Comments on: Wondering: Yes, We Can or Let’s Do It http://www.ethicalrealist.com/wondering-yes-we-can-or-lets-do-it/ Ethical Realism Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:29:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: M. Porta http://www.ethicalrealist.com/wondering-yes-we-can-or-lets-do-it/#comment-25 M. Porta Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:34:00 +0000 http://www.ethicalrealist.com/?p=177#comment-25 I was laying low all inauguration day, trying to avoid hearing more praise of Obama's fluffy talk. Yes, I have Obama fatigue. No matter how lovely the words, the soaring rhetoric loses its effect after having heard it a million times. I've been especially upset lately over his call to "service," not because I think volunteering is a bad idea, but because Americans are already among the most civic-minded people on Earth, and I fail to see how encouraging more of us to ladle soup, visit old ladies, and write to soldiers is going to take on big oil, corporate farming, and Detroit, all of whom keep getting rewarded for not only doing the wrong thing, but for keeping down those among us who seek to do the right thing. Time for a new news cycle. I'm keeping an open mind about Obama, but what worries me to pieces is that none of his groupies are. The religious fervor with which he's been embraced is Orwellian; no matter what the guy says or does, he's going to get a pass, it seems. I hope I'm wrong, I really do, but I see how easy it is for people. He connects with them, makes them feel that he understands them, tells them he's going to fix it . . . but then he really doesn't say how, he doesn't demand anything substantive of us. Asking us to volunteer is standard fare for those in public service, and it's easy for people to feel virtuous by doing so. But remember what Emerson had to say about charity? He thought it was bullshit. Right livelihood is the thing. It's much harder for Obama to ask us to change our own habits--to forego the absurdly destructive comforts that prop up the economic, environmental, and social dysfunction--in order for our country and the world to change direction. He can do it, but will he? I was laying low all inauguration day, trying to avoid hearing more praise of Obama’s fluffy talk. Yes, I have Obama fatigue. No matter how lovely the words, the soaring rhetoric loses its effect after having heard it a million times. I’ve been especially upset lately over his call to “service,” not because I think volunteering is a bad idea, but because Americans are already among the most civic-minded people on Earth, and I fail to see how encouraging more of us to ladle soup, visit old ladies, and write to soldiers is going to take on big oil, corporate farming, and Detroit, all of whom keep getting rewarded for not only doing the wrong thing, but for keeping down those among us who seek to do the right thing. Time for a new news cycle. I’m keeping an open mind about Obama, but what worries me to pieces is that none of his groupies are. The religious fervor with which he’s been embraced is Orwellian; no matter what the guy says or does, he’s going to get a pass, it seems. I hope I’m wrong, I really do, but I see how easy it is for people. He connects with them, makes them feel that he understands them, tells them he’s going to fix it . . . but then he really doesn’t say how, he doesn’t demand anything substantive of us. Asking us to volunteer is standard fare for those in public service, and it’s easy for people to feel virtuous by doing so. But remember what Emerson had to say about charity? He thought it was bullshit. Right livelihood is the thing. It’s much harder for Obama to ask us to change our own habits–to forego the absurdly destructive comforts that prop up the economic, environmental, and social dysfunction–in order for our country and the world to change direction. He can do it, but will he?

]]> By: Kris Britt http://www.ethicalrealist.com/wondering-yes-we-can-or-lets-do-it/#comment-24 Kris Britt Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:35:00 +0000 http://www.ethicalrealist.com/?p=177#comment-24 You mention holding our government responsible and Mara mentions what will they do with all the results. I feel that the other use of the Internet is not just to take a lot of data, but to publish the results so we can all know what the feedback is. We all hope that this administration is going to magically fix everything, but maybe the great thing that they will accomplish during their term is employing this technology to be transparent and give us full disclosure on just what feedback they are getting and how it is influencing their decisions. Even the ability to provide this kind of transparency is unprecedented, and we should acknowledge the difficulty in leading and representing us all, and the difficulty in sorting and weighing the vast amount of information that will come in even if only part of the population is represented via Internet feedback. This process may result in mistakes, and more questions for now than answers, but it will be courageous of the new administration to try. If we can have published results of the Internet feedback, it will hopefully make the inequities that need to be addressed more clear, and possibly help to spawn ideas for how to address them. It's funny, in the Internet industry the assumption for dealing with the "Digital Divide" is always to get more people online. But you suggest that we need to take some "Old School" measures such as handing out flyers. This is why it's great that we have these discussions. The more we all talk, the better. You mention holding our government responsible and Mara mentions what will they do with all the results. I feel that the other use of the Internet is not just to take a lot of data, but to publish the results so we can all know what the feedback is.

We all hope that this administration is going to magically fix everything, but maybe the great thing that they will accomplish during their term is employing this technology to be transparent and give us full disclosure on just what feedback they are getting and how it is influencing their decisions.

Even the ability to provide this kind of transparency is unprecedented, and we should acknowledge the difficulty in leading and representing us all, and the difficulty in sorting and weighing the vast amount of information that will come in even if only part of the population is represented via Internet feedback.

This process may result in mistakes, and more questions for now than answers, but it will be courageous of the new administration to try. If we can have published results of the Internet feedback, it will hopefully make the inequities that need to be addressed more clear, and possibly help to spawn ideas for how to address them.

It’s funny, in the Internet industry the assumption for dealing with the “Digital Divide” is always to get more people online. But you suggest that we need to take some “Old School” measures such as handing out flyers. This is why it’s great that we have these discussions. The more we all talk, the better.

]]> By: Faith Healer http://www.ethicalrealist.com/wondering-yes-we-can-or-lets-do-it/#comment-22 Faith Healer Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:01:17 +0000 http://www.ethicalrealist.com/?p=177#comment-22 Hope, you are on the lists because you want to be and you actively seek out ways to get involved, which is commendable. People that are annoyed by these kinds of things probably will not receive them. You don't have to be involved, but if you are resourceful and persistent you will be. I would venture to guess that you are exactly the kind of person the Obama administration wants to hear from - informed and passionate. And you are the right person to champion the cause of those who aren't as informed, educated, or resourceful because you can lobby with a kind of eloquence that may actually be heard. So, keep it up! On another level, I don't think you can ever be sure of a persons intentions, and lord knows I have trusted and been let down on more than one occasion, but I guess I prefer to believe that there is a core of humanity that is essentially good, and despite the corruption that is inherent in most political structures, I choose to extend that same faith to PEBO...but that's just me. Please no hate mail....OHMMMM ~ Faith Healer Hope, you are on the lists because you want to be and you actively seek out ways to get involved, which is commendable. People that are annoyed by these kinds of things probably will not receive them. You don’t have to be involved, but if you are resourceful and persistent you will be. I would venture to guess that you are exactly the kind of person the Obama administration wants to hear from - informed and passionate. And you are the right person to champion the cause of those who aren’t as informed, educated, or resourceful because you can lobby with a kind of eloquence that may actually be heard. So, keep it up!

On another level, I don’t think you can ever be sure of a persons intentions, and lord knows I have trusted and been let down on more than one occasion, but I guess I prefer to believe that there is a core of humanity that is essentially good, and despite the corruption that is inherent in most political structures, I choose to extend that same faith to PEBO…but that’s just me. Please no hate mail….OHMMMM

~ Faith Healer

]]> By: Mara van N. http://www.ethicalrealist.com/wondering-yes-we-can-or-lets-do-it/#comment-21 Mara van N. Sat, 17 Jan 2009 17:32:30 +0000 http://www.ethicalrealist.com/?p=177#comment-21 This is a very interesting subject to me, because I'm always so skeptical of projects like this. I mean what on earth is the Transition project going to do with all the results they're getting? Part of me thinks it's just a way to pacify people, make them feel heard without actually hearing them, making them feel as if they have influence, when they don't. So, I guess I'm of the mind that it is a savvy marketing ploy or at least I'm suspicious. You're right though, if you do get involved there's a chance it'll lead somewhere, if you aren't involved well, that's the end of that. And, just wondering, it sounds as if you're getting a lot of emails asking you to do something, is that actually true? Or is it just the way it appears because you're listing them? It actually sounded kind of annoying, as if I should be glad not to be on the list... And also, have you figured out yet how you got on the email list? Because aside even from all the people who don't have internet, I'd be curious to know which cross section of the population is involved now. Interesting subject, interesting post, thanks. This is a very interesting subject to me, because I’m always so skeptical of projects like this. I mean what on earth is the Transition project going to do with all the results they’re getting? Part of me thinks it’s just a way to pacify people, make them feel heard without actually hearing them, making them feel as if they have influence, when they don’t. So, I guess I’m of the mind that it is a savvy marketing ploy or at least I’m suspicious. You’re right though, if you do get involved there’s a chance it’ll lead somewhere, if you aren’t involved well, that’s the end of that.

And, just wondering, it sounds as if you’re getting a lot of emails asking you to do something, is that actually true? Or is it just the way it appears because you’re listing them? It actually sounded kind of annoying, as if I should be glad not to be on the list… And also, have you figured out yet how you got on the email list? Because aside even from all the people who don’t have internet, I’d be curious to know which cross section of the population is involved now.

Interesting subject, interesting post, thanks.

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