The mandatory election post

It’s coming. Obama will win tomorrow and the world will be a more wonderful place for it.

In some ways, I’m sad to be away in a different country while this happens in the U.S. (Don’t worry, I voted via absentee ballot!) The joy welling up in me is something I very much want to share with my friends and family in the States, and it’s something that my Taiwanese friends very much respect and admire, but cannot understand, just as I could not hope to fully appreciate their hatred of their last president for betraying them.

Some Americans I know here in Taiwan are trying to withhold themselves from premature revelry, perhaps out of fear of jinxing Obama’s win. Yes, he’ll likely win, they say, but what if he doesn’t? They say they wouldn’t be able to deal with the disappointment.

But I look at it this way. Now is the time when the cheering should be loudest. It’s home team advantage. You give your man all you’ve got, and yell yourself hoarse as he comes down the home stretch. Trepidation now can cost the world so very much.

This weekend I was reminded of this lesson when I faced what was to me a deplorable lack of world understanding. It’s been ages since I’ve logged onto Facebook, but I thought I would give it a go and see if I could get in touch with any blueshifting friends—or acquaintances, I suppose, because I have an e-mail address for pretty much anyone I’d ever call “friend.”

I was met with the discussion that follows. Of course I couldn’t help but chime in. I warn you that at parts it reads like a series of YouTube comments, and at others like an introductory logic course.

At times in that discussion I think I was a real prick. That’s typical of me, and while perhaps not the best method, I do think there’s something to be said for shaming individuals into self-reflection. Some are more susceptible to this technique than others, of course, but I’ve seen some deep moments happen in other people when undergoing ridicule. I know I’ve experienced such magic myself.

Here’s to tomorrow. Raise your glass with me, won’t you? And don’t forget to debate!

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You’re currently reading “The mandatory election post”, an entry on Im Voraus

Published:: 11.04.08 / 4pm

Category:: musings

Tags:: debate, n00bz, politics, sociology, web 2.0

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cihan

11.04.08 / 7pm

He’ll win this election that’s pretty sure. I’m kind of afraid of other points that come with being a afraamerican president in such a financial meltdown.

Just think of that:
The meltdown might be much worse than it looks right now. It might be the worst ever. Lots of economists say that. And don’t forget how ‘you all’, the population, think of all that in one year. Gas/Oil will cost much more, more homelessness and I don’t want to mention the unemployment…Now you’ll blame Obama even though it is not his fault. The stupid stuppppid racist will have their opportunity. Sorry to say that but you americans are great and lousy at the same time.

I would love to see Mc Cain and his party struggling with this problem. Besides Palin would be just the right follower of the aureate Chaney. And do you honestly think that election isn’t a fake? Come on who would let a nearly dead old man and a crazy chic from alaska candidate for president. It’s all set up…you should vote for Mc Cain and see how the puppet players of this world have to change strategy.

afro amerikan

african american who know?!

I WANT TO POST A SCREENSHOT!

Conor

11.04.08 / 8pm

I agree that Obama might turn out to be the scapegoat in all of this. That’s definitely a possibility, that future generations will misinterpret history and blame him instead of his predecessors. Hopefully scholars will be able to divine the roots of the problem (much better than we can at present), and analyze whether whatever it is Obama will do helped or hurt the U.S. and world economies.

And keep in mind that should Obama get elected, that will be a major, major blow for racism overall. Yes, perhaps there will be (very well contained) immediate backlash from racist groups, but that milestone will lead to “social progress,” so to say. Is there still racism in the U.S.? Yes, of course, that’s obvious. But it’s so much less than what we had just 50 years ago. And this is another step in the right direction.

As for the election being a sham: I used to suspect the same thing, but now I truly believe that the neocons and all who think like them are blithering, blundering idiots, and they are crashing and burning amidst their hollow ideology of hate. Yes, Americans can be dumb. We didn’t fight back against the Iraq war. We sat idly by and said, “As long as it doesn’t hurt my wallet, I don’t care.”

But the philosophy of greed and short-sightedness (geopolitical maneuvering using oil as a valuable resource is a perfect example of how unsustainable their model is) has led to, as you say, a financial meltdown. They fucked up, and lost the trust of Americans on the one thing they said they could handle: that everything would be OK at home. Go ahead and drop bombs anywhere in the world, as long as I have a job and an SUV and a bigscreen TV.

It’s not like that anymore. We’re getting poorer, fast, because of horrible leadership. People hate us. Thus the desire for “change,” and that’s something that I genuinely think Obama can at least have a hand in, if not singularly and exclusively enact himself.

I agree that Obama is a really good choice. But if you take antoher look it is not always about who is the right person. Sometimes it is better to see the full disaster to find the guilty ones. And if Obama is president the most population will forget them. And that’s what I don’t want. I want that all those puppet players, all neocons, all that damn bastards get what they deserve…I think for americans it’s hard to see it but as an european child that grown up in a political family it’s obvious that the ‘puppet players’ do their next step.

To employ an analogy: Hoover:FDR::Bush:Obama.

well that were old times…things have CHANGEd

emily p

11.05.08 / 4am

i hate people who like to talk about nothing.

that last bit though, about self reflection, is by far the most interesting part of your post (to me). you once forced me to ask myself if i’m a horrible idiot hypocrite for being casual about joking around with death and murder, but very touchy and intolerant of any and all kinds of rape jokes. (haha, you sonofabitch)

Imposcillator

11.05.08 / 7am

Don’t ever feel bad about being a prick in this way. Eloquent (and meaningful) ridicule is educating to those on the receiving end and amusing to the observers that fathom its purpose.

Gem Tiz

11.05.08 / 10am

I voted for Obama and I actually went around for 2 hours putting signs around peoples door knobs to make sure they voted for him. If elt really good about myself after I did that, so I rock.

11.05.08 / 11am

@Gem: PA went blue because of you, bro! Wooooo!

11.05.08 / 7pm

@Imposcillator: I’m glad you see hope in this technique, too. My brief time so far in Taiwan has taught me a lot about the value of publicly shaming someone into behaving differently.

It seems so logical, but I was raised to think that was taboo.

Anne

11.06.08 / 2am

You’re wrong about the flag. I think that as others erroneously judge one’s patriotism by whether or not they wear a little flag pin, you erroneously judge those that do display or honor the flag as “infused with fear and blinded by patriotism.” Both sides err.

I care about our flag and honor it and treat it with respect. It is the symbol of our country, of all the good and wonderful things our country is, and therefore should be honored.

The American values you say you care about: openmindedness, competience, intelligence, and work ethic – the American flag has symbolized just these things for over 200 years, and we all should be proud of that and see that it continues to do so.

Because Nixon and other zealots have dishonored that flag while wearing it in their little flag pins and because some idiotically insist that wearing these pins or not defines ones patriotism – well, that just means they’re foolish, and doesn’t negate the proud symbol of our American flag.

You SHOULD care about our flag, for it, like the flags of other nations, symbolizes US. Seeing our stars and stripes should automatically mean that you are seeing truth and honesty and doing what is right. For a long time that’s exactly what seeing that red, white & blue meant not only to us, but to all the world.

and btw, the flag on Obama’s plane? The original flags were trademarks of the airline that provided the plane. They had to be removed, and they were replaced with another American flag on the tail. But people just noticed that “that” flag was removed and were a little, uh, judgmental. Just like you’re being about people who love the flag. <3

11.06.08 / 5am

Oh, and yes, you were DEFINITELY being a real prick in that discussion and should apologize to them. Being a prick never “shames individuals into self-reflection.” Haven’t you learned that yet? It just entrenches people more deeply in their beliefs.

Taking the high road, being open-minded and tolerant does work. Not always, but has a much better chance than prickdom.

11.06.08 / 5pm

@Anne:

openmindedness, competience, intelligence, and work ethic – the American flag has symbolized just these things for over 200 years

Symbolize that to whom? Have black people in America thought that for 200 years? In the past 50 years, have the people of Korea and Vietnam and Afghanistan and Iraq though that the American flag is the harbinger of “openmindedness” and “competence”? Sure, maybe a lot of Western European nations might have memories of our noble actions in WWII, but we all but lost that friendship shortly after 9/11.

I truly consider myself a patriot, I do, but that means to me that I’m really, really critical of how American values are conceptualized and represented. Fervent respect for the flag is worrisome to me, because I think it’s a cheap placeholder for real patriotism. Respect for the flag should always be the cherry on top, and when people treat it like a fundamental aspect of American patriotism, it really gets under my skin.

These people don’t love this country more than I do just because you adhere to rituals of respect. In fact, maybe they love it less. It’s hard to tell someone you love that what they’re doing is hurtful, whether to themselves or to you, but when you really love them, you say it.

Basically, I’m (perhaps inappropriately) using inductive logic because I’ve noticed an extraordinarily high correlation between flag-lover comments and “GO PALIN!” sentiment, as displayed above. You’re right that I could work toward reappropriating flag respect instead of bashing them for it, but personally I think the first priority is to get them to pay attention to the more important issues.

I’ll take into consideration the fact that my professing flag respect could be used as a argumentative concession in debate, a kind of negotiating tactic. But I still worry that it would too much contribute to the ideology that “We are America, therefore whatever the hell we do is right, so shut the hell up and like it.” If it’s not OK to criticize flag-worship, what is it OK to criticize? That’s what I worry about. I want behavior examined perhaps a little more broadly than is usually done.

As for the being a prick, I’ve seen great success from this method before. Maybe I will outgrow it, though.

11.06.08 / 11pm

I think in a longer term than you. I see the entire history of the flag, you see the past few years only. Whereas I look upon the last years as a glitch, you seem to look upon them as the final word.

“Fervent respect for the flag is worrisome to me, because I think it’s a cheap placeholder for real patriotism.”

SOMETIMES. Sometimes it is.

All I’m saying is that you seem to jump to that conclusion first instead of last, and I’m merely suggesting that it would be more accurate to not assume that right away. A bunch of flag-pin-wearing, “Go Palin!” folks on Facebook do not a country make.

It is difficult not to take our own personal experiences and extrapolate them into universal truths applicable to all, but it is important that we resist the urge. Having lived through the Nixon years, I myself equate the flag-pin on the suit of a white man as indicative of shifty behavior, but as a post-WWII baby I also equate love of and respect for the American flag with The Greatest Generation and all that is right with the USA.

I think in the balance, the good and honest are in the majority. Had my parents lived long enough for you to have this discussion with them, I think you would understand.

Will

11.07.08 / 2pm

Personally I don’t see the flag as a symbol for the values of America, but more as a symbol of America. Sure the two are connected but I haven’t really been convinced that the flag represents the equality, opportunity and freedoms that are (or should be) associated with the country because I feel that citizens themselves are the better representation of this. While flags do not often change the American flag has only done so when expanding land, as to say the same flag flew when women and African-American’s were refused the right to vote as does today but it is the people that have evolved to embody these changes. While it is hard for a flag to change to display these changes I don’t think that the flag captures the sentiments of the nation and it’s people in the same way that seeing and experiencing it does and thusly makes a poor representation. It is impossible to remove the flag from America, after all it’s what it stands for and I do respect it as a symbol of our nation, but I don’t think that it should be the end-all symbol of everything that America stands for as it is constantly changing and evolving along with it’s citizens.

As far as Obama not wearing a flag pin I really have no issue as he of all people represents what America stands for rather than a small replication of the flag (maybe if they wore flag capes I’d change my opinion) and was a unnecessary distraction in the grand scheme of this election.

11.09.08 / 5am

@Will: Way to bring that comment home in the final line, damn!

I agree with you. I think it’s obvious now that our jaded view of American values is a generational thing, and perhaps even something we’ll grow out of. I don’t see our generation becoming another “Greatest,” but I doubt the last one saw it coming, either.

I look at it like this: my dog misbehaves. Do I love it very much? Of course! But I want to train it better before I take it out in public.

Ayham Al Maleh

11.14.08 / 11pm

Wauw, connor, you can be such a show off.

loved it.

cya

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The mandatory election post

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