Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Whither the Future?
There’s a hunger for leadership in America. This hunger has been around for a while, but it has now reached famine levels. Everyone will give a reason for this famishment, but few will question that the desire is there. Even fewer will say that we have true leaders today. Most of us in the real world know better.
The fact remains that we want people in positions of power who will speak for us and who understand our problems. We don’t want people who say the right things and do wrong in our eyes. All we see around us is scandal after scandal but little or no accountability for the wrong that’s done.
What makes it worse (even hypocritical) is that the people who are often embroiled in scandal pose as arbiters of morality. Isn’t personal responsibility a moral virtue – or, does that only apply to those the “moral arbiters” deem as the enemy? By the way, who is the enemy? Why this pointless waste of demonizing their fellow countrymen when there are real demons out there who wish us serious harm?
Frankly, I’m sick and tired of this divisiveness that has pervaded our national psyche for the past two decades. We should all be in this together, but we’re not. We’ve come to the point where we want a fresh slate, but throwing the bums out can only get us so far. All we end up doing is replacing the current slate of bums with another set.
I was reminded of our dearth of true leadership when my son did a report on Franklin Roosevelt. As part of the project, we watched a video on FDR and I almost wept thinking that we once had someone in power who actually did lead – and listen to – the people! It seemed too good to be true, but it was true! This country did have true leaders in the past, but what about now?
I’m tired of being nostalgic about the past. These times demand real leadership, not the usual manufactured and marketed image factory. It’s come to the point where many of us are so desperate for leaders that they truly can’t tell the difference between what’s authentic and what’s counterfeit.
We’re living in such counterfeit times, but where do we find authentic leaders? Or, are we destined to be led by the airbrushed image factory products that are our current choices? Do we have people who have the vision to lead us and the ability and patience to listen to us?
Does such a person exist? The pessimist in me says “Tough luck!” The optimist in me says “Be patient.” I would like to say “The future is now!” Who’ll win out in the end? Maybe the future is right under our noses all this time. At least, I’d like to think so!
The fact remains that we want people in positions of power who will speak for us and who understand our problems. We don’t want people who say the right things and do wrong in our eyes. All we see around us is scandal after scandal but little or no accountability for the wrong that’s done.
What makes it worse (even hypocritical) is that the people who are often embroiled in scandal pose as arbiters of morality. Isn’t personal responsibility a moral virtue – or, does that only apply to those the “moral arbiters” deem as the enemy? By the way, who is the enemy? Why this pointless waste of demonizing their fellow countrymen when there are real demons out there who wish us serious harm?
Frankly, I’m sick and tired of this divisiveness that has pervaded our national psyche for the past two decades. We should all be in this together, but we’re not. We’ve come to the point where we want a fresh slate, but throwing the bums out can only get us so far. All we end up doing is replacing the current slate of bums with another set.
I was reminded of our dearth of true leadership when my son did a report on Franklin Roosevelt. As part of the project, we watched a video on FDR and I almost wept thinking that we once had someone in power who actually did lead – and listen to – the people! It seemed too good to be true, but it was true! This country did have true leaders in the past, but what about now?
I’m tired of being nostalgic about the past. These times demand real leadership, not the usual manufactured and marketed image factory. It’s come to the point where many of us are so desperate for leaders that they truly can’t tell the difference between what’s authentic and what’s counterfeit.
We’re living in such counterfeit times, but where do we find authentic leaders? Or, are we destined to be led by the airbrushed image factory products that are our current choices? Do we have people who have the vision to lead us and the ability and patience to listen to us?
Does such a person exist? The pessimist in me says “Tough luck!” The optimist in me says “Be patient.” I would like to say “The future is now!” Who’ll win out in the end? Maybe the future is right under our noses all this time. At least, I’d like to think so!
