Very funny.  I really like it.

This is dedicated to my friend Sonny who I have known for so many years.

You rock!

I got the picture above in an email from a friend.  I noticed in the email trail  someone commented that they were scared.  Were they really scared or just trying to evoke fear in others? There are numerous reasons not to be scared.  Our current president is:

  • thoughtful
  • intelligent
  • wise beyond his years
  • has excellent leadership skills
  • is not afraid to engage in open discussions
  • Wants to be very open
  • Is not afraid to make mistakes
  • Is willing to admit when he makes a mistake
  • will never always be right and knows it
  • wants to engage his political rivals but has not done a good job of that yet

As we move through time, there are paradigm shifts.  Some are small and others are big.  It is a time when some or many of the rules as we know them no longer apply.  We know about several of these throughout American and world history. The American revolution, the American Civil War, the industrial revolution, the Great Depression, WW1 & 2, the end of the Soviet Union, the printing press, computers, Internet to name a few.  That is what we are seeing here. The financial meltdown has caused many rules to change.

In each of these rule changing scenarios, embracing their new rules has been key.  Those who adapt are doomed to failure.  We cannot be luddites and expect to smash factories thinking that we can put things back the way they were.  When Germany invaded Poland, the Polish army were trying to fight the tanks on horseback.  Poland did not understand the new rules.  In any given population, a fraction are early adopters.  They see and understand the new rules.  One key element of success in this area are leaders that understand these new rules of engagement and can communicate this to others.  I believe we have such a leader now.  And he is asking us to embrace a new way of thinking.  We are being challenged to throw out the old R vs D thought process.  That is not an easy thing to do.  Most people can only understand things within their own frame of reference.  And so, it is easy for them to see elected officials as D or R, Conservative, Liberal or Libertarian.  When a person uses a label like this, in their minds they are attaching a set of attributes to such a person.  In reality, no person can really be so described.  These labels no longer work because all the attributes connected to them are blurring.  It was the Bush administration that came to ask for the original bailout money.  Now the Obama administration is continuing that approach it is being attacked as some form of socialism.  In terms of actions, the lines have blurred because both administrations have acted the same.

To be scared of a government is bizarre.  People should never be scared of their government.  A government should be scared of their people.  Perhaps it is the uncertainty that they are scared about.  It is true that our future is uncertain.  I contend that no one knows what will happen a year or two years from now.  We do not yet fully understand the new rules.  We know that corporate jets are a no-no.  That’s a new rule.  Same for bonuses.  A very taboo subject in these times.  Don’t invest money with a guy named Bernie.  Everything is unfolding before our eyes and every day something new comes along.  It has never happened like this before.  The pace of change is staggering and we are able to see these changes almost minutes after they occur.

If there is one characteristic I would attribute to President Obama is “PRACTICAL”. He is not an ideologue.  It is the first time in my lifetime where I felt my government was attempting to be honest and realistic about what they can achieve.  Maybe this will not be ultimately successful.  I cannot say.  But I do appreciate the concept and that he is willing to try.

The presidential campaign released some nasty elements within certain segments of the population .  Some people really believed that Obama is “a good actor” or “just a person who can speak well”.  In other words, he has no character of his own.  And so some believe that he is hell bent to deliberately destroy the country.  Hence the “secret muslim” and such nonsense.  While I believe GWB is an idiot and highly incompetent, it was never personal with me.  I never wished him harm, even in my mind.  I never wished him failure although I felt certain that he could never succeed because of his own shortcomings.  And I disagreed with him on many things, but mostly in areas where he crapped on the constitution.

And so we have those who believe that under no circumstances can President Obama ever do anything right.  They talk about being scared that he will do X?  Whatever X is.  I don’t know where this is coming from.  Some are definitely racist.  I suspect that this is a fraction.  Others just fear the unknown because of the times we are in.  And yet still, he is not a Republican or self ascribed conservative.  He does not belong to the tribe and therefore cannot be good.  Where these things come from does not matter.  Each person must search their own conscience.

I ask a few things of those Obama skeptics.  Continue to be skeptical but do so with calm intelligence and facts.  Do not let rumors, heresay and conspiracy theories get the better of you.  Understand that in a democracy, no one gets everything they want.  Have conversations with people of opposite view points(this goes for everyone).  Try to find out what that person sees that you don’t see. And lastly, give him some benefit of the doubt.