Where is our leadership in this time of crisis? Why is an unelected official calling most of the shots while our president of the past 8 years sits in the corner and tries to look serious?
In a perfect world, our leader, not Britain’s, would be the voice reassuring us. He would be out there reassuring the country and asking us to get ready for sacrifice and trust as we work our way back to solid ground.
Instead, the only person that sounds remotely presidential is the upstart that no one said would ever get elected. I guess we’ll just see, won’t we?
I kind of swore that I wouldn’t post anything else political as it seems to have affected my readership, but tonight as I drove to Portland for work I found myself listening to a replay of this speech on the radio. And I found myself nodding and feeling a bit of the despair and anxiety tugging at my soul lift. And I thought, why not.
If you’re still undecided on who to vote for (or even if you’re currently rooting for the other guy), you should take heart that if he is elected, we will be led by someone that can speak eloquently and inspiringly in a time of crisis. That can meet us in our darkest places and give us a guiding hand. That can start to bring us together with a common vision of not what it means to be a Democrat or a Republican or an Independent, but what it means to be an American in these times.
I know these are difficult times. I know folks are worried. But I also know this – we can steer ourselves out of this crisis. Because we are the United States of America. We are the country that has faced down war and depression; great challenges and great threats. And at each and every moment, we have risen to meet these challenges – not as Democrats, not as Republicans, but as Americans.
…..
I won’t pretend this will be easy or come without cost. We’ll have to set priorities as never before, and stick to them. That means pursuing investments in areas such as energy, education and health care that bear directly on our economic future, while deferring other things we can afford to do without. It means scouring the federal budget, line-by-line, ending programs that we don’t need and making the ones we do work more efficiently and cost less.
…..
This country and the dream it represents are being tested in a way that we haven’t seen in nearly a century. And future generations will judge ours by how we respond to this test. Will they say that this was a time when America lost its way and its purpose? When we allowed our own petty differences and broken politics to plunge this country into a dark and painful recession?
Or will they say that this was another one of those moments when America overcame? When we battled back from adversity by recognizing that common stake that we have in each other’s success?
This is one of those moments. I realize you’re cynical and fed up with politics. I understand that you’re disappointed and even angry with your leaders. You have every right to be. But despite all of this, I ask of you what’s been asked of the American people in times of trial and turmoil throughout our history. I ask you to believe – to believe in yourselves, in each other, and in the future we can build together.
Together, we cannot fail. Not now. Not when we have a crisis to solve and an economy to save. Not when there are so many Americans without jobs and without homes. Not when there are families who can’t afford to see a doctor, or send their child to college, or pay their bills at the end of the month. Not when there is a generation that is counting on us to give them the same opportunities and the same chances that we had for ourselves.
We can do this. Americans have done this before. Some of us had grandparents or parents who said maybe I can’t go to college but my child can; maybe I can’t have my own business but my child can. I may have to rent, but maybe my children will have a home they can call their own. I may not have a lot of money but maybe my child will run for Senate. I might live in a small village but maybe someday my son can be president of the United States of America.
Now it falls to us. Together, we cannot fail. Together, we can overcome the broken policies and divided politics of the last eight years. Together, we can renew an economy that rewards work and rebuilds the middle class. Together, we can create millions of new jobs, and deliver on the promise of health care you can afford and education that helps your kids compete. We can do this if we come together; if we have confidence in ourselves and each other; if we look beyond the darkness of the day to the bright light of hope that lies ahead. Together, we can change this country and change this world.
Are you in my head or what?
I just posted something a bit similar on my LJ.
I heard the speech today, and it touched me too.
Very true, Laura. I’d rather have a candidate be honest with us all, tell us we’ll have to work hard, but that working hard TOGETHER will make us stronger and help us get through the crisis (wherever we end up) — instead of someone trying to capitalize on people’s fears about the situation and goading them to blame others. We need community now, not more of the divisiveness that has hurt us so desperately in the past decade.
It’s a good speech Laura, it really is, I’ll go read the rest when I get a chance. You know probably the single thing that I like most about Obama, is that he is honest (at least to the degree that a politician is capable of it.) He’s not said that he can fix everything, he says that WE can fix everything. It is, after all, OUR contry isn’t it? I feel he is also genuinely positive in his handling of the campaign. I’ve said it before and I’ll reiterate, I really don’t think I’m going to vote for either candidate at this time, but I don’t mind the discussion at all. I’m sorry to hear that politics has cut down your readership, you’ll have to do a lot more than that to lose me.
Stick to your beliefs and do what feels right.
P~
Laura,
I admire you and really enjoy your log — even more so now seeing that you have the courage to speak your beliefs even though it may be unpopular with some.
We live in critical times. If we don’t engage in political discourse because it’s not seen as “polite” non-offensive banter, then what are we doing here? Doesn’t that old standard really mean that the rest of us keep quite while those in power keep doing whatever they’ve been doing that got us into this mess?
I find it particularly important that those in the sustainability movement not disengage from the political process because so many of the “solutions” being proposed in the legislatures don’t go far enough because it’s not “politically feasible.” The more we have role models like you and other bloggers guiding us on how to live this new lifestyle, the more it will inform the political process and perhaps bring about real progress.
Many Thanks
Einat
OK, I’ll be the naysayer. We’re hosed no matter which party gets in office. $700 billion bailout…$250 B going to banks (government ownership of private companies????)… the fox guarding the henhouse (Goldman Sachs former employees spending the ‘bailout’ money)… $150B (or is it $250B) more on the table by Dems to “stimulate” the economy.
I can’t be excited for either one. Because it is POLITICS that is the problem, not simply PARTIES. All of the good intentions in the world won’t make a difference when business as usual starts again. And it will.
That said, I’m voting a primarily Democratic ticket for the first time in my life. I cannot reward my Senators/Representatives for voting for a bailout that many were against. They are there to represent US, not make their own decisions. These people aren’t economists… they fell prey to the usual “fear mongering” that goes HURRY HURRY HURRY, THE SKY IS FALLING… and put through a plan (which happened to already exist in a reduced form) on a moment’s notice. Plus, they signed off on a bill without reading it… this I know because my own Congresspeople were accused of putting the “children’s arrow” part in and their offices said “they didn’t do it and didn’t even know about it until it came out in the media”. What the heck are those people doing signing something without reading it?
Oh. I just realized I hijacked your thread. Sorry. I hate politics.
I just hope that this is more than just a speech and that he is really going to implement a plan to help us through these troubled times.
The local PBS station aired a 2 hour bit on Nixon and his fall from grace. He saw power as something that was unattainable in average life, but once he was President–he held all of the power and still wanted more, even going about it covert ways. Several times, I have heard that if he had been forthright–he would not have had nearly all of the bad press. It just seemed like a good reminder to really think about WHO we are voting for–I just hope that we pick the right person! Both of them talk a plan, but if they are just saying words without acting on them. . .either way: D or R: we will be in for a rough ride!
I saw Hilary making speeches supporting Obama–she is a trooper! I bet she will be working as a Cabinet member, and I don’t think she is finished with politics yet!
Eat well tonight!!
Never mind the polls, you should keep writing what you think is important. I think it’s up to readers to meet you halfway there. It’s all so much more interesting with real dialogue.
Don’t apologize for having opinions. Politics matter, elections matter, this one more than most and not just to the US but to all of us.
Anita – glad I’m not alone.
Jennifer – Amen.
P~ Since you live in the same red state that I used to (did you know that?), I’ll take your decision not to vote as a vote for my guy
J/K, glad that I haven’t chased you off yet!
Meadowlark – Don’t apologize for hijacking, that’s what commenting is for, right? I agree that politics is the biggest part of our issue. I also agree that a single candidate isn’t the issue. But a candidate that gives me hope and a vision for the future will always get my vote over over one that plays on fear and pandering.
Monica – I’m sure she’s not finished yet!
Audrey – thank you.
Eliane – thank you too.
Be careful what you wish for, the man you look to for leadership is untested. His policies of economic justice and wealth redistribution will lead this country down a path of socialism. Remember Clinton ran on the same platform of only raising taxes on the rich and just one month in office raised taxes on everyone. It took us nearly 30 years to rid this country of welfare, Obama first priority will be to raise taxes on the top 5% of the countries tax payers who already pay 70% of the income tax and redistribute it to 40% of the tax payers who pay no income tax at all. What most people forget is that it is the Congress and the Senate who write the laws not the President. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will be the ones writing the laws, and with no checks or balances, the changes made over the next 4 years will affect this country for the next 30 to 50 years. If you had the urge to try the Canadian medical system or liked the French government you will not have to move you will be able to experience firsthand.
Here the first new law dems want to pass
A wide range of sweeping changes to the 401(k) system were proposed Tuesday at a hearing on how the market crisis has devastated retirement savings plans.
Chief among them was eliminating $80 billion in tax savings for higher-income people enrolled in 401(k) retirement savings plans.
This was suggested by the chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor.
“With respect to the 401(k), it appears to be a plan that is not really well-devised for the changes in the market,†Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., said.
“We’ve invested $80 billion into subsidizing this activity,†he said, referring to tax breaks allowed for 401(k) contributions and savings.
With savings rates going down, “what do we have to start to think about in Congress of whether or not we want to continue and invest that $80 billion for a policy that is not generating what we … say it should?†Mr. Miller said.
Congress should let workers trade their 401(k) assets for guaranteed retirement accounts made up of government bonds, suggested Teresa Ghilarducci, an economics professor at The New School for Social Research in New York.
When workers collected Social Security, the guaranteed retirement account would pay an inflation-adjusted annuity under her plan.
“The way the government now encourages 401(k) plans is to spend $80 billion in tax breaks,†which goes to the highest-income earners, Ms. Ghilarducci said.
That simply results in transferring money from taxed savings accounts to untaxed accounts, she said.
“If we implement automatic [individual retirement accounts] or if we expand the 401(k) system, all we’re doing is adding to this inefficiency,†Ms. Ghilarducci said.
Rep. Robert Andrews, D-N.J., raised the issue of which investment advisers are allowed to offer workers investment advice.
The Department of Labor is considering “loopholes†that would allow advisers to offer “conflicted investment advice if the advisers work for subsidiaries of financial services companies that sell the investments,†he said.
With American workers facing $2 trillion in losses from retirement plans over the past year and Democrats expected to gain seats in the House and the Senate, actions being contemplated by the committee are an important harbinger of what could come out of Congress next year.
This is a good approach to what, for some, may be a controversial topic. Very well though out post. – Man – a figment of God’s imagination. – Mark Twain 1835 – 1910