An Interesting Time
What ever happens tomorrow this has been a very interesting time for us in American politics and history. We nominated a mixed race African American for the presidency on one ticket, and placed a woman on the ticket of the other party.
We have seen registrations and voter turnout at unprecedented levels. We have also seen some disappointing behavior and some parochialism. This is the first election my son will be able to participate in. It has been an interesting experience talking with him and his friends about what the issues are that resonate with them and why they support one candidate or the other.
The "passion" or vehemence I have seen in this election has been something to behold as well. I am not a big fan of personal attacks from either party. I am not a fan of labeling either. Labeling to me is when you ascribe pretty negative motives to someone for a view point that is different than your own- whether that is sexism or racism or whatever.
If we take a look at other dynamics going on in the world we know that whoever is elected they come in to the role with a lot of issues facing them. The volatility of the U.S economic picture and in reality the world economy, the fear and anxiety that people have about leadership in general, the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a bunch of others.
I hope they recognize that neither candidate or party has a clear "mandate". The polarity of the election means a lot of bridge building and attempting to reach out to your soon to be former opponent.
I think that the style of the candidates from how they ran their campaigns, to how they made the selections of their running mate was also an interesting exercise in leadership and communications.
I don't know about you, but personally I am ready for the campaigns to be over and for us to begin to move forward. I hope that we have learned something over the past few years and we are willing to move forward with creating a new model for this time and age, regardless of the outcome tomorrow.
We have seen registrations and voter turnout at unprecedented levels. We have also seen some disappointing behavior and some parochialism. This is the first election my son will be able to participate in. It has been an interesting experience talking with him and his friends about what the issues are that resonate with them and why they support one candidate or the other.
The "passion" or vehemence I have seen in this election has been something to behold as well. I am not a big fan of personal attacks from either party. I am not a fan of labeling either. Labeling to me is when you ascribe pretty negative motives to someone for a view point that is different than your own- whether that is sexism or racism or whatever.
If we take a look at other dynamics going on in the world we know that whoever is elected they come in to the role with a lot of issues facing them. The volatility of the U.S economic picture and in reality the world economy, the fear and anxiety that people have about leadership in general, the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a bunch of others.
I hope they recognize that neither candidate or party has a clear "mandate". The polarity of the election means a lot of bridge building and attempting to reach out to your soon to be former opponent.
I think that the style of the candidates from how they ran their campaigns, to how they made the selections of their running mate was also an interesting exercise in leadership and communications.
I don't know about you, but personally I am ready for the campaigns to be over and for us to begin to move forward. I hope that we have learned something over the past few years and we are willing to move forward with creating a new model for this time and age, regardless of the outcome tomorrow.
Labels: Change, economy, election, Leadership, war
posted by Mark at New Paradigms LLC at
9:50 AM
5 Comments:
Thanks Mark! I have never been a proponent of "You are bad, so therefore that makes me good." marketing. Yuk. I think Tim Wise made a great comment recently in his essay titled, "Open Letter to the Undecided".
"A real maverick would have said the following: "My friends, I want your vote, and I sincerely believe that I am the best man for this job. But if you are supporting me because you are afraid of having a black president, or because you believe my opponent to be a terrorist, or a Muslim (and you believe Muslims are evil and unqualified to hold office), or because you believe the long-since discredited rumors about him that have been bouncing around the internet, or if you wish him harm, either now or in the future, I am asking you not to vote for me. More than that, I am telling you not to. I am asking you to stay home on election day, because I don't want the support of people like you. If the only way I can win the presidency is on the backs of bigots, I'd rather not win."
If anyone wants the whole thing, I can send to you. Just let me know.
Looking forward to the changes and future that is coming up!
Elizabeth
My view from the Left Coast is that the power of words to influence, either positively or negatively, has been very abundant during this election cycle, which has seemed to go on for ages. What is clear is that perhaps at no time in my 62 years on this earth are we more in need of people to recharge themselves with the true meaning of what it is to be an American and how we can begin to retake the mantle of leadership in this fragmented and painfully divided world.
I have witnessed great acts of courage in my neighborhood of folks one would assume believe one way, actually believe in surprising ways on many topical and volatile issues. I've learned over the years not to assume anything, but still some folks were revelatory in their beliefs, some to the possible detriment of their relationships and businesses. Has this been good for us as a nation? I think so in spite of the nastiness. This is a milestone as our Pax America comes to a sad end. We are engaged, we've broken the mold in so many ways and these are exciting times.
We will need to put the rancor of the campaigns behind us and do what we've always done: come together to accomplish great things and leave a legacy our children can build one.
Though I'm an opinionated person that is highly invested in social change (I believe pretty much everything I do from my business to how I raise my children is proof of that)I was not going to vote in this election.
This would not be the first time. I voted once in my life and then stopped after I worked as a consultant for one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world.
After that position I realized that governments are in the hands of big corporations who actually run the show.
This time is the first time I'll be voting again. I'm still skeptical as to what happens after the elections in this respect, but I feel the attempt alone-- putting this topic on the agenda-- is making my vote meaningful.
To me there is nothing worse than been played except being fully aware of it and playing along.
Thanks Mark for this platform.
Reut
Well Mark, I come from old EU and it is not my intention to comment specifically the on going US campaign for president.
Any case some of your thoughts resonate with some thoughts of mine, so I desire to share with you.
I agree that we are at a turning point, or at least that we have this kind of opportunity.
The world is not becoming but already, in practice, so complex and unpredictable that may be our approach have to change.
To play with financials and economics is now no less devastative than to play with atomic weapons. To play with cultural models is no less devastative than to play with biological weapons (make it sense "to export the democracy" ?). And so on: each of us could be able to generate a lot of similarities like these.
Many thinkers, from the very beginning of XXth century, understood that our westerner civilization was on a track for a Global Mobilization interesting all the facets of our societies: the economy, the culture, the finance, the war, the politic, to the purpose of one only goal. The all inclusive control and domination of the overall earth resources: energy sources, rough materials, transformation power, money, people.
I like to mention some of these thinkers: Ernst Junger, Zygmut Bauman,Paul Virilio.
I don't suggest we have to return to a supposed ideal "past" where "things were much more at a human dimension". May be it is impossible, for example.
But I sure we must have an attitude more prudent, and more responsible considering:
1) the power level gained by humans;
2)the fact the POWER is neutral: nor good, nor bad in itself;
3) the fact the difference (good/bad) don't stay in the goal ("the street that belong to the hell is plated by good intentions" )
4) may be the difference is the result of a continuous ethic exercise
5) the ethics instruments we have are quite inadequate, considering the extension of our power (our actions consequences extend their effects on a planet level, for thousands of years, conditioning in an unknown and unpredictable ways our future generations wellbeing if not right to exist:....see Hans Jonas).
But "who" have to be more prudent and responsible ? Not only "someone other" (the President, the Senate, the managers or the owners and so on....). Instead each of us.
Each of us in my opinion, more than in the past, have to put in practice his/her natural right to participate in democratic discussions, using at the best the democratic tools to delegate (and retire, if and when needed) the power to decide and so on.
I suppose this is the same sentiment that is moving Reut to return to vote....
The world is already to much complicated to permit to little, uncontrolled and to much "self interested" people to decide what we have to pay for what: now and for thousands years to come.
Domenico
Hi Mark,
thanks for sharing your thoughts on such an important issue.
Congratulations on your electoral process and for the victory of Barack Obama.
My best regards,
Ricardo
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