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RawVoice
Raw Newbie
Obama and The Palin Effect by Deepak Chopra Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin’s pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper. She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of ‘the other.’ For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don’t want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.) I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin¹s message. In her acceptance speech Gov. Palin sent a rousing call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision. Look at what she stands for: -Small town values - a denial of America’s global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism. -Ignorance of world affairs - a repudiation of the need to repair America’s image abroad. -Family values - a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don’t need to be heeded. -Rigid stands on guns and abortion - a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree. -Patriotism - the usual fallback in a failed war. -‘Reform’ - an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn’t fit your ideology. Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from ‘us’ pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches under the banners of ‘I’m all right, Jack,’ and ‘Why change? Everything’s OK as it is.’ The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good. The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness. Obama’s call for higher ideals in politics can’t be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow—we all do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? No one can predict. The best thing about Gov. Palin is that she brought this conflict to light, which makes the upcoming debate honest. It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.
Comments
Thanks for sharing that message RawVoice
I just found the link to the article that you posted:
http://www.chopra.com/node/1064
as usual Deepak Chopra provides such an eloquent insight into this race. Thank you for posting that.
Thank you RawVoice. Very deep perspective, as usual from Deepak!
Wow I love Deepak Chopra!!! Anyone read his novel ‘Buddha’? I like his other stuff as well…thanks for posting this. It’s a good sanity check for myself after all my ranting and raving lately ;-)
Here’s an email from a friend who’s the most wonderful person. She’s a nurse who volunteered her whole being to go help those after the tsunami….her list of selfless accomplishments truly humbles me. she rocks! And she wants the best for everyone in the country and in the world.
Hey guys, I know you are probably sick of political emails, so if you want me to stop sending them to you, just let me know! I’m just trying to do everything I can to educate folks about the upcoming election… Feel free to send me anything in response! ~Emily Here are some of the things that Obama has done for women:
1. Obama created a task force on cervical cancer, providing greater access to breast and cervical cancer screenings, and helping improve prenatal and premature birth services.
2. Obama has a 100% rating for protecting women’s choice.
3. Obama’s legislation helps protect women from sexual assault.
4. Obama passed the Equal Pay Act In Illinois to give 330,000 more women protection from pay discrimination.
5. Obama passed a law to create the Victims’ Economic Security And Safety Act (VESSA), which would help victims of abuse seek treatment without losing their job.
6. Obama passed into law a requirement that women and minority scientists &/or engineers be represented and consulted on specific technology and science efforts.
7. Obama passed into law an amendment creating a mentoring program for women and underrepresented groups at DOE.
8. Obama created a working, affordable health care plan in Illinois, that covers 70,000 kids and 84,000 adults, where all kids qualify for $40 per child. Obama sponsored and passed this legislation, working with Rod R. Blagojevich (IL Gov.) It is a model for a workable, affordable national health care program.
9. Obama supports early childhood education.
10. Obama co-sponsored the Healthy Kids Act of 2007 and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2007 to ensure that more American children have affordable health care coverage.
Here is an incomplete list of McCain’s efforts:
McCain voted AGAINST Equal Pay for Women. McCain voted AGAINST (Biden’s) Violence Against Women. McCain voted AGAINST Title X Health Care Services for Women. McCain voted AGAINST Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). McCain voted AGAINST aid to Children of Domestic Violence. McCain voted AGAINST Emergency Funding for Victims of Hurricane Katrina. McCain wants to bring back the DRAFT. McCain voted WITH Bush/Cheney 90% of the time. —
“Hope” is the thing with feathers— That perches in the soul— And sings the tune without the words— And never stops—at all—
- Emily Dickinson
Yay Joyce!!! Who can argue with the facts?
Yeah, Deepak says it all so succinctly. He is really brilliant. I’m glad you all appreciate the article as much as I do!
Deepak is beautiful… definitely eloquent as littlegems pointed-out.
And the data that JoyceH posted, well, the records speak for themselves. Can anyone honestly deny McCain is McSame?
Love the Emily Dickinson quote too! :)