The Abyss Stares Back
J.K. Kunstler can always be depended upon for dramatizing hidden disaster like his blog and title this week:
http://jameshowardkunstler.typepad.com/clusterfuck_nation/2008/08/the-abyss-stares-back.html
His success comes from our collective uncertainty that things done badly can come out okay simply because nothing really bad has happened yet, or to most of us anyway.
The successful rise of Obama opens an expansive hope that we can turn things around and his new sidekick Biden is a good addition to the team for hope, and perceived wisdom of age perhaps, only 6 years younger than the wisened McCain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden
I'm all full of hope Obama can win the presidency. He "won the message" with "yes we can", but now what? What CAN WE DO if power is gained.
Not much I'm afraid. I mean imagine - what if Kerry had won in 2004, what would have happened? Perhaps quite a lot, but I'd bet we'd still be in Iraq, still have the subprime banking crisis, still have high energy prices, still have people seeing a world that is less promising than it looked before, AND pretending McCain was still running in that world now, he'd be even bolder to suggest it would have turned out better if Bush had been re-elected and he would bring back the White House and fix up what the Democrats and Kerry could not. WORSE, even if Obama wins in 2008, I'm convinced whatever we become by 2012, it won't be what we WISH, and so any "yes we can" promises in 2008 will become "No we couldn't" apology in 2012.
Okay, dropping the pessimism if I can, AND I trust Obama to do better than McCain in cleaning up the messes we have, I have no interest in "sacrificing the presidency" in 2008 like I accepted in 2004. In 2004, the majority spoke, and they were idiots, now proven. But can the "new majority" do any better?
On a different side, I respect McCain much more than Bush, (and I respect Bush in his second term more than I should - at least a lame duck can sometimes be more honest than someone still grasping for power.) I'll vote Obama, easily, without reservation, no thought at all that Nader is doing anything other than complaining that people aren't paying enough attention to him. Anyway, I'll take Obama or McCain, and accept they may yet be about equal in ability to make a difference. Maybe I'm too kind in this assessment?
Anyway, ultimately I despair because I don't see any solution except "The Crash". I don't see us handling our problems effectively. I see us contiune digging deeper, and there must come a time of consequences where our past catches up.
The Abyss stares back, and we are deer in its headlights.
http://jameshowardkunstler.typepad.com/clusterfuck_nation/2008/08/the-abyss-stares-back.html
His success comes from our collective uncertainty that things done badly can come out okay simply because nothing really bad has happened yet, or to most of us anyway.
The successful rise of Obama opens an expansive hope that we can turn things around and his new sidekick Biden is a good addition to the team for hope, and perceived wisdom of age perhaps, only 6 years younger than the wisened McCain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden
I'm all full of hope Obama can win the presidency. He "won the message" with "yes we can", but now what? What CAN WE DO if power is gained.
Not much I'm afraid. I mean imagine - what if Kerry had won in 2004, what would have happened? Perhaps quite a lot, but I'd bet we'd still be in Iraq, still have the subprime banking crisis, still have high energy prices, still have people seeing a world that is less promising than it looked before, AND pretending McCain was still running in that world now, he'd be even bolder to suggest it would have turned out better if Bush had been re-elected and he would bring back the White House and fix up what the Democrats and Kerry could not. WORSE, even if Obama wins in 2008, I'm convinced whatever we become by 2012, it won't be what we WISH, and so any "yes we can" promises in 2008 will become "No we couldn't" apology in 2012.
Okay, dropping the pessimism if I can, AND I trust Obama to do better than McCain in cleaning up the messes we have, I have no interest in "sacrificing the presidency" in 2008 like I accepted in 2004. In 2004, the majority spoke, and they were idiots, now proven. But can the "new majority" do any better?
On a different side, I respect McCain much more than Bush, (and I respect Bush in his second term more than I should - at least a lame duck can sometimes be more honest than someone still grasping for power.) I'll vote Obama, easily, without reservation, no thought at all that Nader is doing anything other than complaining that people aren't paying enough attention to him. Anyway, I'll take Obama or McCain, and accept they may yet be about equal in ability to make a difference. Maybe I'm too kind in this assessment?
Anyway, ultimately I despair because I don't see any solution except "The Crash". I don't see us handling our problems effectively. I see us contiune digging deeper, and there must come a time of consequences where our past catches up.
The Abyss stares back, and we are deer in its headlights.
posted by Ares Olympus at 2:48 PM
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