President Obama's Politics of Dignity
America is broken. Even if we pull through the current economic crisis, recovery won't last absent an overhaul of our primary institutions.
• One out of ten Americans is now unemployed and the recovery is expected to be jobless.
• Fifty million Americans have no health insurance; two million, no home.
• Two million Americans are in jail.
• Our public schools have fallen behind those of most developed nations.
• Higher education is priced out of reach of the middle class.
• Our infrastructure is in an advanced state of disrepair.
• We rank first in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Immigration, once our pride, is now our shame.
• We're living on credit and leaving the debt to our children.
The crisis is compounded by corruption of the democratic process. Politicians who owe their seats to private and corporate money are not easily persuaded to put the public interest over the special interests of their benefactors.
If our predicament were one in which there was an emergent consensus about the proper remedy, President Obama might be able to orchestrate an epochal makeover -- as President Johnson did in the civil rights crisis. Most Americans knew then that African-Americans were victims of racism and that segregation was wrong. But today, reformers are themselves divided and many of the issues are of such complexity as to defy broad public comprehension.
Despite his formidable rhetorical gifts, President Obama has yet to tell us how to repair our broken institutions. But he may be doing something equally important. He may be showing us the way. America's problems run deep, and solutions will have to be grounded in a new politics--the politics of dignity.
President Obama is a herald of the politics of dignity. He's an instinctive dignitarian. Not libertarian, not egalitarian. Dignitarian. It matters not when and how he acquired his dignitarian manner, or that he may not conform to it one hundred percent of the time. What matters is that in his personal relations and political positions he sets an example of respecting human dignity, regardless of role or rank.
It was Obama's inclusiveness that first brought him to national attention. As the keynote speaker of the 2004 Democratic National Convention, then Illinois State Senator Obama struck a dignitarian note. In asking us to see ourselves not as citizens of red states or blue states, but rather as citizens of the United States, Obama gave us a preview of a new politics of dignity that can extricate us from our current crises. The dignitarian politics that seems to come naturally to President Obama represents not a compromise, but a synthesis of libertarian and egalitarian politics, and in doing so provides an analysis that reconciles conservatism and liberalism.
Dignity for whom? you ask. Dignity for all. For blacks and whites, for men and women, for gays and straights, for young and old, for rich and poor, for immigrants and the native-born, for conservatives and progressives. Obama is also trying to engage friend and foe alike in a global dignitarian dialogue. Dignity for all.
What is the politics of dignity that President Obama exemplifies? It goes far beyond good manners, respect, and civility, though it includes these. Dignity is achieved by methodically eliminating indignities -- interpersonal, institutional, societal, and international.
The American people know that indignities their nation has inflicted on the world have diminished America's stature. And, they know that the daily humiliations that they and their fellow citizens are enduring are incompatible with lives of dignity and signify institutional failure.
How could Obama's presidency address the indignities that manifest as unemployment, corporate corruption, failed schools, no health insurance, foreclosure, homelessness, recidivism, and the subversion of our democracy by moneyed special interests?
To combat indignity, we need to be clear about its cause. 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. Persons of high rank who treat their subordinates with dignity are admired, if not loved.
Rank, in itself, is not the culprit. The problem is rank abuse, and it has grown to epidemic proportions. Abuses of rank have no place in a dignitarian world. Taking a page from the women's movement, if we are to combat rank abuse effectively, we must give it a distinctive name, preferably one that puts perpetrators on the defensive. By analogy with racism, sexism, and ageism, abuse of the power inherent in rank is rankism. Once you have a name for it, you see it everywhere.
The outrage over bonuses for failed Wall Street executives is indignation over rankism. The power of lobbyists to override the democratic will of the people is rankism. The deregulation of the financial industry, which made a virtue of self-aggrandizement and facilitated predatory loans and Ponzi schemes, led to the financial ruin of millions and created the worst recession in four score years.
As racism denigrated and disadvantaged blacks, and sexism disenfranchised and restricted women, so rankism marginalizes and exploits the working poor, keeping them in their place while their low pay effectively subsidizes everyone else. As class membranes become less permeable, resignation, cynicism, and indignation mount.
An America in which the American Dream has become a mirage is not an America worthy of the name. The achievability of that dream is what made this country the envy of the world and made us, its citizens, proud. Making that dream good again is a challenge comparable to overcoming the second-class citizenship that has limited blacks, women, gays, and others. Building a dignitarian society is democracy's next evolutionary step.
A dignitarian society will naturally conduct itself differently on the world stage. Nowhere is rankism more dangerous than in foreign relations. International terrorism has multiple, complex causes, but one factor over which we do have a say is rankism between nations. There is no fury like that borne of chronic humiliation. President Obama's demeanor suggests that he understands that a vital part of a strong defense is not giving offense in the first place. His speeches abroad have begun to restore good will toward the United States, and while good will alone does not constitute a national defense, it surely beats the ill- will that we have garnered in recent years.
President Johnson, following his personal instincts, led his fellow countrymen through an about-face on segregation. Much as overcoming a legacy of racism is the work of several generations, so too is the task of building a dignitarian society. President Obama knows that solutions won't arise out of politics as usual. His personification of dignitarian politics resonates not only with Americans but around the world. The next step is to turn from exemplifying the politics of dignity to enunciating its policy implications and molding them into a legislative agenda for a dignitarian America.
Follow Robert Fuller on Twitter: www.twitter.com/robertwfuller
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Let me add my delightful confirmation to Dr. Fuller’s characterization of President Obama as an exemplary “dignitarian.”
When he then says, “The next step is to turn from exemplifying the politics of dignity to enunciating its policy implications and molding them into a legislative agenda for a dignitarian America,” I am reminded of David C. Korten’s recent book, AGENDA FOR A NEW ECONOMY, which presents (in Chapter 14) “An Address I Hope President Obama Will One Day Deliver to the Nation.”
Korten’s hypothetical speech for the President may be just the articulation of policy Fuller is looking for. Both Fuller’s “rankism” and Korten’s “empire” (as defined in his 2006 book, THE GREAT TURNING: FROM EMPIRE TO EARTH COMMUNITY) both refer to hierarchical structures that compromise both dignity and cooperative community. Both writers object to societies in which privileged members assume a right to “pull rank” on others and command unjust privileges and benefits.
I commend to you both Fuller’s DIGNITY FOR ALL: HOW TO CREATE A WORLD WITHOUT RANKISM (2008, written with Pamela A. Gerloff) and Korten’s THE GREAT TURNING.
Your thoughtful and insightful breakdown of current global events is an exceptional analysis of all the pertinent issues confronting us all. Acting in a dignified manner toward oneself and others takes courage.
President Obama's handling of the Iranian elections was an example of his desire to forge new relationships in a peaceful manner throughout the world. If President Obama had attempted to throw our substantial military might into the aftermath of the elections to show our disagreement with the manner in which Iranian leaders handled this situation, -- as several of Mr. Obama's counterparts had suggested -- military action could have created a global reaction from which possibly the world may not recover.
No, instead, President Obama expressed his displeasure with the way that protesters were being treated, and alerted Iranian leaders that "the world was watching." He did not REACT. His RESPONSE was one of dignity and grace under fire.
Bravo, President Obama! Your thoughtful, dignified, respectful, brilliant approach to possibly the most challenging era in recent history will change our global history forever. Thank you for having the courage to speak Truth in a respectful manner, always. You exemplify the peaceful communication method in Rita Marie Johnson's powerful work, BePeace - using nonviolent communication combined with HeartMath coherence techniques to BECOME peace in our everyday lives.
Bravo, Bob!! Your writing is brilliant, eloquent, relevant and powerful.
Brilliant! I agree with Fuller's exhaustive elucidation of the pervasiveness of rankism in the U.S.. As a nation, indignity and rankism have become so interwoven in our daily lives, interactions and institutions, that it's been taken for granted as "normal," particularly by people who benefit from it. It has taken crisis and collapse to awaken us to the need to remedy rankism and restore dignity throughout society. In order to re-energize the nation through this recession, we'll need to treat one another with more dignity and respect to facilitate better cooperation, both in international and bipartisan relations. President Obama has certainly modeled this at home and abroad.
We similarly view the existing healthcare system as "normal." Those of us who have insurance benefit from the status quo. But when every other industrialized country provides healthcare for its citizens, and the U.S. doesn't -- it is an aberration, not normal. Escalating healthcare costs, unemployment and lack of insurance are crises that command change. Resisting some type of healthcare reform is an act of rankism by the insured, those that financially exploit the system, and those who resist for their own political advantage. The President's healthcare policy is a profound step toward preserving dignity of the uninsured/underinsured, reducing rankism, and preventing the indignity of financial ruin due to a catastrophic illness that could affect us all. Insuring accessible and affordable healthcare, regardless of status, is a dignitarian policy to meet a basic human need -- health. Thanks Bob!
It would be grand to show the world how a people can get what they want from government and the rich of our country for all its citizens.
This could be an unstoppable snowball effect.
We could be leaders of the world once again.
Thank you, Mr. Fuller, for gently instructing us and giving us another jolt of hope, which is desperately needed. This is the society where communication travels around the world via the internet, faster than the speed of light, yet this dignitarian approach will take an interminable amount of time for us to be able to see results. We want outta there, the representatives whose salaries are paid by we the people (but whose seats were bought by the lobbyists and corporations). We need the economy fixed, so that the American Dream can be rebuilt. As we see these painfully slow changes occurring in our great country, Americans will once again feel the surge of pride swelling in our bosom, borne out of the dignity we see exemplified in our new commander in chief, and spilling over onto the rest of us. In the meantime, it is a slow slog through the swamps of greed, lust for power, and corruption which have been brought to light, at some of the higher levels in our government. But knowledge of these deficiencies brings a power in and of itself, and in the light of day, the murkiness which has existed for so long, has got to decline... and that cannot come nearly fast enough, but coming it is... just look at how much has alread been uncovered in the past 6 months. Now, if we could just find a way to make Goldman Sachs and the rest of wall street behave....
This is a terrific article. Read along with David Brook's post of a few weeks ago ( http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/opinion/07brooks.html ) we have a handle to swing us toward a very different way of looking at our personal actions and challenges that face us as a country.
THANK YOU SIR , FOR A VERY DISCERNING AND UPLIFTING ARTICLE THAT IS VERY TIMELY.
WE HAVE BEEN SO OVERWHELMED AND VITIATED BY SO MUCH DISINGENUOUS FAULTFINDING AND PROFANELY DEVIOUS ACCUSATIONS OF THE GOOD AND THE RIGHTEOUS, UNTIL SOMETIMES WE LOOSE SIGHT OF THE VIRTUE OF DIGNITY AND INTEGRITY THAT THE MAJORITY OF US TRULY DELIGHT IN.
i agree IN CAPS!!!
This is an important piece that deserves front page coverage. Long a fan of Bob Fuller and his groundbreaking works about rankism and dignity, which for years have informed my anti-bullying/anti-violence work in schools and my "respectful workplace" trainings in business, I have seen the naming of rankism and discouraging it in ourselves and others transform individuals, change classrooms and entire school districts, improve the work culture and productivity of corporations, and begin the healing process in communities divided by racism and classism.
Fuller's assessment of President Obama being "a herald of the politics of dignity" is timely and right on. Also timely would be for Americans, rather than following the leader, to be inspired by our President's demeanor of dignity to become leaders in a grassroots dignitarian movement to insist from ourselves, and those we elect to represent us, dignity for all. If dignity for all became the litmus test for our nation's policies and institutions, dignity for all would directly translate into affordable health care for all, affordable and attainable education for all, justice for all, and a healthy planet for all. Perhaps then our collective voice could be better heard abroad as we demand those rights and dignity for all peoples and work together for a healthy world at peace.
Dr. Fuller, once again you are on time and on point. Sadly, many of the commenters aren't on board and don't get the importance of dignity and rankism, possibly because for too long we've been denied the former and victimized by the latter. The fact that President Obama gets it means something, but it won't matter until the rest of the naysayers, panickers and obstructionists catch on. Can't solve all the problems he inherited in his first six months? Don't hold your breath on how patient we'll all be on solving this one right away.
There's not much dignity in being un- or under-employed and struggling to survive.
There's not much dignity in losing your home and having to depend upon family - or worse, being homeless.
There's not much dignity in being unable to get your children or yourself basic healthcare.
These are the realities of life right now. These are the realities of what Obama has not addressed.
I fail to see in what way you could possibly see Obama as being an individual who helps supply dignity. His administration, and his lack of actual action on these points, reveal an individual who cares not at all about dignity of the average person. Just bankers.
Dignity starts with the individual. It defines the way in which we face our challenges, not the challenges themselves. I have lost my job. I may lose my house. But I refuse to fall without the grace my mother taught and lived through the dust bowl and many, many challenges in her life.
If you lose your dignity, it is no one else's fault.
"His administration, and his lack of actual action on these points, reveal an individual who cares not at all about dignity of the average person."
I think that you are absolutely right.
Now when he smiles, associates with the ultra-rich, and shows a lack of urgency to take action on behalf of the average person, I have an impression that he is more concerned about being like Reagan and leaving a smiling, Reagan-like legacy.
So why bring these agendas to the front, he could have easily made different agendas to work on or go on vacation while we suffer through this maze?
47 million un insured
20 million under insured
Subtract 10 million poor/indigent/mentally ill, etc, who are uninsured and will have to get free care = 37 mill un-insured who can pay.
18.5 million can pay $50/mo = 925,000,000
18.5 mill can pay $100 = $1,850,000,000
20 mill under insured will switch and can pay $100 = 2,000,000,000
That is a grand total of $4,775,000,000
That is FOUR BILLION, SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS IN PREMIUM PAYMENTS PER MONTH. FIFTY SEVEN BILLION THREE HUNDRED THIRTY MILLION PER YEAR IN PREMIUMS FOR ONE SET OF PEOPLE.
That does'nt count the millions who'll switch from private companies if they can pay $100 or 200 per month and have their entire family covered even with pre-existing conditions. Repeal bush tax cuts asap another 700 billion.
After thinking about it more, we should have a 1 penny federal sales tax on EVERY purchase. I can hear the opponents shouting about making the poor poorer, but my statement is 1 cent on each purchase NOT on every dollar or hundred dollars. From candy bars to fruit to big screen tv's to your house. 1 cent on everything. If your grocery bill was $100. for 53 items, your bill would be $100.53. That's not putting people in the poorhouse especially when we've already been dealing with price increases
Thank you WPM.
dignitity is one thing. character is another
"political positions he (Obama) sets an example of respecting human dignity, regardless of role or rank" - if govt healthcare comes into play, I doubt very much that you or I will have the same plan that Obama or members of Congress will have. If I'm wrong, great. If not, than this fluff piece on Obama is a load of you know what
I think dignity and character are one and the same.
Excellent article. We'll know we have really gotten somewhere when both parties can/will nominate practitioners of dignitarianism.
That's another way of saying we have to move the center of American politics back to a point where the rankists are totally out of the mainstream. Unfortunately 24 hour cable news makes this task harder.
Thank you Mr. Fuller for bringing the idea of "rankism" out into the light of day. It's such an insidious force of human nature, and at the root of so many of our failings as civilizations... corporations... communities etc. It even spoils friendships, if you think about it.
Obama is so clearly not the rankist that GW was, and the restoration of our international reputation can be attributed largely to this one major difference. The notion that the US shouldn't just boss other nations around because it can... is just completely lost on guys like GW, Cheney and Rumsfeld and the neocon disaster we endured for eight years.
Not engaging in rankism as a superpower really is a paradigm shift, that could tranform our foreign relations.
Maybe one day "rankism" will be a household word like racism now is... and what a better day that will be.
Pansophia (above): "I hope Obama takes his mandate as the President of hope, change, and dignity for all seriously."
Obama: "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."
We the people must manifest that mandate!
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