Thoughts on "Change"
We recently elected Barack Obama to the Presidency. One of the reasons he managed to win was that he championed "change".
I cannot stress this enough, "change" does not automatically equate to goodness, sweetness, light and happiness! To put a fine point to this, change is JUST as likely to be bad, to result in failure, despair, bitterness and even - yes - evil. When Saddam Hussein came to power in Iraq, much change occurred. And as we can all discover for ourselves, most of that "change" was harmful to the citizens of that nation.
While our current war over there was started to bring about positive things, even working towards that noble goal, much "change" has occurred in Iraq that is negative, bad, even harmful to the Iraqi people. I believe that in the long run the change we have wrought there will be good for the Iraqis, but we must be honest that we also have brought about harmful and bad change to Iraq.
On the domestic front, we are undergoing a major change in our economy, and only a fool would deny that much of the current "change" is good for the average citizen. I have friends and family who have lost as much as 60% of their retirement investments - and we're talking company-mandated mutual funds and 401(K) plans here - due to the recent upheaval. (Upheaval is yet another word for "change".) Others have found themselves buried under massive debt from frightening devaluation of their homes.
Yet we have elected a President who's all about change. Make no mistake, President-Elect Obama wants to bring about POSITIVE change, but wanting, and even acting, to do so does not guarantee success.
Yes, we must do our best to see that positive change accomplished, but we must not delude ourselves into thinking that we have "won" this "good" change simply by electing Barack Obama.
I cannot stress this enough, "change" does not automatically equate to goodness, sweetness, light and happiness! To put a fine point to this, change is JUST as likely to be bad, to result in failure, despair, bitterness and even - yes - evil. When Saddam Hussein came to power in Iraq, much change occurred. And as we can all discover for ourselves, most of that "change" was harmful to the citizens of that nation.
While our current war over there was started to bring about positive things, even working towards that noble goal, much "change" has occurred in Iraq that is negative, bad, even harmful to the Iraqi people. I believe that in the long run the change we have wrought there will be good for the Iraqis, but we must be honest that we also have brought about harmful and bad change to Iraq.
On the domestic front, we are undergoing a major change in our economy, and only a fool would deny that much of the current "change" is good for the average citizen. I have friends and family who have lost as much as 60% of their retirement investments - and we're talking company-mandated mutual funds and 401(K) plans here - due to the recent upheaval. (Upheaval is yet another word for "change".) Others have found themselves buried under massive debt from frightening devaluation of their homes.
Yet we have elected a President who's all about change. Make no mistake, President-Elect Obama wants to bring about POSITIVE change, but wanting, and even acting, to do so does not guarantee success.
Yes, we must do our best to see that positive change accomplished, but we must not delude ourselves into thinking that we have "won" this "good" change simply by electing Barack Obama.
posted by Derek A Benner | 11:31 AM
2 Comments:
Derek,
I might be a cousin, but then I might not. I don't know. As for Obama's change, I think and hope the change he really envisions is a break from our political system that has become extremely corrupt and self-serving. The "leaders" of our country have become adept at feathering their own nests as they spew fear of change. Our country desperately needs to reflect upon the principles that give us our identity. We don't torture. We don't compromise our personal liberties in the name of safety. We don't throw the first punch, starting wars that have nothing to do with our own security. All these principles have been violated by the current administration. Previous administrations of both parties have had thier own shameful and disgraceful scandals. We need to clean up our act. That might mean tossing a few of the bums out, and it might mean changing the two-party system. It might mean a lot of things. But sitting around doing nothing because we fear change is not the American way. We must, as free citizens, take back control of our country, and remind these arrogant "leaders" that they are in reality public servants who are entrusted with the safe keeping of the greatest nation the world has ever known. We expect more of them than we have been getting. I have the "Audacity to Hope" that we can regain the high ground we have lost.
Thanks for your blog - you got me thinking. Happy holidays.
Paul,
If you're a cousin, you'd be related to a group of people in the Cincinnati, and Columbus, Ohio region. Would be interesting to discover the facts. :)
As for most of your philosophy, I'd say it fits right in with the Zero Agression Principle and you'd make a FINE libertarian. :) And if you think Bush is bad, what do you expect from an administration comprising the worst-of-the-worst of the Clinton administration? Change? Change comes from picking people who are completely outside the partisan politics of D.C.
But then, I expected no better from Obama.
You see, I consider the Republican and Democrat parties to be two branches of the Boot-On-Your-Neck party. :)
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