For many years, the United States has been suffering from political nihilism -- disbelief in its institutions.
I have seen political nihilism in various countries around the world. It manifests itself as a form of futility, the feeling that one cannot recover from what is ailing the people.
Two common results occur. The people either find escape from themselves by embracing the mundane or they lash out in frustration against others. In Muslim countries, the mundane is an unhealthy obsession with the arcane points of Islamic jurisprudence, and the frustration is directed towards America, Israel and women. In the American context, the mundane is an unhealthy obsession with meaningless celebrities, and frustration is directed towards Iraq, Iran and women.
How are we to clamber out of our psychological doldrums? What is the best way to push back against our political nihilism?
The answer is to vote for Barack Obama.
This endorsement is not based on personal preference, or for that matter, Obama's policies. For this endorsement, it would not matter if Obama was a hard-right conservative or an ultra-leftist. Rather, Obama should be elected because he is Nietzschean.
Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher. In the nineteenth century he predicted that over the next two centuries, the philosophy of nihilism -- purposelessness and despair -- would take over the Western world, leading to an unprecedented level of violence and world-wide war. Obviously he was correct.
However, Nietzsche only made this prediction so that he could also posit a way of defeating nihilism. He put his faith in Art.
To be more specific, Nietzsche recommended that the way of defeating nihilism was for each individual to treat his or her life as an ongoing and unfinished work of art. The simple work of "giving style" to ourselves, expressing to the world our "overflowing creativity," would give us a way to "Say Yes to Life." This, argued Nietzsche, would stifle nihilist pessimism.
Barack Obama is among the few people I have encountered who lives in this Nietzschean manner. The clearest evidence of this is in the fact that our introduction to Barack Obama -- and Obama's introduction to Obama -- occurs in the pages of two compellingly honest memoirs. In these books Obama strips away the layers of identity and self-deception that most of us do not bother to peel away and essentially reconstructs himself before us, documenting the process like the way that one painter on PBS used to describe each brush-stroke he was making.
It is, in fact, no surprise, that nearly everyone who has actually read Obama's books -- or listened to his autobiographical speeches -- ends up wanting to vote for him. People who read Obama's books see in them a man who doesn't think of himself as a finished product but as someone who views himself as a canvas upon which life is constantly drawing new lines.
The recent flap over Pastor Wright is the perfect example of this. A man whom Obama had held very dear for much of his life was subjected to intense scrutiny, often bordering on the vitriolic, by the most powerful media conglomerates in the world. Obama didn't do what Clinton says she would have done. Rather, Obama stripped away Pastor Wright's confrontational exterior and pulled out the man's vulnerabilities and flaws. Obama added that he could not make Wright's words go away, nor would he pretend like they weren't hurtful. Instead, he said that they could serve as dark, tempestuous paint, in a painting called "a more perfect union." This is what Nietzsche meant by Art.
I did not start off as an Obama supporter. I was in Hillary's camp. I thought Obama was a novelty item. Something Democrats paraded around to give the other wooden candidates a bit of glow. Then I slowly began to feel that things Obama said -- and the way he handled himself in the campaign -- reduced my political nihilism.
I began to realize Obama was Nietzschean and in this nihilist time, that is why he gets my vote.
Change, real change does not come easily.
A president in this country needs to bring a vision for the future and how he/she is going to try and accomplish that vision.
So far, Barack has brought nothing but a slogan to the table. His call for change resonates because change in our government is what this country needs. But he doesn't say what he'll change to improve the the government.
He said he'd change the tax code, so you have to pay more. He said he'll change the way health care is delivered, but he has no details. He says he will bring people together, though he never has in any meaningful way other than to get people together to vote for him. He hasn't said much else and actually became incredulous while walking away from reporters saying that he already answered 8 questions. Wow, that must have tired the little fellow out, eh?
Meaningful change would be making the government more representative of the people. What is his plan to do that? How will he give the power back to the people and remove it from the lobbyists, high priced consultants and the big money party donors?
The short answer is: He won't.
So, he can continue to work on his artistry of himself, as Mr. Eteraz suggests.
Sorry, but that's about all he'll change.
Nietzsche is sometimes wrongly accused of nihilism.
But we all know what the demographics are for Hillary voters. Predominately uneducated. So that will explain them.
He's the only one where there is even a chance at changing the politics as usual. McCain is clearly a "good ole boy". Hillary, in being bought by lobbyists, prevaricating, adopting Rove tactics, bringing so much baggage with her - has no offer of real change and is demonstrating the practive of politics as usual.
I look forward to an Obama presidency - I said intelligence, integrity and judgment - those have been absent for too long. Combine that with an ability to communicate vision, and we should be fine.
I hear that phrase, "yes we can," and I have ask, yes we can....what? What are the concrete goals of an Obama presidency?? How is he going to work all these miracles he promises??
In the land of the blind, a one eyed man is king.
Happy reading!
Nietzsche was also an admirer of Ralph Waldo Emerson, whose philosophy of human perfectibility (not becoming perfect; just continually striving in that direction) and whose admiration of creative intellects and artists influenced Nietzsche.
I have not studied Nietzsche enough to know whether he anticipated the current form nihilism has taken. We have come to identify economic freedom with a world where everything is for sale. So long as you can pay for it, you are entitled. Yes, we still have museums to take some things off the market for preservation. But so long as people identify themselves with what they are able to buy, we continue to live in our wasteland. That message does not lend itself to a sit-com script, whereas consumption as an end in itself does. So that's what people learn.
Amelioration was vital to Emerson's view of mankind. He saw in us, a great potential.
I don't think we are experiencing any political nihilism, we are experiencing political desperation. Those of us who see amelioration as a basic human quality, are frustrated by our government's actions of the last seven years. Actions that take us backward, not forward.
Thanks for your post, January. It is rare to see Emerson's name and ideas on a forum such as this. If you are an Emerson fan, which it sounds as if you are, you should definately read the works of Lao Tsu, entitled The Tao Te Ching. Emerson spoke of the amazing wisdom in the far East. He and Lao Tsu basically say the same things, but in different form. Emerson with his magnificent
essays, and Lao Tsu for his amazing 81 ideograms that comprise the Tao Te Ching.
Emerson is implied in my screen-name, even if it is mis-spelled. It was an unfortunate typo that I can't change, due to huffpo rules.
Scared off by Nietzsche referrences??
If you really did understand Nietzsche, you would not be so dependent on government.
"Dependance on government is a wont of self reliance."-------Ralph W. Emerson
I remain a Hillary supporter because I am not in so much despair. I honestly do feel we could turn things around. If we are realistic. If we focus on achievable results.
Achievable results was and is my main reason for supporting Hillary.
I couldn't possibly have the passion I have for her candidacy simply because of her personality. I admire her, yes. I really admire her more after this election, yes. But that still wouldn't have done it for me.
It's her platform that compels me. I am so sure that we could find the will to address so many problems. I am very sure there really are solutions. I am very sure that trying to convince people via bandwagon effect doesn't work. We simply need to get real.
Hillary's very defects of character would help us do that.
This article wonderfully articulates why it is that Obama supporters have been accused of "cultism". It's because he really has provided us with something we never thought we'd see: HOPE in the face of despair. I think that the only people who do not feel despair are the young and the less passionate. But then, I'm a nihilist aren't I?
The laws and regualtions of the USA changed.
Time to roll back and let the Constitution Of The United States be the LAW OF THE LAND.
Get rid of the Federal Reserve, the U.S. Government prints it's own money and get rid of the World Bank and stop it from corruption leaders of other countries to rob them of their countries natural resources.