Comments on: Premature adulation http://rjz.verminbrewing.com/2009/10/09/premature-adulation/ Ideas about travel and everything else, collected while traveling the world Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:53:13 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: RjZ http://rjz.verminbrewing.com/2009/10/09/premature-adulation/comment-page-1/#comment-15608 RjZ Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:36:27 +0000 http://rjz.verminbrewing.com/?p=694#comment-15608 As you could tell by my update, I am inclined, mostly to agree with you. But thanks, especially, for your thoughtful comments. As you could tell by my update, I am inclined, mostly to agree with you. But thanks, especially, for your thoughtful comments.

]]> By: pk http://rjz.verminbrewing.com/2009/10/09/premature-adulation/comment-page-1/#comment-15491 pk Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:06:00 +0000 http://rjz.verminbrewing.com/?p=694#comment-15491 I'm a bit torn. I agree that it's totally premature and kinda makes a joke of it, but I also can't blame the prize committees desire to help Obama. We've wasted eight crucial years making things worse financially and ecologically under Bush & Cheney, and those were eight years we didn't have. Finally Americans come around to elect an intelligent man who dares to tackle the big issues such as health care, ecology, nuclear proliferation, international diplomacy, etc. (and in a manner that suggests he's not a complete corporate whore, which cannot be said for his predecessors) and he is meeting so much resistance at every step of the way that at a time when radical steps are needed all he can hope to do is pass watered down legislation that is business-as-usual. I simply can't blame the international community for trying to give him a leg up. Was it a bad move to accept the prize, donate the money to a good cause, and acknowledge that the prize was not awarded to him so much as the ideals for a better future that many hoped he would represent? I weigh that against how his declining the prize might be perceived internationally and think this is part of the diplomacy he represents. In other words, he was being gracious. Domestically? He's screwed no matter what. The roar from people aligning themselves to see him fail at all costs is getting more shrill with each passing month. It is time for us to ask ourselves how WE are spending OUR energy. Are we contributing to the noise that allows us to backslide into the paralysis of analysis (or even worse: complete idiocy)? Or are we going to roll up our sleeves and add our voices to the causes that will help curb further damage and hopefully even improve the lives of not just ourselves, but of future generations? Put another way: Who do you want to be? The guy who spends time and effort to torpedo a group that helps poor people (ACORN) or the guy who helps to volunteer at the homeless shelter? Pick your battles. I’m a bit torn. I agree that it’s totally premature and kinda makes a joke of it, but I also can’t blame the prize committees desire to help Obama. We’ve wasted eight crucial years making things worse financially and ecologically under Bush & Cheney, and those were eight years we didn’t have. Finally Americans come around to elect an intelligent man who dares to tackle the big issues such as health care, ecology, nuclear proliferation, international diplomacy, etc. (and in a manner that suggests he’s not a complete corporate whore, which cannot be said for his predecessors) and he is meeting so much resistance at every step of the way that at a time when radical steps are needed all he can hope to do is pass watered down legislation that is business-as-usual.

I simply can’t blame the international community for trying to give him a leg up. Was it a bad move to accept the prize, donate the money to a good cause, and acknowledge that the prize was not awarded to him so much as the ideals for a better future that many hoped he would represent? I weigh that against how his declining the prize might be perceived internationally and think this is part of the diplomacy he represents. In other words, he was being gracious. Domestically? He’s screwed no matter what. The roar from people aligning themselves to see him fail at all costs is getting more shrill with each passing month.

It is time for us to ask ourselves how WE are spending OUR energy. Are we contributing to the noise that allows us to backslide into the paralysis of analysis (or even worse: complete idiocy)? Or are we going to roll up our sleeves and add our voices to the causes that will help curb further damage and hopefully even improve the lives of not just ourselves, but of future generations?

Put another way: Who do you want to be? The guy who spends time and effort to torpedo a group that helps poor people (ACORN) or the guy who helps to volunteer at the homeless shelter? Pick your battles.

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