*Ø* Blogmanac | Could it be??
The most exciting thing I've heard yet about the forthcoming election!
Two Waves of Change
by Stephen Dinan
stephen@radicalspirit.org
Many Kucinich supporters lament the number of people that have assembled, somewhat skittishly, behind Howard Dean. Since many Dean supporters have confessed that they would really prefer Dennis Kucinich were he "electable" many of us wonder, "why not get behind the candidate you REALLY believe in?" [Emphasis added. -v]
Instead of fighting the current situation, I say celebrate it! The reason is that there are two main waves of change sweeping the country. Howard Dean provides a powerful rallying point for the first wave and Dennis is providing the rallying point for the second. Many people involved in the early stages of the second wave wonder why the masses haven't yet caught on. But this misses a crucial point: people can't be forced into the second wave until the first wave has worked its magic. And that magic is this:
Many, many Americans are hurting. Every new announcement from the Bush administration is like a dagger, cutting the proud ideals of America into red, white, and blue ribbons. We are ashamed of America's behavior in the world, outraged by the overthrow of so many advances, galled at the waste of life and resources. We feel grief and pain over our national trajectory
For quite some time, many have felt the wound, but most felt powerless to stop the ongoing abuse. Corporate money, fear of terrorists, distorted media, and the juggernaut of Bush's neo-cons seemed unstoppable.
The magic of Howard Dean is that his feisty demeanor and anti-Bush rhetoric has stirred progressive America from its slumbers. Through righteous anger in the service of ending the abuse of power, he has provided a rallying point. Through his goading, he resurrects our confidence that we can defeat Bush next year. Through his attacks, he inspires the grass roots to organize. He is allowing us to shed the first layer of our cocoons.
The thing to notice, though, is that Dean has a much more cloudy vision of the society and world we want to create. His energy is that of rebellion, not progress. His voice is that of combat, not peace. His vision is that of railing against the status quo, not creating a truly just world. His stance is one of antagonism, not the stance that goes beyond the fight and stands in a fundamentally wiser place.
Dennis Kucinich spent some of his early career in a more oppositional stand, just as Dean does now. He fought the good fight with the "enemies." However, he now stands beyond that, in a place of commitment to truth. He will certainly go into battle for a good cause, but he does so without rancor or demonizing the perceived enemy. He has worked through the dramas that are necessary to become a man of wisdom and integrity. He has been through his fiery trials to become a light unto the world.
From that place, his policies emerge as a service to the country and a service to his constituents rather than a way for him to maintain or increase power. In doing this, he rekindles the noble fire at the heart of America and reminds us of our highest mission as a country. [Emphasis added. -v]
He is a new kind of political leader for today's America, more like Mandela in South Africa or Lula in Brazil, or stretching backwards in time, like Abraham Lincoln. These leaders surface at moments of crisis when it is imperative that a country evolves beyond the problems of the moment into the next stage of maturity. [Emphasis added. -v]
Please read on for an exciting vision for America
[While being deeply and bitterly disappointed in the leaders of the U.S. and their actions "in our name," I've always
held out hope for a leader "with vision like Kennedy" to emerge and, with a higher purpose, join the world community in a way that fulfills the potential of all of us, working together. This is the first time I've seen my thoughts expressed. Now I wish I'd written what I'd been feeling. LOL! Stephen states it very well. Could it be . . . ? -v]
The most exciting thing I've heard yet about the forthcoming election!
Two Waves of Change
by Stephen Dinan
stephen@radicalspirit.org
Many Kucinich supporters lament the number of people that have assembled, somewhat skittishly, behind Howard Dean. Since many Dean supporters have confessed that they would really prefer Dennis Kucinich were he "electable" many of us wonder, "why not get behind the candidate you REALLY believe in?" [Emphasis added. -v]
Instead of fighting the current situation, I say celebrate it! The reason is that there are two main waves of change sweeping the country. Howard Dean provides a powerful rallying point for the first wave and Dennis is providing the rallying point for the second. Many people involved in the early stages of the second wave wonder why the masses haven't yet caught on. But this misses a crucial point: people can't be forced into the second wave until the first wave has worked its magic. And that magic is this:
Many, many Americans are hurting. Every new announcement from the Bush administration is like a dagger, cutting the proud ideals of America into red, white, and blue ribbons. We are ashamed of America's behavior in the world, outraged by the overthrow of so many advances, galled at the waste of life and resources. We feel grief and pain over our national trajectory
For quite some time, many have felt the wound, but most felt powerless to stop the ongoing abuse. Corporate money, fear of terrorists, distorted media, and the juggernaut of Bush's neo-cons seemed unstoppable.
The magic of Howard Dean is that his feisty demeanor and anti-Bush rhetoric has stirred progressive America from its slumbers. Through righteous anger in the service of ending the abuse of power, he has provided a rallying point. Through his goading, he resurrects our confidence that we can defeat Bush next year. Through his attacks, he inspires the grass roots to organize. He is allowing us to shed the first layer of our cocoons.
The thing to notice, though, is that Dean has a much more cloudy vision of the society and world we want to create. His energy is that of rebellion, not progress. His voice is that of combat, not peace. His vision is that of railing against the status quo, not creating a truly just world. His stance is one of antagonism, not the stance that goes beyond the fight and stands in a fundamentally wiser place.
Dennis Kucinich spent some of his early career in a more oppositional stand, just as Dean does now. He fought the good fight with the "enemies." However, he now stands beyond that, in a place of commitment to truth. He will certainly go into battle for a good cause, but he does so without rancor or demonizing the perceived enemy. He has worked through the dramas that are necessary to become a man of wisdom and integrity. He has been through his fiery trials to become a light unto the world.
From that place, his policies emerge as a service to the country and a service to his constituents rather than a way for him to maintain or increase power. In doing this, he rekindles the noble fire at the heart of America and reminds us of our highest mission as a country. [Emphasis added. -v]
He is a new kind of political leader for today's America, more like Mandela in South Africa or Lula in Brazil, or stretching backwards in time, like Abraham Lincoln. These leaders surface at moments of crisis when it is imperative that a country evolves beyond the problems of the moment into the next stage of maturity. [Emphasis added. -v]
Please read on for an exciting vision for America
[While being deeply and bitterly disappointed in the leaders of the U.S. and their actions "in our name," I've always
held out hope for a leader "with vision like Kennedy" to emerge and, with a higher purpose, join the world community in a way that fulfills the potential of all of us, working together. This is the first time I've seen my thoughts expressed. Now I wish I'd written what I'd been feeling. LOL! Stephen states it very well. Could it be . . . ? -v]
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