Whether you agree with Obama’s politics or not, you can, undoubtedly, recognize his appeal. He knows how to connect with the people. He is the embodiment of everything our contemporary society values: power, prestige, influence, class, well-tailored clothing, a fit figure, and a winning smile. Both President Obama and the First Lady understand how to garner worldwide support by embodying the publics’ ideal. While the Republicans still behave as though their views and accomplishments will earn them support from the populace, the Obamas have learned that political support and popularity is achieved, in part, by integrating DC politics with Hollywood élan. While both the President and First Lady are accomplished, their far-reaching popularity is not due to their academic histories, nor is it predominantly due to any of their many impressive accomplishments or politics. The success of the Obamas is their ability to transform a political image and appointment into something that society understands: a social status, a style and an allure. The Obamas are anything but a classic political family. The First Lady often bares hear arms at events. The President tweets and corresponds via his Blackberry. The First Lady also ranks on Maxim’s 100 Hottest Women’s list. And the President appeared on the Tonight Show, with Jay Leno, in order to communicate his message to the public.
The Obamas understand that Americans do not watch CSPAN; Americans watch the Tonight Show. And if you want to command the attention of the people, speak their language and appear on the programming of their choice.
While the Obamas breathe new life into the Democratic Party with their flare and fashion, the Republicans are becoming obsolete. Not only is the Republican Party old, stodgy, white, male, and Protestant, in comparison to Obama Democrats, but Republican leaders and figureheads are foolish enough to air their dirty laundry in public. Crass has not and will never be attractive to voters, Mr. Limbaugh and Vice President Cheney. Moreover, to all far right wing conservatives, I beseech you to contemplate the following question: What do you achieve by ostracizing the majority of voters with your extreme stances on issues?
I think the Republicans have lost touch both with the American people and conservative values. The Republican Party has transformed into something I hardly recognize. Instead of representing traditional values such as education, family, and dedication to land and country, the Republican party stands for war, anti-gay marriage, and pro-life. Look to Obama as an example of what reaches audiences. In an America influenced by Hollywood, voters will not choose leaders who stand for war, anti-gay marriage, and pro-life. They want something different. And if the Republican Party plans on staging a comeback in DC, they better be ready to give the American people what they want: A Republican Party Makeover!
Since most Republicans leaders are probably unfamiliar with America’s Next Top Model, and the multitude of copycat and similar shows, let me attempt to explain to you a basic occurrence that happens on all such shows. The contestants get a makeover, including wardrobe, hair, makeup, runway walk, etc. The contenders in running for the elite title of reality show winner are made current, contemporary and attractive to at-home viewers, because the viewers are also usually responsible for electing the winner through weekly phone-in voting.
Viewers however, are not merely superficial. In Dancing with the Stars, for example, front runner in dance ability, Lil’ Kim, was ousted from the show prior to fellow competitor Ty Murray, the rough and unrefined bull-rider turned dancer. Voters related to Ty’s dedication and persistence, keeping him on the show for longer than the always graceful and competent Lil’ Kim.
Likewise, the Republican Party needs its own makeover, complete with new faces, a female presence, new ideas, and a new way of delivering its message. The Republican Party needs to relate to the American people to increase its voting base. No longer should the Republican Party be synonymous with old, extreme, backward, religious, etc. Let the Republican Party stand for the principles on which it was built: a commitment to traditional values.
I can only imagine the number of people who would cast their votes for Republicans if the Republican Party gave up its religious-related causes. In America, religion should never dictate legislation or politics. God’s presence in American traditions was a reflection of a recognized higher order and greater purpose. Let us return to Conservatism in its truest form, and return to these traditional values.
Roe v. Wade has become a cornerstone of our society; marital rights and unions are such a small issue. Let us do away with these topics and remove them from the center of our political discussions. There are so many other issues needing Conservative support and attention.
We are living in a time of great change; to that end, Obama was right. Where will the Republican Party be during these tumultuous times? At the forefront, championing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Will the Republican Party protect our inherent rights and be the vanguard of American traditionalism? Or will the Republican Party be so obstinate and unyielding in its status quo that it will fail to redirect current tides toward a better future? Or even worst, will the Republican Party become so inconsequential and unpopular that it disappears altogether?
In accordance with true American values, the choice is ours. Current Republican leaders and activists alike: our country is being altered. The values of our founders and framers are disappearing. Let us be the change that reintroduces these values to the American public in a way that appeals to them. Let us remake ourselves so that our message can be heard and so that we can inspire America at large to change and return to traditionalism.
The choice is here, and the time is now. Welcome to the Republican Party Makeover.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tocqueville the Prophet
In 1831, Alexis De Tocqueville visited the United States of America in order to assess the prison system here. During the nine months spent traveling through the US, Tocqueville took note of more than our prisons; he examined the strengths and weaknesses of America. Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, first published in 1833, is a celebrated and prominent work that sets in print the conclusions Tocqueville drew during his time in the US. Fundamentally, Tocqueville’s conclusion was that the US was a successful democracy unparalleled by its European associates.
Even prior to the Civil Rights Movement and the many judicial and legislative statues of the 1900’s that ushered in equality and social welfare, the US was a great nation. Unlike European countries, the United States was built on a foundation of religion for the purpose of building a life better for our children than we, ourselves, had. Moreover, Tocqueville noted the US was blessed with leaders who cared more about their constituents than their party.
In the same breath that he praised the US for its many unique strengths, Tocqueville also spoke forebodingly of the characteristics that could ruin the US, including an excessive love for equality. This seemingly honorable trait could, according to Tocqueville, drive men and women away from the unity and purpose at the core of the country. Instead, people would become increasingly materialistic and concerned with “self.” As equality increases, people begin to believe that they deserve the same wealth as everyone else in their society, despite difference in work ethic and training. Ultimately, the pursuit of self-interested agendas, such as wealth, comes at the cost of liberty.
And look where we are today. The prophetic accuracy of Tocqueville’s warning is frightening. We are a nation in debt; a lazy nation; a nation that criticizes the fundamentals of our society that we once venerated. “In God we trust,” “One nation, under God,” “God who gave us life gave us liberty.” These phrases should inspire people. These phrases are at the root of what makes this country great. We are all equal under God. Without God, under what measure are we equal? Based on society’s current value system, God has been replaced by a measure of wealth. The economy crumbled partially as the result of over spending in our pursuit of equal wealth. Exchanging God for money is not paying off.
Not only has our economy depressed as a result of our new focus, but also our entire value system has been transformed. Latest statistics released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that 40% of infants born in the United States were born to unwed mothers. As a society were are no longer dedicated to creating a complete family unit consisting of two parents (irregardless of gender or race). Are we putting our children first? We are not ensuring that our students succeed in school, as our performance rates continue to plummet. And what have we done to improve the health of our youth? Obesity is become an increasingly pervasive problem among our students.
We are also no longer a religious country. According to the American Religions Identification Survey, the number of Americans identifying as Christian has dropped by 10% since 1990, and 15% of Americans give no thought to religious identity, whatsoever.
The irony of our current state is that as our quality of life improved, we have become increasingly apathetic and content to be dependent on the government. The government makes too many decisions on our behalf, and the leaders do so with little regard for the best interest of their constituents. Our representatives and government leaders represent the political parties, corporations and interest groups that support them. As a result, the government is influencing free market banking, pursuing universal health care, and creating far too many overly indulgent social welfare programs. In short the government is controlling our destiny.
We Americans have confused liberty with equality, and in doing so, we have surrendered our power to the government. With increased control, the government will make us the same. Government institutions will be our equalizers. But the American way has never before been about equal, as in the same. America has always stood for the right to the same opportunities. We are all free to pursue the same ends; we are not all the same. I want the liberty to be responsible for my own failures and successes. I want the liberty to make my own way- to work for what I want and to earn what I have.
In this vein, I want a political party and a set of leaders capable of inspiring the nation to be better than we are today. To turn back time and get in touch with the unique characteristics that made the US the envy of the world.
We are a country built on the sweat of immigrants, the brilliance of our founders, and the courage of a proud people unafraid to work and daring enough to be better than the rest of the world. Let us not forget from where our power stems, and may we be brave enough today to reclaim our collective heritage and as one people take back the right to control our own destiny.
Even prior to the Civil Rights Movement and the many judicial and legislative statues of the 1900’s that ushered in equality and social welfare, the US was a great nation. Unlike European countries, the United States was built on a foundation of religion for the purpose of building a life better for our children than we, ourselves, had. Moreover, Tocqueville noted the US was blessed with leaders who cared more about their constituents than their party.
In the same breath that he praised the US for its many unique strengths, Tocqueville also spoke forebodingly of the characteristics that could ruin the US, including an excessive love for equality. This seemingly honorable trait could, according to Tocqueville, drive men and women away from the unity and purpose at the core of the country. Instead, people would become increasingly materialistic and concerned with “self.” As equality increases, people begin to believe that they deserve the same wealth as everyone else in their society, despite difference in work ethic and training. Ultimately, the pursuit of self-interested agendas, such as wealth, comes at the cost of liberty.
And look where we are today. The prophetic accuracy of Tocqueville’s warning is frightening. We are a nation in debt; a lazy nation; a nation that criticizes the fundamentals of our society that we once venerated. “In God we trust,” “One nation, under God,” “God who gave us life gave us liberty.” These phrases should inspire people. These phrases are at the root of what makes this country great. We are all equal under God. Without God, under what measure are we equal? Based on society’s current value system, God has been replaced by a measure of wealth. The economy crumbled partially as the result of over spending in our pursuit of equal wealth. Exchanging God for money is not paying off.
Not only has our economy depressed as a result of our new focus, but also our entire value system has been transformed. Latest statistics released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that 40% of infants born in the United States were born to unwed mothers. As a society were are no longer dedicated to creating a complete family unit consisting of two parents (irregardless of gender or race). Are we putting our children first? We are not ensuring that our students succeed in school, as our performance rates continue to plummet. And what have we done to improve the health of our youth? Obesity is become an increasingly pervasive problem among our students.
We are also no longer a religious country. According to the American Religions Identification Survey, the number of Americans identifying as Christian has dropped by 10% since 1990, and 15% of Americans give no thought to religious identity, whatsoever.
The irony of our current state is that as our quality of life improved, we have become increasingly apathetic and content to be dependent on the government. The government makes too many decisions on our behalf, and the leaders do so with little regard for the best interest of their constituents. Our representatives and government leaders represent the political parties, corporations and interest groups that support them. As a result, the government is influencing free market banking, pursuing universal health care, and creating far too many overly indulgent social welfare programs. In short the government is controlling our destiny.
We Americans have confused liberty with equality, and in doing so, we have surrendered our power to the government. With increased control, the government will make us the same. Government institutions will be our equalizers. But the American way has never before been about equal, as in the same. America has always stood for the right to the same opportunities. We are all free to pursue the same ends; we are not all the same. I want the liberty to be responsible for my own failures and successes. I want the liberty to make my own way- to work for what I want and to earn what I have.
In this vein, I want a political party and a set of leaders capable of inspiring the nation to be better than we are today. To turn back time and get in touch with the unique characteristics that made the US the envy of the world.
We are a country built on the sweat of immigrants, the brilliance of our founders, and the courage of a proud people unafraid to work and daring enough to be better than the rest of the world. Let us not forget from where our power stems, and may we be brave enough today to reclaim our collective heritage and as one people take back the right to control our own destiny.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
I Don't Know
I Don’t Know
Clarity was something that did not used to elude me. I knew what I wanted; I knew how to obtain it. Even the world seemed to make more sense. Getting a job, an internship, an opportunity could be virtually guaranteed by satisfying the specified requirements. I knew how to operate in this controlled system. Today, I live life with great uncertainties. Caught between indecision and an increasingly tenuous social, geopolitical and economic environment, I am nearly paralyzed. How do I proceed when I don’t know what I want? Moreover, even if I could identify a particular pursuit, achieving it would be difficult if at all possible.
In trying to focus long enough to compose this blog entry, I am compelled to try to approach my dilemma with logic. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs seems like a decent means of evaluating my life’s deficiencies and drives. Upon assessment, I recognize that I have satisfied my physiological, esteem, and self-actualization needs. Somehow, I have satisfied higher needs without satisfying some of my more basic needs. When it comes to the needs of safety and belonging, I am deficient.
In order to satisfy these unattained needs, I need to determine the appropriate geographic location and field to pursue without compromising my other needs. So how do I determine what motivates me? How do I determine what will enable me to feel secure while allowing me to feel enlightening, accomplished and benevolent? How do I not feel overwhelmed and lost by the realization that a month before turning 25 I am completely unsure about everything? The only thing of which I am sure, is that I want to be a part of something worthwhile; to contribute to something that’s legacy is replete with contributions made and results realized. I want to make a difference and contribute to the positive transformation of our world.
But how do I achieve this? As of now, I just don’t know.
Clarity was something that did not used to elude me. I knew what I wanted; I knew how to obtain it. Even the world seemed to make more sense. Getting a job, an internship, an opportunity could be virtually guaranteed by satisfying the specified requirements. I knew how to operate in this controlled system. Today, I live life with great uncertainties. Caught between indecision and an increasingly tenuous social, geopolitical and economic environment, I am nearly paralyzed. How do I proceed when I don’t know what I want? Moreover, even if I could identify a particular pursuit, achieving it would be difficult if at all possible.
In trying to focus long enough to compose this blog entry, I am compelled to try to approach my dilemma with logic. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs seems like a decent means of evaluating my life’s deficiencies and drives. Upon assessment, I recognize that I have satisfied my physiological, esteem, and self-actualization needs. Somehow, I have satisfied higher needs without satisfying some of my more basic needs. When it comes to the needs of safety and belonging, I am deficient.
In order to satisfy these unattained needs, I need to determine the appropriate geographic location and field to pursue without compromising my other needs. So how do I determine what motivates me? How do I determine what will enable me to feel secure while allowing me to feel enlightening, accomplished and benevolent? How do I not feel overwhelmed and lost by the realization that a month before turning 25 I am completely unsure about everything? The only thing of which I am sure, is that I want to be a part of something worthwhile; to contribute to something that’s legacy is replete with contributions made and results realized. I want to make a difference and contribute to the positive transformation of our world.
But how do I achieve this? As of now, I just don’t know.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Chiaroscuro and the Bible
I heard a fabulous sermon at services last month, delivered by Rabbi Adir Posey. Rabbi Posey posed the following dilemma: as part of our Jewish heritage, we are told to be happiest, not during the month of our exodus from Egypt, not on the days designed for the coronation of God, but rather during the (Jewish) month of Adar. How is it that we are supposed to be happiest on a month during which so many afflictions and attacks have tormented the Jewish people? Just last year, the Yeshiva Merkaz HaRav was attacked during Adar, leaving five students and three teachers dead. In 1996, 13 were murdered when a suicide bomber detonated a bomb outside of the Dizingoff Center. In Adar, 2002, the bombing of a Jerusalem café left 11 people dead and 54 wounded; in Adar, 2003, another 17 people were murdered and 53 were injured as a result of a suicide bombing of a bus in Haifa. Just today, a terrorist rammed a construction vehicle into a police car and bus, injuring two police officers. How can we be happiest at a time when we have experienced so many horrors and have had so many reasons to grieve?
To resolve this dilemma, Posey, in typical Jewish fashion, asked another question: what was the catalyst for Jethro’s choosing to leave his position of esteem in the pagan world to join the wandering Israelites in the desert? Jethro did not ally himself with the Israelites following the miracles of the Exodus nor following the phenomenon of the splitting of the Red Sea. In fact, Jethro joined the Israelites only after their battle with Amalek. The Amalek militants attacked the Israelite women, children and elderly, and for the first time since their miraculous exodus from Egypt, the Israelites were seen as being vulnerable. In spite of their weakened image and great losses, following the battle with Amalek, the Israelites continued their journey to Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah. Posey argued that Jethro was inspired by the commitment of the Israelites to their religious destiny even when armies stronger than their threatened their survival.
Following the miracles of the Exodus story, the Israelites were in a state of complete invincibility. Much like a Monet, the entire future of the Israelites was bright, colorful, and easy to appreciate. In contrast, Posey compared the state of the Israelites after the attack of the Amalek people to a Rembrandt. The master of chiaroscuro, Rembrandt’s paintings were often dark, practically nocturnal. Inset into these dark paintings would be a single candle used to illuminate the entire scene. Even when facing the dangers of Amalek, the Israelites’ commitment to their objectives allowed them to continue pursuing their goals. Their flicker of hope and dedication lit their way and inspired Jethro to join them.
The contrast between light and dark is a theme carried out in all traditions. Literary analysis is replete with the juxtaposition of light and dark imagery. Even Disney films employ this technique to add to their films. Disney antagonists, such as Ursula, Snow White’s stepmother and Jafar, were all dressed in black. Conversely, the protagonists in Disney’s films were always dressed in light and bright colors. Like Disney films, the chiaroscuro technique in art enables the audience to appreciate the light because it is unique in its dark surroundings. Unlike a Monet where colors and brushstrokes are remembers, those who view a Rembrandt remember the light.
In the Jewish month of Adar, the Jewish people celebrate a single day of salvation on the holiday of Purim. On that day, the Jewish people were saved from immanent death and annihilation. Their salvation was not complete. But that single day, surrounded by many days of worry and suffering was all the more remarkable and worthy of celebration.
Today, with the constant threats of a crumbling economy and a strengthening military foe in Iran, it is important to look at the entire picture and recognize that we are living in a period of chiaroscuro. Surrounded by many troubling conditions, there are fragments of light. It is crucial that we recognize these rays of hope, possibility, and goodness in spite of the overall bleakness of today. These precious features will be what allows this period in time to be remembered not as the period of darkness, but as a period remembered for the glimmer of light.
To resolve this dilemma, Posey, in typical Jewish fashion, asked another question: what was the catalyst for Jethro’s choosing to leave his position of esteem in the pagan world to join the wandering Israelites in the desert? Jethro did not ally himself with the Israelites following the miracles of the Exodus nor following the phenomenon of the splitting of the Red Sea. In fact, Jethro joined the Israelites only after their battle with Amalek. The Amalek militants attacked the Israelite women, children and elderly, and for the first time since their miraculous exodus from Egypt, the Israelites were seen as being vulnerable. In spite of their weakened image and great losses, following the battle with Amalek, the Israelites continued their journey to Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah. Posey argued that Jethro was inspired by the commitment of the Israelites to their religious destiny even when armies stronger than their threatened their survival.
Following the miracles of the Exodus story, the Israelites were in a state of complete invincibility. Much like a Monet, the entire future of the Israelites was bright, colorful, and easy to appreciate. In contrast, Posey compared the state of the Israelites after the attack of the Amalek people to a Rembrandt. The master of chiaroscuro, Rembrandt’s paintings were often dark, practically nocturnal. Inset into these dark paintings would be a single candle used to illuminate the entire scene. Even when facing the dangers of Amalek, the Israelites’ commitment to their objectives allowed them to continue pursuing their goals. Their flicker of hope and dedication lit their way and inspired Jethro to join them.
The contrast between light and dark is a theme carried out in all traditions. Literary analysis is replete with the juxtaposition of light and dark imagery. Even Disney films employ this technique to add to their films. Disney antagonists, such as Ursula, Snow White’s stepmother and Jafar, were all dressed in black. Conversely, the protagonists in Disney’s films were always dressed in light and bright colors. Like Disney films, the chiaroscuro technique in art enables the audience to appreciate the light because it is unique in its dark surroundings. Unlike a Monet where colors and brushstrokes are remembers, those who view a Rembrandt remember the light.
In the Jewish month of Adar, the Jewish people celebrate a single day of salvation on the holiday of Purim. On that day, the Jewish people were saved from immanent death and annihilation. Their salvation was not complete. But that single day, surrounded by many days of worry and suffering was all the more remarkable and worthy of celebration.
Today, with the constant threats of a crumbling economy and a strengthening military foe in Iran, it is important to look at the entire picture and recognize that we are living in a period of chiaroscuro. Surrounded by many troubling conditions, there are fragments of light. It is crucial that we recognize these rays of hope, possibility, and goodness in spite of the overall bleakness of today. These precious features will be what allows this period in time to be remembered not as the period of darkness, but as a period remembered for the glimmer of light.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Growing Pains
Even though science has never established evidence to support the correlation between pain and growth, there were many nights in my youth that I suffered from awful pain in my legs. Even if science does not acknowledge its existence, both of my parents did. Those nights during which the backs of my legs were tight and sore, I was experiencing growing pains. Growth, apparently, is sometime accompanied by pain. It makes complete sense to me that growing to the incredible height of 5’2” would be brutal. All great feats are achieved with some struggle and suffering, after all.
And so it is in my 20’s. I continue to experience growing pains. Only these pains no longer pull at the muscle tissue of my legs, rather at the muscle tissue of my heart. These are the growing pains of turning a 5’2” girl into an adult. Had I known that I would come to experience aches such as these, I probably would have resigned myself to stay a child forever. I guess that’s why life does not come with a warning label; it would discourage participation.
This last week has forced me to face truths in others and myself. Greed, insecurity, self-centeredness, untrustworthiness, indiscretion, while my companions and I are all recognized as being laudable people, we are not perfect. Although this conclusion would not surprise most, it does pain me. In spite of the worldly, erudite persona I project, I am naïve and foolish. I assume a level of infallibility in all of my friends. We are human and young and so imperfect, and yet, I have always clung to the belief that my friends are mostly without flaws. I have mistakenly always seen the goodness in my peers without seeing any of the attributes that make them more human, their flaws and weaknesses.
My growth this week has been twofold. Firstly, I have had to face the imperfections in my friends. Secondly, I have had to reevaluate myself and how I respond to their humanness. Instead of allowing errors to mar my vision of my friends, I am working on myself so that I can see both flaw and finery concurrently in the same individuals.
Growing hurts. But like stature, great relationships are borne out of struggles and suffering. And like height, maturation is worth the pain.
And so it is in my 20’s. I continue to experience growing pains. Only these pains no longer pull at the muscle tissue of my legs, rather at the muscle tissue of my heart. These are the growing pains of turning a 5’2” girl into an adult. Had I known that I would come to experience aches such as these, I probably would have resigned myself to stay a child forever. I guess that’s why life does not come with a warning label; it would discourage participation.
This last week has forced me to face truths in others and myself. Greed, insecurity, self-centeredness, untrustworthiness, indiscretion, while my companions and I are all recognized as being laudable people, we are not perfect. Although this conclusion would not surprise most, it does pain me. In spite of the worldly, erudite persona I project, I am naïve and foolish. I assume a level of infallibility in all of my friends. We are human and young and so imperfect, and yet, I have always clung to the belief that my friends are mostly without flaws. I have mistakenly always seen the goodness in my peers without seeing any of the attributes that make them more human, their flaws and weaknesses.
My growth this week has been twofold. Firstly, I have had to face the imperfections in my friends. Secondly, I have had to reevaluate myself and how I respond to their humanness. Instead of allowing errors to mar my vision of my friends, I am working on myself so that I can see both flaw and finery concurrently in the same individuals.
Growing hurts. But like stature, great relationships are borne out of struggles and suffering. And like height, maturation is worth the pain.
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