The *United* States? I don’t think so
While both Obama’s speech and McCain’s concession talked about the need to come together to heal the divide, I can’t help but think that American politics are more polarized today than ever before. A comments thread on one of the major networks’ website had over 2000 comments, equally divided between “I’m so proud to be an American today,” and “He’s not my president.” Some of this is turnabout for the left’s actions towards the Republican administration over the last eight years. Said one commenter, “I’ll give him the same respect and allegiance the left gave Bush since 2000.” Attitudes like that make it more likely, not less, that American politics will continue to be sharply divided. It’s not helped by the “How do you like them apples?” attitude of some of the Democrat commenters. Some comments, however, were of a different tone altogether. What do you say to something like this:
There once was a country in dire straights. Having fought wars abroad that other nations were calling wars of conquest, the country had little political capital on the international scene. To add to the woes, a worldwide financial crisis meant that the country’s economy was down the toilet. When it came time to elect a new leader, the people chose a young man who was a brilliant orator but an untested, inexperienced politician who had promised to restore the land to its former glory if only the people would work together and follow him. The country? Germany. The man? Adolf Hitler.
The level of discourse in American politics is at an all-time high for divisiveness. And while I think that McCain would probably have been a better choice for the US (I think, like Cam, that Obama simply has a better record speaking than acting) – a position that will probably horrify most of my fellow Canadians – I’m not of the opinion, as some American commenters are, that an Obama presidency is the end of the USA as they know it.
The most worrisome thing for me in this whole election is now the media will be congratulating themselves on getting their man in, which makes it all the more likely that the reporting will be even more biased next election cycle, whether that’s still for Obama, or whether they’ve moved on to some other candidate. They’re now convinced of their power to affect the outcome of the election, and rather than use this perceived power more judiciously in the future, the likelihood is that they will be more bold in their attempts to put their candidate in the White House.
United they stand? We’ll see…
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I agree on all points. Excellent quote. I’ve been wondering for months how a great speech giver turns into the leader of the free world.
Hello,
So I came on your site to reply to your comment about astrology. I think your response interesting Yet, lacking. Pretty much you say that because we are further away the powers that the Universe may have on us would be unseen.
Hmmm…..
Sure.. but I find in my life there is too much proof to say we are more connected to the universe, to the world then we can even understand. Thank you for commentating. I felt like I need to comment on this blog you wrote on the USA election.
So I love the quote as well. I think it is really interesting to present Adolf Hitler in a light that represents him as a savior to the people. That is exactly what the Germany people needed and wanted. Someone that would help them. He had a very different idea of how he wanted to help. Therefore I feel like the quote is trying to imply that a person that sounds good on paper may not be good in real life. I don’t understand how this can apply to another person. My dad is also very skeptical about this election. Mostly because he was burned in the past by a politician
who promise change and ended up putting my province into major debt.
I think it is sad. My dad can not forgive being hoodwinked. He feels like he was taking by someone he believe in. I think it is sad.
Forgiveness. When someone is able to forgive fully they are free. People will hurt people, and that is just the way things are. People will make mistakes. But those mistakes are beautiful, that is how we learn. Without people like Hitler, we would not have learned how wrong acting in that way is. I think this has happened in the past. This is what you are saying by explaining this quote. Someone in the past has promise this, and look what he did. So therefore the next person who promises this might do that. So pretty much we should do nothing because that way we never have to be let down, or hurt?
Don’t you want to believe that there is someone that wants to help. Who loves more deeply for people. Who truly wants better for people.
That belief is what keeps people going. Why do you think their is Religion, faith? It is because people desperately want to believe.
It is the belief of good that keeps us going. Why do people go to school, do tests, take classes, work jobs, clean their house? Because it is the hope that doing this will bring happiness. That feeling is what keeps people living.
Don’t you want that belief?
In this blog it seems like you think people are just saying “na na na na nah naaaa” or “how’d you like them apples.” This is what you are focusing on? The few people who YOU think are rubbing it in your face? I think you might be missing it, no one is congratualating getting THEIR man. PEOPLE ARE HAPPY. they are congratualating the world on finally realizing we need one another.
Think about it? For all races. He is the beginning of the end of this division of races. (This doesn’t mean that racism is going to go poof. but it is another step in the this direction.)
Julie.
What people need is hope. Hope. This is More MOOORE important that what he may or may not do. He is just one person. What people need is to help one another. What Obama represents is hope that there is a better world. Him by himself will not change anything.BUT What he changes is how people will change for him. He has just given hope to millions of people. People who never imagined being, doing anything.
He has just sent a HUGE boost of morale to the USA. which filters to so many other countries, and people.
Hope is what drives people to be better.
I strongly agree with Dana who commented on the US blog. I think pollitics can be dirty and unneccessarily nastey or inmature at times on BOTH side. However, I also thing change and the beliefe in change is beutiful.
PS. if you dont like the liberal media change the channel – try fox
the exact sam arguement could be made for the concervative media.
First, the quote: I don’t agree with it. Well, I mean it’s historically accurate, but the attempt to paint Obama in the same light as Hitler is doomed to backfire.
Second, astrology: Anecdotes are not the same thing as proof. There is a standing $1,000,000 (that’s one million dollars) prize for anyone who can prove psychic powers or other supernatural phenomena. In 10 years, no one’s won the prize. It’s actually been around in various forms since 1964, so more than 40 years of attempts at the prize have all resulted in failure. I suggest you read this page on why astrology cannot actually predict what it purports to predict. I stand by my assertion that any force exerted by planets and stars would be subject the inverse-square ratio, meaning that if they actually affected us, the energy fields would have to be enormous enough to be measured by conventional scientific methods. If they are not large enough to show up on normal science instruments, I submit that they are not strong enough to have any kind of influence on people.
Third, the tone of the American political campaign: I don’t think you’ll find many people who would argue that this presidential campaign has been one of the meanest, dirtiest campaigns in recent memory, from the allegations of Obama being a Muslim, to the rumours that Sarah Palin’s infant son was in fact her daughter’s. The tone after the election was largely the same – folks on the left saying “Finally the retards are not running the country any more.” Folks on the right (including, to his eternal shame, Dr. James Dobson) saying an Obama presidency will result in the ruin of the ideal of the USA. There are people on both sides who are being more restrained, but their voices are lost in the cacophony from the hard left and the hard right. And it will be up to these middle moderates to join together to rebuild the US if they have a hope of coming out of this in decent shape.
Finally, media bias: If you don’t think the media were rooting for Obama, you should read this article I linked to last week on the slanted coverage this election.
To clarify – I wasn’t saying that Obama is incapable. I’m not an Obama fan, but not a McCain one either. I work in a corporate world where you need experience to get the top job. This election has been like promoting a mail room clerk to a CEO. Obama just doesn’t have the experience. He has great words, and great dreams, and I hope he can put his plans into action. I’m just a realist.
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OBAMA!!!!!!