Listening to the good, heart-felt discussion about diversity and affirmative action
it's apparent that the old progressive era is gone for good. An idea thirty years in
the harness can not be sold as either an ideal or a solution. But, generally, the
problem for all those who want strong, active domestic programs is two-fold. One is the condition
of the current economy. And the second is the "war on terrorism." Now, politics may
be able to slice and dice an issue and wrangle about what sort of
war it is; whether it is a war, who's lying and who's got the
hidden agenda, and who is naive, etc. Certainly, that belongs to the
crude art of politics. However, it is experienced as a crisis
as long as people have an image of the planes flying into the
buildings and a knowledge that progress implies evil as well
as good. We know that the weapons will get nastier, more
efficient, more portable in the future. The question is, "will
the U.S. be a target?" A question raised at this level activates
that survival instinct that seems so lacking in a big, fat,
comfortable or comfort-seeking culture like this one. And
so the sort of ambience that created the progressive era of
the 60's and 70's is quite gone and will not return for quite
awhile. Neither Donohue nor Gore can save liberalism. Even the best
liberal among us, the good Bill Moyers, can't do it. It's
got to fold-in, go back to the very basics, build up very humbly
and then meet the crisis that will test the nation in the next
few decades.
Fears will paralyze the ability to build a future. We would like the fears
expelled so we can walk with a good, sober-mindedness and not let the fears
influence the great decisions ahead.
The question that can be addressed and will be, certainly for
the 2004 election, is, "can the US create goodwill again?"
On that question we could muse about many things.
Posted June 20, 2003
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David Eide
eide491@earthlink.net
copyright 2003
March 27, 2003