Barack Obama gave a great speech on tuesday. I particularly liked the balance he struck when he said he would honor McCain's accomplishments even if McCain did not return this respect. But, as is often the case, there was a line further down the page that made me do a double take:
If we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth.
Restore our image as the last, best hope on Earth?
What on God's good earth could this possibly mean? That no one else on earth is capable of accomplishing the wondrous things we might accomplish? We, the country that has consistently been the biggest obstacle to dealing meaningfully with global warming while we continue to pump out by far the highest amount of greenhouse gas per capita in the world? We, the country who insisted on invading Iraq under false pretenses when nearly the entire world was telling us not to?
It reminds me of when he says, as he often does in his stump speech after reviewing pieces of his biography, that "in no other country on earth is my story even possible."
Let's see. Brazil, the fifth largest country in the world by both population and geography, is currently led by a former shoe shine boy and street vendor. Bolivia's president, Evo Morales, is a leader of campesino cocoa farmers and the first indigenous head of state in Latin American since the Spanish conquest. Alberto Fujimori was elected president of Peru nearly 20 years ago despite being bi-racial and even holding dual citizenship in Peru and Japan. The list could go on.
The fact is that there is nothing about Obama's story that would be all that novel in many parts of the world. The fact that the United States, until last night, had never had a serious presidential contender who was not a man and not white marks us not as the world's last best hope but as relatively backward.
I understand that Senator Obama is under pressure to flash his patriotic credentials. He often responds to this challenge with eloquence. But I would rather he wore a flag pin on his lapel than mouth such phony gibberish.
Thanks for all the thoughtful remarks.
When was the last time you left the continent and asked people in the countries you visited what they think of the US lately?
Nationalism is an ugly thing and not to be toyed with.
Patriotism, on the other hand is a good thing, and I really think that Obama's comment came from a patriotic place, not a nationalistic place. I too think he was citing Lincoln, even if a bit clumsily.
And thanks for the reply. It is rare on HuffPo to see bloggers respond to comments on their own posts. I'd like to see more of that around here. Participating in the conversation your post starts (instead of just doing a hit-and-run) is a nice touch.
" In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free -- honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just -- a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless."
Lincoln, like many others, saw slavery as a CONTRADICTION within the great experiment. Our survival becomes a question of living up to the ideals expressed in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The GUARANTEE of individual rights comes, finally and still only partially in the 14th Amendment, where the Bill of Rights becomes the rights of CITIZENS.
I didn't make any of this stuff up. Obama was performed a RIFF on basic civics, what ought to be common knowledge among the citizens of the US.
According to Aristotle, there are three basic forms of governance: kingship (one man rule), aristocracy (rule by a powerful group), and democracy (rule by the whole people). Each of these styles can get the job done and none is inherently better than one of the others, but EACH has a corrupt version. When the king rules for his own good, it becomes a dictatorship; when the small group do things for themselves, it becomes a oligarchy; and when the when people take over, they become a mob.
That was pretty much IT until the founding fathers came along. Voltaire said that democracy plus assassination was the ideal form of government, but what the founders created was something actually NEW. The founders invented a democracy PLUS guaranteed protection of individual rights. Checks and balances. Keeping any ONE individual, group, or party from having ALL the power.
Alexander Hamilton called it an "experiment," and that it was. Hamilton personally thought human nature was so flawed, the experiment was doomed to fail. Nonetheless, our experiment remains "the last best hope" --not as self-aggrandizement-- but as an intellectual FACT.
And Obama's story is unique. It's not just rags to riches, or just a story of crossing racial boundaries. Is it an exaggeration to say it couldn't possibly happen anywhere else? Probably. But so what?
..... next
If you don't understand what Obama meant in his speech, you shouldn't be blogging, because it shows your lack of comprehensiveness.
Let me put it in simply terms for you. He is referring to the division that persists in our country; the notion that millions don't have health care (in the "richest and most powerful" country); the unemployment rate is steadily increasing; the middle class is obsolete; the ILLEGAL war; high foreclosure rates; are our troops are coming home to NOTHING; etc.
DO YOU GET IT NOW?
simply = simple
Other than that, agree with everything you said.
When a people needs something positive to believe in, someone to look up to, someone with which to possibly base it's own government, America is it's last, best hope.
When a country has been assaulted by another, and tyranny is being pushed on it's people, America should be it's last, best hope.
When people are starving and food is scarce, America is their last, best hope.
We are strong, we are responsible, we are generous, we are leaders, we are America and we are the world's last, best hope.
There is still too many Americans who believe in and like to hear this stuff. And they may very well be a majority and you can't win an election without the majority.
He should wear the flag pin also, there are too many stupid Americans, George Stephanopoulos include.
anyone with a little knowledge of the world knows that the only thing unique about America is our ability to underestimate and belittle the rest of the world.
This is a GREAT nation regardless of past mistakes, with the right leader it can be what we'd like it to be 100%. I don't see this as superficial patriotism from Obama, just a reflection of the world's desire to look up to this nation for leadership. that's where the CHANGE comes in.
So you are saying that he shouldn't say that we should become the world leader on these issues which have either been held up by the republicans, or worse, CAUSED by the republicans, and that this is Obama's fault?????