Recently there has been lots of focus on the power of thought. Books and coaches revealing the "secret power" of what is now called neuro-linguistic programming and neuro-associative conditioning. As in, "The Secret", spotlighted on Oprah or Tony Robbins seminars. These ideas go back at least to the 1930's, and probably much further. I couldn't help thinking about this as I listened to speeches made by John McCain and Barack Obama during the 2004 Republican and Democratic conventions.
John McCain opened his RNC address by quoting Franklin D. Rosevelt: “This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.” He continues by submitting the re-election of Bush/Cheney as an evaluation of our nation's moral courage and resolve. He jumps quickly to beating the drums of war, saying "The awful events of September 11, 2001 declared a war we were vaguely aware of". Within a few breaths, he frames the conflict as a noble contest between human dignity and "a malevolent force" that disputes God's love, right and wrong, good and evil. In support of his conclusion that "we must fight - We must!" in order to "vanquish this unpardonable enemy" he manages to refer to weapons of mass destruction, Saddam Hussein, terrorism, 9/11, heroism and courage, love, freedom, and justice, 9/11 (again), the Cold War, cruelty, mass graves, torture chambers, unity after 9/11, liberating Iraq, the "war against terrorism", being safer now than after September 11th, military and ideological superiority, and al Qaeda. John McCain concludes with the words "Stand up with our President and fight. We're Americans. We're Americans, and we'll never surrender. They will."
"They will". Presumably given the context, "they" means Democrats. The implication is that Democrats will surrender. The implication is that Democrats are despicable, yellow-bellied cowards- downright un-American vermin lacking the fire in the bellies to fight for freedom and justice and the American way. Whoa, sorry, I was on a roll...
OK, back to convention addresses. Barack Obama opened his DNC address by holding himself out as an example of civil progress and unity. He speaks of his father who was born and raised in Kenya, son of a cook and domestic servant to the British dreaming of an "America, that shone as a beacon of freedom and opportunity". He speaks of his mother who was born and raised in post-depression Kansas, to a father who "the day after Pearl Harbor... signed up for duty; joined Patton’s army, marched across Europe [while] Back home, my grandmother raised a baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line." He speaks of a "tolerant America" where his parents "imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential." He continues speaking of America's greatness, quotes from the Declaration of Independence, sites freedom of speech, political expression, and the right to vote. He rolls through the standard Democratic fare: jobs, the economy, education, community and faith, energy independence, Constitutional freedoms, health care, family unity. He pays tribute to John Kerry, citing his heroic service in Vietnam and years of public service since then. He cites "Constitutional freedoms that have made our country the envy of the world, and [John Kerry] will never sacrifice our basic liberties, nor use faith as a wedge to divide us." He ends on the upbeat, hopeful note that we, as Americans, can overcome the challenges we face.
Let me summarize:
John McCain
25 minutes
themes: war, destiny, right and wrong, good and evil, threats and militarism
message: unite to fight, fight, fight...
Barack Obama
17 minutes
themes: family history, tolerance, diversity, shared dreams, opportunities, hope
message: unite to overcome challenges
Both McCain and Obama gave moving, well delivered and well received speeches; clearly each deeply identifies and truly believes what he said. Each comes around to the same conclusion: we need unity. Obviously, I'm being much more critical of McCain's speech - because I don't identify with his premise or the underlying assumptions.
Humor me for a moment, and return to the frame of mind from which I first listened to these two speeches. I was thinking about the power of thoughts (and speech) to influence one's destiny. From that perspective, if we head into the next four years with leaders speaking of fighting wars and never surrendering, what is the likelihood we'll still be engaged in conflicts? Is a true believer like McCain likely to lead us to a more peaceful and prosperous future? I doubt it.
In light of the power of thoughts and words to shape our future, I ask you to think about which words you would prefer to hear over the coming four years post-Bush/Cheney.
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