Real Shock and Awe

More powerful than was imaginable,
We are almost in a state of collective shock/awe.
The promise -- Antigone before the king comes to mind -- wonderfully hard to process.
He looked as a man with providence; the opposite mirror of Bush.
There was humility inside it.
He was even careful not to get too frenzied -- gave a soft landing.
Sober, reflective, determined... emotional beyond words.
The world looked to America... we showed our best.
For one night at least, the world was sane.
The planet sighs in relief and deserves a righteous party.
We have beaten back the worst in ourselves, the old and inevitable forces of cynicism and greed.
No more patriotic primates to rule the roost.
Real change will take sacrifice, vigilance and will.
The bailout of Wall Street, the wars and the final gorge of the right wing must be stopped now, a return to Keynesian balance.
Bottom up instead of top down.
The gold standard that every human has value -- be awarded respect, dignity and opportunity --
The currency of grace.
A wave of renewal and possibility.
And now the real work begins.

Comments

[Overd0g]

Platitudes without substance. But if it makes people optimistic, it's a good thing.

[BlueZoo]

Renewal and possibility! From your lips to God's ears! Well written!

[Overd0g]

Why does the world deserve a righteous party (as if one existed)? We are just a corrupt and petty as our representatives. Democracy isn't about "righteousness", it's about a sequence of beauty contests.

[Daniboy]

Did I miss something-I thought Obama voted for the bailout too??

[ckomeshian]

Obama's win made me recall the climactic final song and dance scene of The Wiz. My boyfriend and I rented War, Inc. Some brilliant stuff (the gift bags, the morphing icons, well-placed David Bowie song). Incredible performances by all. Story was a little chaotic. If it weren't for you John Cusack I would not have been introduced to the HuffPost. I would not have purchased books by Naomi Klein and Arianna Huffington that have been a pleasure to read. I would not have been moved by and donated to Don Siegelman's cause. Movie star or not, you are a person who helped the "movement" Robert Creamer speaks of in his post today.

[change1]

change people!

[politicoprincess]

"Bottom up instead of top down. "

And i honestly believe America knows that and is willing to do that, we're ready as a nation to take back the country and put it back on the pedestal it was built on

[bkbigfish]

I honestly just don't get all of this "euphoria". I mean, what do you guys (particularly the foreigners) think is honestly going to happen here? That we're just going to pick up and leave Iraq? That the muslims are going to love us now? That we're going to kowtow to the U.N. and a world court? That all of a sudden, we're going to go against our own economic interests to follow some wacky global warming plan? Obama is not going to do any of this, because he is not stupid. I look at all of the celebrating all over the world, and I just shake my head. Obama is another tool of wall street, just like the rest of them. He will predictably side with corporate interests, as he showed with his quick vote of the bailout monstrosity.

[geejay]

one word -- competence. I don't know where you've been or what paths you have traveled, but from where I stand, competence looks like heaven.

you say Obama "is not stupid" and that simple observation makes me want to weep with joy! We will have someone who is not stupid in the white house...how simple, how profound, how sweet it is.

[Overd0g]

Although you probably supported Gore and Kerry, both whom were poorer students than Bush. I'm not saying that in support of Bush, but you need to control your koolaide intake.

[lilacmess]

Don't dismiss the "celebrating all over world" as if it means nothing. The worldwide celebration going on right now is, in large part, the point. Our standing on the world stage has improved dramatically because we have elected Obama. So the fact that the world now celebrates America again is the very thing we're all celebrating!

[FirstShirt]

Supreme Court Associate Justice Robert H. Jackson, concurring in part
and dissenting in part, American Communications Association, CIO v. Douds, 339 U.S. 382, 423, 70
S. Ct. 674, 696 (1950):

Parties, whether in office or not, are often irresponsible in their use and abuse of
freedoms of speech. They all make scapegoats of unpopular persons or classes and
make promises of dubious sincerity or feasibility in order to win votes. All parties,
when in opposition, strive to discredit and embarrass the Government of the day by
spreading exaggerations and untruths and by inciting prejudice or unreasoning
discontent, not even hesitating to injure the Nation’s prestige among the family of
nations.

[Clavis]

This is the first time the nation has collectively wept since 9/11.

I like this time better.

Thanks, Mr. Cusack.

[bistokidsfan]

Full of incite and poetic - I always enjoy the power and grace of your posts.

Now, let's roll up our collective sleeves and get to work. We have a very large ditch to fill in as well as miles of road to build.

[Sanya]

America affects the world like no other country and I know people everywhere were fervently hoping to every God there is that the American people would come out and take a stand for our, if not their own, sakes.
There was such a palpable air that this was it. This was the chance to break for sanity. The chance to turn away from 8 long hard years of rigid madness and darkness. The chance to see democracy live up to the standards it had set for itself.
I really commend the American people for understanding that the version of American freedom and democracy as peddled by the Bush administration was an illusion used to veil the politics of fear and psychological fragmentation necessary for that office to push their own agenda through unquestioned.
And, I'm so impressed that Obama came forward, against so many odds, to entirely reframe the American Dream as something so inspirational, so wholly inclusive, that it resonated not only with millions of American, but millions of people around the world. His election has been a balm to the global psyche.
Finally, there is a chance that some things other than ideological imperialism, warfare and blind consumerism/ accumulation will find their way to the top of the agenda.
Listening to Obama's speech it was clear that here is a man who has the weight of the world on his shoulders and, in sharp contrast to the incumbent, this is a man who appreciates what that actually means.

[imaproudliberal]

What struck me the most about Tuesday's historic impact was the stark contrast that was displayed around the world from 4 years ago when Bush stole a 2nd election. The ENTIRE world celebrated with us Tuesday night, yet just 4 years ago headlines around the world asked "How can 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?". Stark contrast, indeed!

For the first time in my adult life, I'm really proud of my country!

[dirigentin]

Poetry, pure poetry.

[Remembering]

John, you are a sweet, dear and very bright young man. Thank you.