Chapter 80.9: Back to the Future, Forward to the Past

Every now and then, I actually poke around through the emailed newsletter I receive from the Council on Foreign Relations. Given the significant transition we are facing as a nation, I found the latest issue particularly interesting. In it is a link to an essay written by Dean Rusk, then a trustee with the Rockefeller Foundation and in less than a year of this essay being published, the U.S. Secretary of State.

In the essay, which is very long, he makes prescient observations on the status of the United States at that time and where he envisioned it going. But I was caught also by one of his simplist observations: "To the rest of the world [the president] embodies the dignity and sovereignty of the Federal Union and has much to do with the image of America projected beyond our borders. He leads our solemn observances and sets the tone of our national life. Whether we move with zest and confidence in our public and private affairs or plod along in apathy or bewilderment turns in large part upon the morale which flows from the White House."

In light of what America has seen over the past 28 years (i.e. since President Reagan), Rusk's words should be instructive for president-elect Obama. One of the things I like about Obama is how smart he is and that he is able to use that intelligence to convey confidence. I don't doubt that Sen. McCain is intelligent and I honestly don't doubt that President Bush is intelligent, though I think his arrogance and that of Vice President Cheney have brought shame to the United States that will take years to wash clean. But neither Bush nor McCain — and not even President Clinton when he was so embattled — left me feeling confident.

We need President Obama to continue to instill confidence in Americans of all stripes if we are to succeed during what promises to be one of the most challenging economic periods of our history. Right now, Web sites are filled with speculation about what an Obama presidency will mean for investors, what it will mean for health care, even what it means for Sen. Joe Lieberman. I'm sure some of the points noted in these pieces are accurate, and I'm sure that some will prove to be wrong or misguided. The facts will play out and like the Roshomon effect, will depend on perspective in order to convey a semblance of truth.

Perspective is important to a leader. What Americans need now is to believe in the power of that office for good once again. After eight years of President Bush's ideologically driven decisions that left half the nation unguarded and President Clinton's self-centered dalliances that sullied the office, I hope that President Obama can restore confidence in America's place in the world, in our leadership, and in our goodness.

It is a lot to ask of any leader — probably too much. And I'm sure there'll be times when he fails; he's human. But damn, we need a leader now.

Chapter 62.4: Conservative Truth?

Ok, a quick note -- but I'll need to read on. I can't believe what I've just read in the Los Angeles Times: a history teacher got angry because a student used the term BCE (before common era) rather than BC (before Christ), which the student got it off of Wikipedia?! And as a result of this anger, the teacher decided that conservatives needed to create a wiki-based encyclopedia that conveys the conservatives' perspective.

That's ridiculous! The point of an encyclopedia is to convey information in as objective a manner as possible. It should inherently be neither conservative nor liberal, Democrat nor Republican, western nor eastern. I recognize that objective truth is a matter of debate, but that's part of the point too. If this teacher wants to dispute BCE, wonderful! Go for it. But it's not as though it was created by Wikipedia. The term has been around for many years. Personally, I think it's an unnecessary attempt at political correctness: the timeline starts at the same point, so the Christian bias remains intact. But I think Muslims and Buddhists recognize the historical significance of Jesus, regardless of whether they agree with the tenets of Christianity. Jews have a different calendar than Christians; these things coexist without any significant problems, right?

If the teacher wants to complain about the potential for anonymous changing of Wikipedia entries, fine. That's actually being addressed in something called Citizendium. I'd rather complain about why a teacher seems to have a problem with a student venturing beyond the teacher's information in order to learn. The teacher should be helping to mold this student's mind, helping the student to think for himself and assess the veracity of sources of information. Just because a book is published, for example, doesn't mean it's accurate. Interpretations cannot be assumed to be fact. As far as I can tell, BCE is a term of art -- and not a particularly elegant one. But teaching students to only use one perspective is simply ugly.

Chapter 60.1: Lighten Up

I awoke to the expected rainfall: a steady, soaking rain that our ground probably needs. There's been a lot of talk about this nor'easter -- some are saying it'll be the worst in twenty years. I doubt it. I've seen lots of rain storms, including a few hurricanes that flooded regions of New Jersey near where I live, and I'll be surprised if this rises to that level (pardon the pun).

There's a good article on Weather.com that keeps things in perspective.

That said, I'm on first aid duty today, and I anticipate it to be a busy day. I've already had one call (not weather related, just a general illness), and I suspect there's an accident or two to come. Not that I'm looking forward to them! I could go all day watching movies and reading and writing till 7 p.m., thank you. There won't be too many baseball games on today, so it's a nice day to stay inside and just vege out. The good Lord willing, people will remain safe in their homes and I won't have to venture too far afield. Stay safe, people.