “In his first major test before taking office President-elect Barack Obama finds himself sucked into scandal. The governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich, a man Obama endorsed in 2006, was charged this week with trying to sell the president-elect’s senate seat in a staggering level of pay to play politics.”
Of course this piece of editorializing is written by a Republican who quickly adds the following disclaimer:
“Let me make one thing clear: Obama has not been charged, nor is there any suspicion that he had any involvement in this scandal.” If there is not even any suspicion of involvement, then why is this a story?
So what are they saying he did wrong? “On Tuesday, following the reports that Blagojevich had been arrested, Obama said he was ‘saddened and sobered’ by the news. Saddened? Movies on Lifetime make people sad. This should make him furious.”
How about the possibility that he is saddened because he is watching a public official’s life become a public ruin? The guy may have actly like a bum, but he's a human being.
Another thing Obama did wrong was probably to come from that seething hotbed of unethical slime, Illinois. Isn’t Illinois the notorious state of Mayor Daley and Al Capone and stuffed ballot boxes and corruption? Well yes, but it’s also the Land o’ Lincoln. Besides, I never knew political corruption had geographic boundaries. New Jersey famously has the Mob, and New York Boss Tweed and crooked cops, and D.C. has its history of shame as well. And let's not forget Louisiana or Mississippi while we're at it.
As for Obama and the media, can it really be that the honeymoon is over already? If the media is going to make a mountain out of this particular anthill, it’s their prerogative. I would think, however, there are more important things to be getting a grip on right now.
I’m working a trade show in Las Vegas this week, with limited time for serious blog entries. I’d intended to write some things in advance to post each day, but with so much “Vegas in your face” (non-stop meetings, interesting people, stories, sights and sounds) plus the election happening, it seemed that recycling old material or giving re-heated pre-prepared blog servings would be lacking in something.
All that being said, let's turn to the election. Wow. It's a new day in America.
First, congratulations to everyone whose hearts were captured by the tall, dark and handsome man who last night captured the presidency. Historic would be an understatement. We wish him the best in these turbulent economic times of global unrest.
To the McCain supporters, you had many reasons to believe in your man. The magnanimity of his concession speech was a good model for all of us. It is important that we all learn to work together. Bury your hatchets and support your president.
I’m sure this election will be analyzed ad nauseum, and I am also certain that there are many stories that will be told that have yet come to light. In the 2004 election, Newsweek had the privilege of maintaining a small unit of embedded reporters in both the Kerry and Bush campaigns. Reading that account was the last issue of Newsweek that I purchased, and I am hoping they had similar access again. The old “fly on the wall” stance is where every one of us wants to be.
Theodore White’s bestseller The Making of a President set the standard for election journalism in his coverage of the 1960 battle between JFK and Nixon. It was a campaign with many parallels to the 2008 experience. A fresh, young face with style and grace…. JFK’s handlers were better image crafters and knew how to use the media to their advantage. Barack Obama likewise is skilled at oratory and vision-making. He inspired with his speeches, but did much more than that. Did McCain use Twitter? More than 3 million Twitterers had the option of following Obama there, if they wished. I did. Obama, I believe, even campaigned in the virtual realm of Second Life. (Someone can correct me if I am wrong.)
This election reminded me even more of the Clinton vs. Dole runoff. Bob Dole likewise had a physical handicap, and likewise won the nomination through longtime party affiliation. Was he the best candidate, though? In the final verdict, youth and charisma again won out over age.
Did the Saturday Night Live appearances help or hurt the Republicans? I know it helped the SNL ratings, that’s a given.
One of my favorite moments during the election day coverage on CNN yesterday was an interview with a young volunteer who had been making phone calls on behalf of the Democrats in the weeks leading up to the election. He seemed genuinely hurt by how many people were angry at him when he’d call. Well guess what, buddy? If your people weren’t calling three to five times a day this past week, we maybe wouldn’t be biting your head off. Nothing personal, but we don’t like unwelcome home invasions.
My first deed, if ever elected president will be to include all such fake phone surveys and political calls in the National Do Not Call list. Anyone out there in Washington need help writing that piece of legislation? I will happily volunteer.
Well, despite the economic fireworks on Wall Street, they pulled it off. Obama and McCain made their appearances at Ole Miss in Oxford Town just as scheduled. Strange PR antics this week, but my guess is that we’ve not seen the end of any of it, so let’s be sure to keep our collective seat belts fastened.
I just finished reading (listening to) another great book, Ten Days That Unexpectedly Changed America by Steven Gillon, based on the History Channel series by the same name. It was interesting because the key word here is “unexpectedly.” They chose ten dates that were not the ones we might usually choose, like the signing of the Declaration of Independence or the attack on the Alamo. Instead they chose more obscure dates and issues which had wide ranging ramifications. Shay’s Rebellion was one such event. The assassination of William McKinley was another.
Interestingly enough, the tenth day in the book's ten events had to do with Mississippi and race relations in America. It dealt with the killing of three young civil rights workers who were taking part in the Freedom Summer efforts to register black voters. Two were white students from the North.
The chapter details the background of this tragedy as well as the fallout.
If you are not familiar with the great lengths to which the Southern white politicians made it near impossible for a black to vote, I strongly recommend the last chapter of this book as a place to begin your homework.
What was galling to many black leaders, however, was that blacks in Mississippi had been dreadfully oppressed, terrorized and mistreated for a hundred years, and no Federal action was taken. But when two whites from good families got killed here, the FBI came in by the boatload. No expense was spared to insure justice was carried out.
The film Mississippi Burning, starring Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe, is a powerful portrayal of this specific moment in our history. Though criticized for bending facts for the sake of story, one does come away with at least a partial sense of the terror of those times. And the tenth chapter of Gillon's exceptionally researched book vividly acquaints us with those details.
That being said, one hopes that the problems of voter registration in the Deep South are behind us. We have on the ballot our nation's first black candidate for our land's highest office. It would be a shame if blacks were still still hindered somehow due to continued shenanigans.
It's hard to say what the next four years will bring whoever reaches office. George Reedy, in his book The Twilight of the Presidency, wrote, "One of the American people's most cherished notions about the presidency is that the office somehow ennobles the occupant and renders him fit to meet any crisis." (p. 30) The American people love their myths.
So, it is official. President Bush pulled the contenders out of the ring, claiming "our entire economy is in danger" and there is more important work to do.
OK, and this work is... push through a piece of last minute legislation that will rescue Wall Street and apparently save the world.
According to an AFP story two hours ago, "We're in the midst of a serious financial crisis," Bush said in his 13-minute speech from the White House, after angry legislators on Capitol Hill declared the shock proposal dead on arrival. "Without immediate action by Congress , America could slip into a financial panic," the president said. "Ultimately, our country could experience a long and painful recession."
I suppose if we believe the ominous summons, our banks, retirement nests, homes and jobs are all on the brink of destruction as the world economy teeters on the edge.
How bad is it, really? Lebron James Signed '06 All Star Nike Zoom III Shoes are still going for nearly two grand on eBay. A 1993 Honda Civic DX (with 1984 miles on it) is fetching $10,000.
Companies are still paying six figures for ad space in Sport Illustrated, and thousands for every page in smaller circulation trade journals like National Oil and Lube News or Auto Services Operator. NASCAR ticket sales are still brisk. The shelves of all our grocery stores are still stocked with food. There are still too many TV commercials on network television, which means someone is paying for that air time.
OK, so I am only an amateur economist. I do know there are companies that have been hurt these past couple years. Nevertheless, it's official. They're postponing the campaign to roll up their sleeves and hunker down, Obama, McCain and the President. We'll see how successful everyone is at cobbling together a decision that turns them each into heroes.
Presidential elections, fortunately, occur only once every four years. For 2008 it seems the sawdust trail of stump speeches and all that goes with it has been longer than ever. With the conventions now behind us, we’re finally in the last leg of the journey.
This week the real head-to-head action was scheduled to begin. The plan was for a first debate to take place Friday night at Ole Miss in Oxford Town. Yes, the same Ole Miss made famous by its historical refusal to allow blacks as students less than fifty years ago.
The same Oxford Town where MedgarEvers led the fight for voters rights, for civil rights for blacks, and for one James Meredith to be enrolled at Ole Miss.
The same Oxford Town where MedgarEvers, a World War II veteran who put his life on the line for the freedoms we enjoy, put his life on the line for fellow black Americans to become recipients of the rights our laws had promised but failed to deliver in the deep South.
The same MedgarEvers whose life was taken for taking such a stand.
And so it is, all eyes were to be turned toward Oxford Town this coming Friday. Incredible as it seems, a black candidate for the president of the United States was poised to debate another candidate in the very town where a black man could not even enroll as a student. What an awesome twist.
Unfortunately, and it’s hard to say what the fallout will be from this, but John McCain announced today that the debate was off because of our national financial crisis.
Upon further investigation, it appears that both McCain and Obama had agreed that maybe the debate should be put off, but McCain announced it first as if it were his idea.
Again, hard to say what is really going on at this point. The New York Times produced an editorial stating that McCain was the better man on foreign policy, the topic of this week’s debate at Ole Miss. In fact, the editorial so puffed up McCain’s dominance in this arena that some felt they were raising expectations for malicious purposes. (i.e., if Obama fared well, then McCain bobbled an opportunity.) You would think, however, that McCain would use this opportunity to show his stuff. Who knows?
As of this moment, I can’t comment on the candidates’ maneuvers, but I can shine a light on Oxford Town. First, Bob Dylan’s tribute to Medgar Evers, Only a Pawn In Their Game. Both the lyrics and the manner in which it was sung, on his Times They Are A-Changin’ album, is on my top ten list of Dylan works.
How anyone can seriously listen to this song without at some point getting tears in his or her eyes over the tragedy of American race relations I will never know. Here are the lyrics.
Only A Pawn In Their Game
A bullet from the back of a bush took MedgarEvers' blood
A finger fired the trigger to his name
A handle hid out in the dark
A hand set the spark
Two eyes took the aim
Behind a man's brain
But he can't be blamed
He's only a pawn in their game.
A South politician preaches to the poor white man
"You got more than blacks, don't complain
You're better than them, you been born with white skin" they explain
And the Negro's name
Is used it is plain
For the politician's gain
As he rises to fame
And the poor white remains
On the caboose of the train
But it ain't him to blame
He's only a pawn in their game.
The deputy sheriffs, the soldiers, the governors get paid And the marshals and cops get the same
But the poor white man's used in the hands of them all like a tool
He's taught in his school
From the start by the rule
That the laws are with him
To protect his white skin
To keep up his hate
So he never thinks straight
'Bout the shape that he's in
But it ain't him to blame
He's only a pawn in their game.
From the poverty shacks, he looks from the cracks to the tracks
And the hoof beats pound in his brain
And he's taught how to walk in a pack
Shoot in the back
With his fist in a clinch
To hang and to lynch
To hide 'neath the hood
To kill with no pain
Like a dog on a chain
He ain't got no name
But it ain't him to blame
He's only a pawn in their game.
The day MedgarEvers was buried from the bullet he caught
They lowered him down as a king
But when the shadowy sun sets on the one
That fired the gun
He'll see by his grave
On the stone that remains
Carved next to his name
His epitaph plain:
Only a pawn in their game.
Another evocative tune along the same lines is Dylan’s Oxford Town. At this point there will apparently not be a debate Friday night in Oxford Town. But, here are Mr. Dylan’s lyrics from that time. And in the meantime, this soap opera of a campaign will give us more to talk about tomorrow, I am sure.
Numbers are abstract symbols that people use for counting and measuring. For some reason numbers seem to fascinate us, perhaps because humans like measuring everything and without numbers we'd be stuck saying things like, "There sure were a lot of people at the protest rally today." Was "a lot" something like 18, 180, 1800, or 18,000? The number gives definition.
When I saw how much money the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has given away thus far in 2008, I was... well, impressed. Sharing that number was the impetus behind making Numbers my theme today.
312,527,657
The number of dollars the Gates Foundation gave away in first seven months of 2008.
500,138
Number of dollars Gates Foundation gave in July to World Health Organization to review the design and execution of the AIDS initiative in India.
150,000
Amount of dollars given to fight poverty in Seattle in July.
250,000
Amount given to the UCBerkely Foundation in July.
784,000,000
Worldwide box office receipts for Spiderman 2, in dollars.
822,000,000
Worldwide box office dollars for original Spiderman.
250,000,000,000
Amount of dollars lost annually to businesses due to counterfeit goods on market.
13,000
Number of seizures of counterfeit goods by U.S. government in 2007.
30,000 Number of hybrid vehicles FedEx has stated it wishes to get onto the road by 2013, but will likely fail.
400
Number of years since Dutch eyeglass maker Hans Lipperhey attempted to patent the first telescope.
1,000,000,000
Number of people worldwide who do not have access to safe drinking water.
2,500,000
Number of deaths last year from preventable illnesses and malnutrition.
90
Percent of insect species which have yet to be named.
1136
Number of pages in Tolstoy's War and Peace, the Random House Modern Library edition.
3791
Population of Easter Island in the Pacific, where my brother and his wife are on vacation today.
23.17
Number of people per square kilometer on Easter Island.
329
The number for Ed Newman in the 1969 draft lottery.
58,169
Number of U.S. soldiers killed in Viet Nam War.
10,000
Approximate number of these deaths that were not combat related.
11,465
Number of U.S. soldiers killed who were teenagers.
304,000
Number of U.S. soldiers wounded.
2,590,000 Number of U.S. citizens who served in Viet Nam.
248,241,969
Number of Internet users in North America, 2008.
73.6 Percentage of North Americans currently using Internet.
5.3
Percentage in Africa of Internet users.
1,176.8
Percentage growth of Internet use in Africa since year 2000.
1,463,632,361
Current number of Internet users worldwide.
11
My favorite number.
10
The number of books I own by Graham Greene
153
The number of large fish that Peter and disciples netted when fishing in John 21 after Jesus told them to throw their net into the water one more time after catching nothing all night.
153
Seating capacity of the Mexican restaurant in St. Cloud where I ate a Cancun (seafood burrito) after dropping my daughter off at college this past Sunday.
30
The number of Dylan songs on BarackObama'siPod.
1.3
Number of dollars spent to build new stadium for New York Yankees, in billions.
59
Number of people following me on Twitter.
1246
Number of people following DesaraeVeit.
Well... I gotta head to the office, so... That's all, folks! Have a great day.
Last week, at the end of the Dem Convention, I made the comment that it would be interesting to see how the Republicans positioned their party in the week that followed. Turns out to have been an interesting week as predicted.
The Obama campaign has been very successful at sinking home the message of Change. Time for something new, something different in Washington. I have a friend who said his father, an old man nearly eighty, was for the first time in his life thinking of pulling a lever for a Democrat. He said to his son, "Who does not want change?" The son had no answer.
Well, this week the McCain people addressed this very hunger for change by spinning the campaign theme this way: We are the candidates of change. We, McCain and Palin, are not about going to put up with the status quo politics that has become standard fare in Washington.
I watched from the PR spin angle sidelines and see it as a brilliant position to stake out. Even though John McCain has been a Washington insider for more than a little while, he has a reputation as a maverick. (It was amusing to see a delegate on the floor of the convention in St. Paul holding a sign that read, "Mavrick"... )
The night before, the convention speakers set the table with Palin's achievements. For sure, you could not get further from the beltway with this governor from Alaska. Her reputation was staked out as being one who fights corruption, who is not afraid to take on special interests. She was not afraid of a fight. Of herself she said the only difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom is the lipstick.
And, of course, John McCain, it was repeatedly noted, is himself a fighter... This is where the orchestration comes in. The theme all week of McCain the fighter and maverick all connects to our grass roots "people against the machine" desires. But it was also a setup up for his bearing of the soul to reveal his motivations. Like Obama the week before, McCain told the story of how he came to care so much for his country. He shared how he had been a proud young man, but met his match under torture. What kept him going was having to live for something bigger than himself.
McCain and Palin are now claiming to be carrying the real banner for change, painting Obama and Biden as "more of the same."
GOP originally stood for Gallant Old Party. Somehow over the years Grand Old Party must have sounded better to someone.
Fortunately, there are less than two months now to the election. Hopefully there will be no hanging chads or other disputes when the votes are tallied. But comments on the future of voting (i.e. eVoting) will be saved for another day.
1960 was a big year in my life. That was the year I got out of school for three weeks in spring and went cross country with my grandparents. From my home in Cleveland to Reno, NV, all by rail, through Chicago, Salt Lake City, prairies, mountains, day and night for three days each way. Destination: my cousins, aunt and uncle an hour outside Reno. Uncle Dale did geology and the Wolfe family lived a free, remote life. Later that same year we went to Niagara Falls with cousins, aunt and uncle on my Dad's side...
That's not the reason, however, that 1960 is today's theme. This year is an election year. 1960 also proved to be a significant election. Perhaps all are, but 1960 seems especially so. John F. Kennedy electrified voters with his oratory skills, charm and wit, and in November was elected the youngest president of these United States, breaking new ground as the first Catholic to sit in the Oval Office.
I've heard said that Obama is being compared to JFK. This week I can see a bit of that. He has charm, and panache. And so I went online (everything is but a click away these days!) and found a site that assembled JFK quotes, among others. Here are a few that pertain to the arts.
"Too often in the past, we have thought of the artist as an idler and dilettante and of the lover of arts as somehow sissy and effete. We have done both an injustice. The life of the artist is, in relation to his work, stern and lonely. He has labored hard, often amid deprivation, to perfect his skill. He has turned aside from quick success in order to strip his vision of everything secondary or cheapening. His working life is marked by intense application and intense discipline."
"We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth."
"I look forward to an America which will not be afraid of grace and beauty...an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft."
"In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation."
I chose these quotes about the arts, several from remarks made at Amherst, because 1960 was also the year that artist/poet/musician Bob Dylan emerged on the scene in NYC. Behind me here in my office is a Sept 1960 poster announcing that Dylan would be performing on the 19th at the Underground Cavern in Greenwich Village.
To think that Dylan is still making music today, 48 year later, and that that other beacon of 1960 was snuffed out 45 years ago...
Thinking of Kennedy brought to mind this very short essay by Jorge Luis Borges, which I discovered in a Fall/Winter 1970-1971 edition of The Antioch Review.
IN MEMORIAM J.F.K.
This bullet is an old one.
In 1897, it was fired at the president of Uruguay by a young man from Montevideo, AvelinoArredondo, who had spent long weeks without seeing anyone so that the world might know that he acted alone. Thirty years earlier, Lincoln had been murdered by that same ball, by the criminal or magical hand of an actor transformed by the words of Shakespeare into Marcus Brutus, Caesar's murderer. In the mid-seventeenth century, vengeance had employed it for the assassination of Sweden's Gustavus Adolphus in the midst of the public hecatomb of battle.
In earlier times, the bullet had been other things, because Pythagorean metempsychosis is not reserved for humankind alone. It was the silken cord given to viziers in the East, the rifles and bayonets that cut down the defenders of the Alamo, the triangular blade that slit a queen's throat, the wood of the Cross and the dark nails that pierced the flesh of the Redeemer, the poison kept by the Carthaginian chief in an iron ring on his finger, the serene goblet that Socrates drank down one evening.
In the dawn of time it was the stone that Cain hurled at Abel, and in the future it shall be many things that we cannot even imagine today, but that will be able to put an end to men and their wondrous, fragile life.
While normally not a television watcher, I did have the tube on for a good portion of the evening last night, tuned in to the events in Denver where the Democratic faithful have gathered all week. When possible, developing direct impressions drawn from observation will generally be more useful than weeding through other peoples’ interpretations filtered through their own biases. To the best of my ability, I make an effort here to present an unbiased account what I saw and heard last night.
The evening unfolded with many important speakers lauding the hero of the campaign, culminating in the acceptance speech of our first black presidential candidate nominated by a major party. What follows are a few of the notes I took while listening to and watching the final portion of this made for television spectacle. At the end, infinite confetti and fireworks, and a handful of talking heads expressing how they saw it.
Once you cut through those over-the-top light shows and larger-than-life projection screens, you could see that the evening was well orchestrated. By the time Obama took the platform, they had hit all the right notes. And then, for forty-three minutes he shared his vision for the future of these United States.
“It is a promise we make to our children that each of us can make what we want of our lives…” This was the opening line of the video introducing Barack Obama.
The narrator continued. “His childhood was like any other, but it was his search for self that defined him.”
“What he learned is that by discovering his own story he would learn what was remarkable about his country.”
“His grandfather fought in Patton’s army, his grandmother worked on an assembly line…”
From here, we learned about the values his mother taught him, how his relationship with his wife Michelle developed, about his schooling, and how after graduation he came to develop his passion for the downtrodden, needy and forgotten who have taken a hit due to insensitive political and business decisions. “That’s not right, someone ought to work to fix it.”
Other callouts from the intro video:
“In Washington, he would remember who he was fighting for…”
“It is a promise we make to our children that each of us can make what we want of our lives. It is a promise that his mother made to him, and that he would intend to keep.”
“Imagine what it would be like to be in someone else’s shoes. One person’s struggle is everyone’s struggle…. That’s the country I believe in. That’s what’s worth fighting for.”
In an event that is bigger than life, Obama begins the last leg of his journey to the White House, “Change” as his theme.
Barack Obama’s opening sentence to the nation, after much fanfare from the faithful who had gathered for this historic moment: “With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for presidency of the United States.”
Followed by a tip of the hat to Hillary, to former President Clinton, to Ted Kennedy “and to the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden,” and to the lovely love of his life, wife Michelle, he declared, “This moment, this election, is our chance to keep the American Promise alive.”
The position Obama seeks to establish is that John McCain is a Republican no different from Bush, and that change is a must, therefore Obama is the only real choice in November. According to Obama, McCain at the Republic Convention in September will strive to give the impression that he is not like George Bush.
Obama’s appeal is to those who are needy, and those who have been hurt by the policies of Big Money and special interests.
Reiterating another message from the intro video, Obama underscored the Promise. “I am my brother’s keeper.”
His goals were specific. “I will cut taxes for 95% of all working families.”
“And within ten years we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East,” he said. “Now is the time to end our oil addiction.” With this, and many other platform initiatives, Obama repeated his edict, “Now is the time…”
Citing Kennedy, he likewise appealed to our personal responsibility if we are to see change. Government can’t do it all. Parents must turn off the television and help their children with their homework. Fathers must help in the home. Mutual responsibility is his appeal.
“This election has never been about me,” Obama said. “It’s about you.”
“The change doesn’t come from Washington. Change comes to Washington.”
“America, we cannot turn back…. And in the words of Scripture, let us hold firmly to the hope that we profess.”
His specific promises are many, and presented clearly. Can he accomplish all this? It will be interesting to see how the Republicans position their man.
I’m not sure where I first encountered Thomas Sowell’s writings, but from the start I was hooked. His articles used to appear in National Review, I believe, when I was a regular reader a ways back in time and though I recall not its title, the first book of his that I read was a collection of essays bound in a light blue cover.
Essentially Sowell writes with an incisive wit about tough, complex topics in an accesible, straight-talking style. As a black conservative with Harvard roots (earned the hard way) he appeals to me because he’s not afraid to speak his mind, to call it as he sees it. And he doesn’t stay in the corral.
Here are some notes from an article I came across at National Review Online tonight called "Random thoughts on the passing scene." There are many more pearls where these come from. Google Search: Thomas Sowell. If you don’t know his work, he’s worth getting acquainted with.
Government bailouts are like potato chips: You can’t stop with just one.
Anyone who is honest with himself and with others knows that there is not a snow ball’s chance in hell to have an honest dialogue about race. I wonder what radical feminists make of the fact that it was men who created the rule of “women and children first” when it came to rescuing people from life-threatening emergencies.
Barack Obama’s motto “Change you can believe in” has acquired a new meaning — changing his positions is the only thing you can believe in. His campaign began with a huge change in the image he projects, compared to what he was doing for 20 years before.
After getting DVDs of old Perry Mason TV programs and old Law & Order programs, I found myself watching far more of the Perry Mason series. The difference is that too many Law & Order programs tried to raise my consciousness on social issues, as if that is their role or their competence.
Although most of the mainstream media are still swooning over Barack Obama, a few critics are calling the things he advocates “naive.” But that assumes that he is trying to solve the country’s problems. If he is trying to solve his own problem of getting elected, then he is telling the voters just what they want to hear. That is not naive but shrewd and cynical.
