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The State of Our Union - Listening to Nobody
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Feb 1, 2006 Posted by Rich HarwoodI watched President Bush and Governor Kaine last night in total shock and awe. Surely, they can’t believe the American people buy what they’re peddling. And members of Congress who keep howling and standing and clapping, surely they must know their posturing is silly. What about the real America?
There were three phrases that framed last night’s speeches: “There is no honor in retreat;” America is a “hopeful society;” and there is “no higher calling than serving others.” Wow! Too bad each of these phrases was maligned, abused, mangled, and appropriated.
The problem is this: I’ve crisscrossed the nation now six times in the last 15 years, and these three phrases, as they were used, simply distort people’s reality. Let’s take each phrase one at a time:- “There is no
honor in retreat” – true enough. This
phrase framed a huge portion of the
president’s message. Unfortunately, much of
America is in retreat. As I’ve outlined in
Hope Unraveled, Americans have told me
that over the last 15 years they have retreated
from public life and politics into close-knit
circles of family and friends. They have done
so because they feel their reality is not
reflected in public life and politics and that
it is often purposefully distorted by, among
others, politicians seeking their own gain.
The phrase, “There is no honor in retreat” should have applied here at home. In fact, it reminded me of when someone turns a phrase on you in an argument – trying to get the upper hand. Last night the president should have engaged Americans in a conversation about how we can reverse our own retreat – here at home. - America is a “hopeful society” – not
in the way this phrase distorted people’s
reality last night. In many respects,
people’s hope has greatly diminished over the
past 15 years or so. Too much “false hope”
is peddled in our society – overblown
expectations, inflated achievements,
unrealistic timelines, and manufactured heroes.
Americans want to be hopeful – but that will
require reflecting their reality, engaging them
on a purposeful path, and acknowledging the
real challenges they face in their daily lives.
People will not be hopeful simply because we proclaim that they are, or because there is a litany of new proposals on the table. Understanding people’s reality, accurately reflecting it, and showing how one’s ideas relate to that reality are all necessary steps to move forward. Few of these could be heard last night. - “There is no higher calling than serving
others” – yes, but too bad that neither the
president nor the governor really talked about
this. They discussed what government needs to
do, what the private sector needs to do, but
never really what each of us as citizens need
to do. Let’s face it; there was no higher
calling last night. Instead, the call went out
that each of us should expect to get all we
want, when we want it, all at a low cost –
and with good, government efficiency!
A hopeful society, a society not in retreat – these require each of us to step up and engage as citizens, to think about our common challenges, to consider how we each must contribute, to see how we are inextricably connected to one another.
I know that Americans want a hopeful society. They believe they must not be in retreat. And they also believe that serving others is a higher calling. So why don’t we start to truly act on those sentiments?
What did you think of the speeches last night? I’d love to hear your thoughts. - “There is no
honor in retreat” – true enough. This
phrase framed a huge portion of the
president’s message. Unfortunately, much of
America is in retreat. As I’ve outlined in
Hope Unraveled, Americans have told me
that over the last 15 years they have retreated
from public life and politics into close-knit
circles of family and friends. They have done
so because they feel their reality is not
reflected in public life and politics and that
it is often purposefully distorted by, among
others, politicians seeking their own gain.
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Feb 6, 2006 | Bill Harreld
Rich, I was displeased with your negative comments; I would rather hear positive comments about what we can do to grab our boot straps and try to help our government do what needs to be done on all three points from the address. Thanks, Bill Harreld
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Feb 4, 2006 | Margaret Holt | agkefalas@charter.net
Rich - Your comments are aligned with how I critiqued the speech. It was more like a circus than a serious address concerning the situation of our country. It was not hopeful, and like you I wondered how those most victimized by the hurricanes and other national tragedies felt as American citizens. The Democratic response could have been elevating if the message was much more concrete about what citizens could be doing to move in the direction of a better way and better days for this society. We also should have had much more guidance in these messages about ways to protect our environment and be better stewards of the land, air and water.
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Feb 3, 2006 | Valerie Dale | valerie_dale@yahoo.com
Way too broad a question for this kind of format, Rich. But suffice it to say, George Orwell would have loved it! When I read 1984 back in the 1970's I thought the whole concept was just so simply stupid. What society would ever have allowed that to happen?! No way!!! Not in the America I knew and loved.
Today, I get it. Fear. Fear from an outside enemy who lurks in the shadows and causes us to seal our homes in plastic and duct tape. Fear of others we CHOOSE not to understand or learn about. Introduce this kind of fear, and people become sheep. People eat sheep.
I continue to be deeply disturbed that we do not know where 3500 - 6000 fellow Americans are or if they are even alive, that the entire Gulf Coast region of our country has been decimated - jobs, homes...and thousands of people displaced and lost throughout our nation.
This after 4plus years of emergency preparedness. This after losing our civil rights, our right to privacy, the violations of law and the constitution our founding fathers fought so hard and so passionately for.
And this is only one set of a few words this nation's leader spoke about last night.
Truly appalling.
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Feb 2, 2006 | dave sabine | dsabine777@aol.com
as a friend of mine said: "What filter are people looking through when they watch these political speeches?" If you were the owner of USA Inc you would have replaced the company president several years ago for presenting no vision, offering no leadership, and failing to deliver on the strategic plan. Because of fear of terrorists, too many appear to be willing to relinquish their rights, their dreams, and their ideals; not for a day or a year, but for all time. No nation is entitled to endure preeminant forever, and none ever has. And in our present direction, we will not be the first.
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Feb 2, 2006 | John Spady | jspady@aol.comWe (citizens) do a lot of LISTENING, but it is the ability to BE HEARD that is necessary to recreate. Random sample polls (scientifically accurate but not an avenue for social expression) and Editorial pages in newspapers (competing for limited space with other voices and op-ed invitees) no longer seem effective mechanisms for public expression. Just so you know, signatures are being gathered to put Initiative 919 before the voters of Washington State this November. It is trying to bring attention to the need to recreate the pathways for expression of opinions among citizens and their governments at the state, county, and local levels. Please take a look over this still evolving web site: http://EasyCitizenInvolvement.com Thank you for listening. http://EasyCitizenInvolvement.com
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Feb 1, 2006 | Richard FLoyd | rmfloyd1@aol.com
Presidents Speech
People just plain don't care, don't pay attention, and don't listen. For if they did there would be an out cry heard across the nation so loud everyone would hear it without TV, radio or newspapers.
A very famous person once said, "The human species must decide whether they wnat to be the plague of the Earth or the Earth's Physician?" We must decide quickly!!!!!!