Great writers who are able to use metaphores and see the beauty about every day life have always shaped our views of the world. Even these republicans, who we loathe, are some of the most prominent and skilled writers around. They have re-written democrats, who are largely middle class and working into a party of elites. They have re-written republicans, who represent the extremely monied interests, as working class heroes. I agree that we need people with a visiona and I trust that opednews is doing its part to change the way Americans see themselves and the future.

by Dean Powers (138 articles, 8 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 70 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 at 9:14:56 AM

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So much of politics today uses framing-- tapping and manipulating language to support a vision. Lakoff has written about how "strict Parent" families look at the world from a starker, more rigid, in my opinion, more negative perspective. They prefer punishment to reward, prohibited activities not encouraged ones... for example. Since the negative vision is almost wired into the nervous systems of these people it is a major challenge to bring about change. But I believe it IS possible.

by Rob Kall (953 articles, 4178 quicklinks, 374 diaries, 2087 comments [45 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 at 9:39:43 AM

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QUOTE: I want to inspire America to take a new path, a different direction. I envision an America which has the capacity to reconnect with the heart of the world; an America which proceeds in the world optimistically and courageously. An America which understands that the world is interdependent, that it is inter-connected, and that what we do today impacts future generations. I want to break the shackles of fear which have deprived our citizens of rights. We need to change the way this country values humanity, so that instead of fear and lies, we can live our lives based on principles of peace and hope. We need to regain the trust of the American people and we need to have a government which trusts the American people. It's time for America to resume its glorious journey; time to reject shrinking jobs and wages, disappearing savings and rights; time to reject the detour towards fear and greed. It's time to look out upon the world for friends, not enemies; time to counter the control of corporations over our politics, our economy, our resources, and mass media. It's time for those who have much to help those who have little, by maintaining a progressive tax structure. It's time to tell the world that we wish to be their partner in peace, not their leader in war. Most of all, it is time for America to again be the land where dreams come true, because the government is on the side of its people. END QUOTE If you like the vision above, why not act like you do and actually help him out? If you can't do this much now, when he needs you most, do me a favor and please stop crying that there isn't such a person.

by Daniel Geery (26 articles, 95 quicklinks, 126 diaries, 912 comments [27 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 at 11:07:14 AM

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Throughout the years, we have setup a government that is suposed to do this. But, along the way, this social contract has been coopted by those who want to win at any cost and bowed to the moneyed special interests. I continue to have hope and faith in our form of government. We need to be made whole again. This can only be done by those who can, and will, unite us in spite of ourselves. This will take a great investment of personality, time and work. We need to start now for ourselves and to leave a legacy for our children.

by LEO BOYLE (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 40 comments) on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 at 9:21:43 AM

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Sure, but we need to build social institutions and organizations, integrate into the schools ways that a positive vision is "woven" into people's ways of thinking about and seeing the world. We need history books that filter history through this kind of lens, for example.

by Rob Kall (953 articles, 4178 quicklinks, 374 diaries, 2087 comments [45 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 at 9:41:54 AM

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But, where will the leadership come from? Will it emerge through the Dem Party, or do we need one of the existing third parties, or a new third party? The "progressive" community is very fragmented, and not just in terms of websites and publications, but more importantly even in terms of philosophy and political goals. Right now on this and similar sites, there clearly are two divergent views: one holds out hope for a take-over of the Dem party, the other sees no such hope. Worse yet, no entity has attempted to craft a kind of second contract with America that would solidify not just the progressive community but the much more silent, large mass of independents and discontent Americans fed up not just with the two major parties, but with the whole corrupt political and economic system. Another division: most progressives seem to think that we can vote our way out of this awful national mess, while others (like me) believe that we must harness the power of consumer spending. Leadership --- yes, yes, yes, we desperately need it. Should more of us start to get behind new political groups, like the Populist Party of America?

by Joel S. Hirschhorn (141 articles, 50 quicklinks, 65 diaries, 546 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 at 9:51:00 AM

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Leaders and heroes-- we seem to have a shortage of both nowadays. I ask a lot of people who their heroes are, and outside of Mandela, the Dalai Lama and John Conyers, and parents and siblings, I don't see much more. part of the problem is that liberals and progressives tend to eat their young and viciously attack emerging leaders if they are not 100% in line with their personal issues. Miss one issue and poof-- they're toast. Somehow, they need to learn about playing on a team, compromise-- a concept that will send some progressives up the f*cking wall.

by Rob Kall (953 articles, 4178 quicklinks, 374 diaries, 2087 comments [45 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 at 10:14:21 AM

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It would be dandy to have a leader arise, one whose appeal was broad and whose voice was eloquent so that everyone would follow his or her inspirational direction. "Dont follow leaders, watch the parking meters" Robert Zimmerman said that. We could await the coming of such leadership all the while bemoaning our fate and imagining what great things we might accomplish if only there was such a person behind whom we could march. Or perhaps we could simply do our best to work towards the visions we see as the natural course for our nation and the world. Most here, I venture, are locked into their loyalty to the Democratic Party, some others are vocal in their criticism of that party yet feel that voting for one of the fledgling third parties is a waste of ones vote. I feel that voting for candidates uncertain to lead where you wish to go is the ultimate waste of a vote and I refuse to do so, but that is just me. It matters little, in my opinion, which way you choose to go as long as you do choose and you do go. If you refuse to reject the Democrats as a solution to our ills then you must work to make that party go where you choose it to go. If you see, as do I, a sick and rotten system, with both parties in sycophantic thrall to the power and money of the corporate elite and choose to support one of the emerging third parties, parties formed with a main goal of freedom from such thralldom and wishing to be responsive, not to the monied class but to the grassroots, then it is equally important that you work for them. Unless and until we get off our asses, and away from our keyboards and get out into our communities, working with our friends and neighbors in whichever way we feel is most effective, nothing is going to change, this nation will work, not for us but for those with their own best interests at heart.

by ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2377 comments) on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 at 4:28:36 PM

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This is the discussion we need to be having. I desperately hope that after this election, that we continue to be as involved as we are right now. This is the kind of discourse that should be taking place everyday. I have been at this daily since the war in Iraq started. I have been ignored by every so-called "progressive" site except this one. For that I am grateful to Rob that I have been able to get what I feel is my message, out to people. The sites that claim to be "Progressive and Liberal" will have nothing to do with you unless you are a dues paying Democrat.Even the anti-war sites blackballed me because I said something dispariging about Hugo Chavez. I liked the comment about Dennis Kucinich. I liked what you said Rob. I want the people in Washington to work for the people, not the other way around. They havn't done anything for years except cause dissention and divide us. If the Democrats can't and won't become responsive to the people, then by all means we must start a new party and take all the progressives away from both parties, the unions too. If they work for the people, than we should help them by writing and calling and speaking up on a daily basis. In reality, the choice is ours. We can blame everyone on Earth, but the choice is ours. We are the people. We need to let ALL people in government know that. We really do need to work together and accept our differences. I have said it before and I will say it again, we are on a precipice and we have to realize that. The people in power are not nice people, not at all. We allowed them to get there. Now we need to figure out how to work together so it doesn't happen again. I'm broke, all I have is what I can add through my writing. If I were wealthy, I would contribute to this site. This is a place where everyone can be heard, even me. We all need to get involved.

by Timothy V. Gatto (348 articles, 177 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 574 comments) on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 at 12:03:57 PM

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You write with some eloquence about a need to reject the current political models yet, when other courses are suggested, you raise indignant voice against these possible solutions as stupidly irrelevent or impossible dreams. Why?

by ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2377 comments) on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 at 4:14:39 PM

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Great piece Rob. With all the political ads, scandals and rhetoric of late, it was refreshing to read your article. It moved me and I thank you. zenseeker

by Zenseeker (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 14 comments) on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 at 8:46:42 PM

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When I comment on an article it is most often to point out the negative. To take up my time writing and the readers time accentuating positive views is superfluous and a waste of resources. When I harp on the Globalist Agenda I am not in any hope of putting a change in the heart of a Globalist anywhere, Nor do I expect my views to alter those actions of our legislators who enable the Globalist to advance their stranglehold on our society. When I write to this and other columns, when I talk to friends and strangers on the streets, it is to educate the voting public. To convince them to vote out any and all who support corporate over citizen rights. I see no benefit in forming think tanks to get my views aired, any organized group is going to find a common voice to speak through and claim to speak for me and other members of that group, thereby stifling and watering my voice yet again. I also do not see any profit in advocating bridges of compromise to those who work to benefit the Globalist Agenda. They are the enemy of all who wish individual liberty and the freedom the World once admired. They are the enemy in this fight and I refuse to collaborate with anyone who strives to see Cecil Rhodes' will come to fruition. America already has a body of citizens empowered to find ways to maintain and advance the best interest of our Nation's citizens. It is our Congress. American courts are there to enforce that power. And the American voter has the power to bring both to heel. When I spew my negative rants, it is to convince my fellow citizen voters that 50.5% of them are wrong in supporting a party that is inherently an enemy of this Nation.The republican party is pro-corporation over the rights of individual citizens,that makes them an enemy of America's citizens. I make no apology to them or your column for my lack of willingness to negotiate with entities whose stated goal is the dominance of MY country's sovereignty to a corporate Globalist elite. I will however continue to speak to my fellow citizens. Some I hope to change their views, Some I hope to teach by example to further the dissemination of my views, Some I hope to reinforce in their own views. My goal always is to get Americans to vote in members of congress that " Look to the Welfare of the People". cliff567

by cliff567 (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 165 comments) on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 at 11:17:22 PM

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Dear Rob, In your lament for the lack of leadership and a coherent unifying vision of a positive future -- one that serves humanity and supports the best of what it means to be human -- I'm surprised you didn't mention Rabbi Michael Lerner's positive vision and comprehensive 8-point plan outlined in his book, The Left Hand of God, a plan which he calls A Spiritual Covenant with America. Your article spoke of the need .. "to create a vision-- perhaps through a thinktank-- that describes a positive future where corporations thrive and are rewarded with the greatest profits when they do the most for humankind and the environment, when they support human and biodiversity." There's no need to create a thinktank to drum up these ideas from scratch. This positive future has already been well thought out and described in Lerner's Spiritual Covenant. The requirement for corporate social responsibility is one of its eight components, all of which are founded on his concept of the New Bottom Line: " A progressive spiritual politics challenges the "old bottom line" in American society which teaches people that their life's activities will be judged by how much they can advance their own material well-being, power and prestige. Surrounded by an ethos of selfishness generated by the old bottom line, people increasingly treat each other as vehicles to satisfy their personal needs. ..... What we need, then, is a New Bottom Line, one which judges institutions, corporations, legislation, social practices, health care, our educational and legal systems, and our social policies by how much love and compassion, kindness and generosity, and ethical and ecological sensitivity they inculcate within us..." In addition to calling for a Social Responsibility Amendment requiring corporations to justify their corporate charter every ten years, Lerner's Spiritual Covenant also calls for policies which support caring family life, personal ethical responsibility, humane educational system, national holistic healthcare, environmental program based on ethics and sustainability, foreign policy/national security based on generosity and a Global Marshal Plan, and separation of church, state, and science. (if you're not aware of Lerner's positive vision for America, and his comprehensive 8-point plan, please take the time to read about it on his website, http://www.spiritualprogressives.org http://files.tikkun.org/pdf/SpiritualCov2SingleP.pdf http://www.tikkuninstitute.org or in his book, The Left Hand of God- http://www.tikkun.org/rabbi_lerner/books/left-hand ) I would appreciate reading your review of his vision for a positive future, so that readers here might begin to engage in a discussion about these ideas, and spread them far and wide, and start pressuring leadership to adopt them.)

by my2cents (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 30 comments) on Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 1:06:03 AM

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This is Halloween and 'horrible conclusions' are in order. Even the comments above prove what I have said to Rob several times: opinions are only the environment; those are not policy-makers and cannot contribute to the cause unless the cause is stated once and for all, so that all opinions are lined up to it. This site is great but it is not doing that; it is not promoting a decision and ways to achieve a goal, sorry. Leadership, whatever is first and foremost a clear strife to win, no matter what. Here, on this site we have (and that is not to denigrate, just to state the obvious) much more the expression of ego and individuality than discipline and goal-orientation. Apparently, Bush and Co had not pushed the people of the US tough enough for them to see that all the petty stuff has to put aside and only one goal has to be achieved- getting rid of those SOBs. It still looks like we think that we have too much time at our disposal. We don't, sorry. If we put our bickerings aside and embrace the goal we will see that we all have to: 1. vote Dems in ( we have no choice) 2. Push and request for the series of criminal investigation of 9/11. Katrina and Iraq massacre 3. Call for the emergency convention of all parties except the GOP. Folks, we are here working not to save the world, America or etc. We are here to save ourselves, our lives, our sustenance, our families. If you do not realze that, you might as well go back reading philosophy books. GOP works in cahoots with Satan 25 hours a day to kill us all. There is no time to muse which Rabbie has better spiritual path. There is no path unless we open it. It is a no-brainer for Cheney to torture. Let it be your Halloween nightmare.

by Mark Sashine (72 articles, 19 quicklinks, 269 diaries, 4101 comments [131 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Oct 30, 2006 at 7:41:13 AM

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