Beyond Fear AND Hope

Many Americans are ecstatic that Obama won. They feel tremendous hope. The emotion is infectious, and is a lot more pleasant than the fear that's been raging across the country.

But there is a bigger picture . . .

Fear Versus Hope

Everyone knows that Bush, Cheney and the boys have used fear as their primary weapon to obtain compliance from people and to justify their imperial agenda. Indeed, the father of the Neoconservative movement, Leo Strauss, who tutored many leaders of the current administration, believed that a stable political order required an external threat and that if an external threat did not exist, one should be manufactured. Specifically, Strauss thought that:

"A political order can be stable only if it is united by an external threat . . . . Following Machiavelli, he maintained that if no external threat exists then one has to be manufactured".

And it should be obvious that the Neoliberal Democrats are using hope as their rallying emotion. Obama's entire message, boiled down to one word, is "hope". Bill Clinton did it too. As an example, his campaign repeated over and over that Clinton was from a "Town Called Hope" (his home town of Hope, Arkansas).

The Neolibs' who approach is the "we're kindler, gentler, hope-dispensing people" thing. Its a feel-good salesman approach, in contrast to Strauss' ooga-booga approach.

Beyond Mere Emotion

I - like most Americans - am relieved that the trickle-down emotion du jour has shifted from fear to hope. It feels nicer.

But it is no more real than switching from watching the tv from the horror channel to the feel-good-movie channel.

They are both fiction. Neither the Neocons or Neolibs deliver on their promises.

The Neocons drummed up fear of terrorists, but actually made America less secure, and stomped on our liberties in the process.

The Neolibs promised hope, but gave none. Remember, it was under Clinton that many of the financial laws were repealed, and the dot com speculative bubble created.

Hope is just an emotion. Admittedly, real hope for fundamental and lasting change is important.

But false hope given by polished politicians like Obama and Bill Clinton is less than worthless . . . it is dangerous, for it lulls people to sleep so they won't demand real change.

After the Honeymoon is Over

When the honeymoon between the voters and Obama is over, people will judge him on who he picks to lead his cabinet and what he actually does.

After the honeymoon is over, the only questions will be whether Obama:

• Protected our liberty and restored the Constitution and the rule of law

• Restored the balance of power

• Ensured justice

• Kept us out of imperial wars

• Stopped the looting of our treasury and pockets

• Otherwise protected our country

Whether or not Obama does these things - and not whether he administers the hope drug - is the question.

Unless the fundamental tyranny, injustice, imperialism and economic foolishness are addressed, then America will have one heck of a hangover when the drug wears off.