Barack Obama and the Politics of Dignity

Barack Obama is offering Americans dignity, and they're grabbing it with both hands. Dignity permeates his speeches, informs his policies, and is evident in his manner. Whether he intended to or not, Obama has become a herald of the politics of dignity.

But dignity for whom? For blacks and whites, for men and women, for gays and straights, for young and old, for rich and poor, and for immigrants and the native-born. Obama also reaches out to both sides of the aisle -- liberals and conservatives -- and to other nations and their leaders. Americans, eager to move beyond the fractiousness of identity politics and to end the standoff between libertarian and egalitarian ideologies, are lining up in support. They are ready for a leader committed to building a world of dignity for all.

What exactly is the dignity that people crave? It's more than good manners, respect, and civility. It's the absence of indignity. The American people know that indignities inflicted on the world have diminished America's stature. They know that the indignities they and their fellow citizens are suffering at home are sapping the American spirit.

Barack Obama's campaign has been called a "phenomenon," one with the potential to swell into a movement. But to realize its promise, a movement must evolve from a call for change to a plan for removing the obstacles that stand in the way of that change. How can the energy that has crystallized around Obama's candidacy be effectively focused to fight the indignities of everyday life?

As the history of the women's movement shows, a movement can't deliver without identifying what it's against. The introduction of the word "sexism" provided the lens that brought gender inequity into focus and made it indefensible.

To fight back against indignity, we need to root out what causes it. The cause of indignity is not power, nor is it power differences. It is rather the abuse of power. To oppose indignity, we do not have to eliminate differences in power, nor the differences in rank that merely reflect them.

Rank is a useful tool of organization. When it's exercised with proper regard for the dignity of subordinates, we not only accept rank differences, we celebrate the people whose accomplishments have earned our respect. No one is more admired or loved than someone of high rank who treats everyone, regardless of rank, with dignity.

But, abuses of rank have no place in a dignitarian world and must go. Taking a page from the women's movement, if we are to combat such abuses effectively, we must first give them a name. Fortunately, there's a word at hand. By analogy with racism, sexism, and ageism, abuse of the power inherent in rank is rankism. Once named, you see it everywhere.

The outrage over corrupt executives is indignation over rankism. Sexual abuse by clergy is rankism. Elder abuse in life care facilities is rankism. The power of lobbyists to subvert the people's will is rankism. Photos of the humiliation of Iraqi prisoners gave the world a look at rankism's arrogant face. Hurricane Katrina made visible rankism's most common victims -- the sick, the elderly, the poor.

Like racism, rankism has its most debilitating impact on those lacking the protections of social rank -- the poor. And nowhere is rankism more dangerous than in foreign relations. International terrorism has multiple, complex causes, but one factor we can address is rankism between nations. There is no fury like that borne of chronic humiliation. Senator Obama understands that a vital part of a strong defense is not giving offense in the first place.

Rankism distorts personal relationships, erodes the will to learn, taxes economic productivity, and stokes international enmities. The effects on its victims are like those of racism and sexism on minorities and women. But, unlike these better-known isms, rankism knows no limits and plays no favorites. So long as anyone's dignity is at risk, everyone's is. With its inclusiveness, Obama's politics of dignity has struck a chord.

Before they'll march for justice, people will stand up for dignity. Obama has got them on their feet, and that's a start. The next step--building a dignitarian society -- is the work of several generations, but the hopes for a peaceful and prosperous twenty-first century rest on our taking it.

Robert W. Fuller is the author of All Rise: Somebodies, Nobodies, and the Politics of Dignity (2006). He is co-author, with Pamela Gerloff, of Dignity for All: Rankism Unmasked (forthcoming, Spring 2008).

Comments

[madfeline]

Dignity trumps knife fighting.

[AmericanNation]

Mr. Fuller's article is an insightful overview of the evolution of the American democracy as well as the electorate. I think that no matter what age, faith, gender, income demographic, political party, or candidate any individual supports - the silent majority of Americans have undergone a pronounced change over the Presidencies of Clinton and Bush. The people, have lost their way and their faith in the historically entrenched political, media, economic and industrial systems that have brought the nation to the brink of financial collapse, from:

"I did not have sexual relations with that woman....M­s. Lewinsky". President W. J. Clinton address US

to President GW Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary C. Rice, and General C. Powell presenting false evidence to the American people and the United Nations that Iraq was responsible for the 9-11 attacks and had weapons of mass destruction, as a justification for invading and deystroying Iraq.

There is now a yearning within the populace for a renouncement not simply of the "politics of personal destruction" which has been raised to an art form by the leaders of the President Clinton team men like Mr. Carville or the President Bush team men like Mr. Rove - but more to the point - Americans have seen our nation attacked, our military deystroy a country without need, the amandonment of the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the complete lack of principled business regulation leading to the mortgage crisis, and so many more issues that from Whitewater to Haliburton, the electorate is tired - they want a nation that they can be proud of again and that the world can look up to again.

But, most of all, they want someone to say "Yes We Can", destiny is something that always favors the brave - being brave does not mean always being right but it means always trying to do the right thing - America knows that the last two Presidents have been failures - it is time for a change.

[ladyhawkke]

No he can't and no he won't. Furthermore, President Clinton was not a failure. I guess you forgot he was a two term president. He oversaw an economy where everyone was doing well and left office with a budget surplus which Bush blew. So get your facts straight.

[juevosrancheros]

So according to your criteria, since Bush was a two-term president, he was a success too? Can we throw Nixon in there as well?

[RButler]

Bill Clinton did NOT have sexual relations with Miss Lewinsky. 'Sexual relations' is defined as vaginal intercourse which they did not engage in. This has become an urban legend and you believe it without knowing the facts. Think about all the other stuff you believe and don't know.

[sashamac]

Beautifully put. Michel Foucault has pointed out that there is no escape from either power or power relations. But there is indeed an ethic that insists on a bottom-line of dignity to all. As a sometime academic, I know all about the abuse of rank, and I plan to buy your book and use it!

[roncraw]

20 year of listening to that pastor and not walking shame on you. That is judgement?.

[bdd]

more huh????????????

[AmericanNation]

Dear "roncaw",
Your posting, sir/madame, is the fundamental embodiment of the ignorance, lack of respect, and gross misconduct that has typified the Bush and Clinton style of attack that has robbed our nation of international respect and our citizens of hope. Your tactics have failed, Senator Obama has met the challenge at every turn with respect, intellect, and when forced with a stunningly sincere Christian insight into his purpose driven life. Nothing will appease those who simply will raise their voices to drown out any form of intellectual discourse, the Clinton and Bush teams do not want to engage Americans, they simply want to manipulate Americans - and today - Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Native American, Muslim, and all other religious and secular demographics are working together to rebuild America from the inside out. God Bless.

[RethinkingOBAMA]

History is full of demagogues with rhetoric to mask their true character. Latest example… Mr. Elliot Spitzer. Rev Wright is not an Obama acquaintance, or just a political surrogate, or just a fund raiser, or just any endorser. He is the very fiber weaved, over the last 20 years, into Obama's character. I absolutely agree that - Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Native American, Muslim, and all other religious and secular demographics should work towards building a better America. We can do that if Hindus stop their fellow Hindu Americans from collecting money in temples to build temples on sites of demolished mosques, we can do that if mosques in America stop collecting money to support Hamas, we can do that if synagogues stop collecting money to settle Jews on the West Bank, we can do that if churches like the Trinity United Church stop race baiting -white or black. These institutions are the 'American Madrasas'. The question is whether under the guise of politics of dignity we allow the American Madrasas to flourish and grow in strength. The question is whether under the guise of the new found dignity and the nonsense about International respect from our detractors we allow products of American Madrasas to occupy the White House.

[anney]

Another way to say it is the domination of others at the expense of their humanity. But "rankism" is shorter and catchier!

Obama can't do it all though. We need to bring it into our own lives, very difficult when there are conflicts.

[vernonbc]

Yes we can! :-)

[Morcego]

The message resonates but, sadly, it is not a new one despite our recent good fortune to have someone of Sen. Obama's caliber deliver it with such undeniable charm and charisma. That America has so recently forgotten basic human principles really points to the increasing dominance of corporate ethics in shaping our values (not to mention corporate money shaping our government policies). A subversive idea, dignity.

[KimberlyKay]

Brilliant post.

[Shannon2008]

Great article. I'll read your book.

[parisianese]

Great post !

[Byron Williams - Huffpost Blogger]

Bob, I've been waiting for you to chime in during this election season. I've often thought of the current need for change and its connection to Somebodies, Nobodies.

Great post!

Byron

[December7]

The greatest course of indignity has been the way America holds different standards to its people. Obama has been subjected degrading smears and derogatory language especially from right wing media, and yet he continues his stride with dignity. I hope this is a sign that America is ready for a new kind of politics when one is judged by the content of his character than the words of his pastor

[ebbtide]

I agree. The Clintons , both of them, have thrown their dignity out the back door. They once had it, or so the propaganda went to the point where many people had respect for them. Actually they seem to have never had dignity, and I don't think they give a hoot about itl. It is obvious they will do anything to win, and if they do, they will take the oath of office with the people sneering at them.

Sorry to say, but imo they look like cheap trash in spite of all their DC "connections" and all their millions of dollars.

[grendl]

You call it dignity, I call it justice and equality.

But to be honest, looking at the hope campaign of Barack Obama, is kind've like staring at the sphere in that film based on Michael Crichton's book of the same name. People see different things in it.

That explains, at least to me, it's broad appeal. People bring their own definition to the term hope. Some hope to climb out of poverty, some hope to maintain the wealth they've accrued. Some hope for a cessation of aggression in the Middle East, others for a better standing in the world. In a way it is kind of a "cure all" Obama's campaign is selling, not necessarily a fraudulent tonic, but a welcome taste to the last eight years of oppression, neglect and despair bilgewater we've been allotted.

Honestly I don't know how Barack will make good on the promises his campaign makes, but then again I don't know how many I've actually imagined they've made in the first place. He plans to get us out of Iraq, and open doors to all world leaders for discussion, which to me can't hurt. He promises greater transparency and government accountability, so I hope he will take a serious look at this most undemocratic construct within his own party, the superdelegates, and disband that league of villainy as soon as is humanly possible.

He doesn't even have to do it in that dignified a manner. He can be as crass as Donald Trump, calling each superdelegate into the Oval Office, reading them the "all men are created equal" part of the declaration of Independence and finishing with a succinct "You're fired".

[CindyV]

The democratic party is a private organization. It has a board that creates rules and members of the party (dues paying members) vote on them. Sorta like a union. The President is a member of the party, but he (or she) is not the head of the party. The board will probably look into several issues raised in this campaign. One might be the superdelegate situation. The other might be "winner-takes-all" delegate system like the rethuglicans instead of splitting them.

You may be very diappointed in a President Obama if he cannot make good on his campaign promises. And you will certainly be disappointed if nothing happend with the democratic party. It will only change if you join and work towards the party's goals.

[dawlishgal]

While they are at it, they might want to look at candidates who make a policy of violating the Party's rules by not respecting the primary process and breaking their agreements to not campaign. Besides that, the Clintons tried very hard to get Howard Dean fired and to marginalize the anti-war influences in the DNC and replace it with the war-loving, corporate-sponsored DLC.

We are already disappointed that the newly elected senators (that we worked our butts off to elect) have --from day one after they were sworn it-- caved to the Hillary-DLC element of the party to the extent that any 5 of the 6 at any one time voted with Republicans to give Bush whatever he wants. I was told that meetings were held and a conscious decision was made to ignore the campaign promises and the progressives and go with the corporate-think. Some morons think that this is the way to win big in Congress--by becoming enough like the Republicans that they can't tell the difference between themselves and Democrats. (Isn't that exactly what Nader was telling us 8 years ago....Hil­lary and company are trying to make his words come true in 2008.

[indc]

OK, sounds good, that's one way to put it...

[BigSid]

Great post, but we should remember that dignity is not exclusive only to Senator Obama and those who support him.

I feel that Senator Clinton has a great deal of dignity.

I feel that Senator McCain has a great deal of dignity.

All of the candidates may lack some other attribute that we are seeking, but none of them lack dignity.

[BlueAsh]

Well, I don't know if this explanation by the author meant anything to you:

"The cause of indignity is not power, nor is it power differences. It is rather the abuse of power."

TO me, "the abuse of power" characterizes the Clintons very well, and yes, they lack diginity.

[VegasDem]

The key thing that the Clintons lack is shame.

I assume this comes from always believing whatever you decide is right, is in fact right.

Or it could simply come from an addiction to power. Power that they once again must have at all costs.

Like a lot of Democrats, I loved the Clintons once.
Unfortunately, today "dignified" is the last term I would use to describe them.

[kylie]

Ummm, I would beg to differ.

Race-baiting, Rove campaign "tricks", insisting on changing the rules when you start losing -and losing badly is bereft of "dignity". Obama and McCain have displayed it, I have not seen Hillary coming close exhibiting it.

She is destroying her credibility and the majority of Democrats tolerance for her antics. Should she manipulate the nomination, there will no one left to stomach a vote for her.