BLOG POSTS

In his blog today, Gideon Rachman, the Financial Times’ chief foreign affairs columnist, argues that Barack Obama is just not such a good speech maker as others insist.^[1] Rachman states:

“Exhortation can make for thrilling rhetoric. But the difference between Mr Obama and some of the great speakers he is sometimes compared with is that Churchill, Kennedy and Martin Luther King were genuinely challenging their audiences. Surrendering might have seemed rational in Britain in 1940. King’s “I have a dream” speech was made at a time when racial segregation was still a reality in the southern US. When King coined the phrase the “fierce urgency of now” (borrowed with acknowledgement by Mr Obama), he was explaining why he had come out against the Vietnam war. Even JFK’s “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” demanded something from the audience.”

I agree with Mister Rachman. I’ve often scratched my head after listening to Obama and thought, “what’s so special about this guy?”

I’ve come to the conclusion much of it is down to age.

Rachman references Churchill, JFK, and Martin Luther King as great orators, but to the majority of Obama’s supporters they are simply names plucked from the history books.

Rachman was born in 1963. I’m just about old enough to be his father. The young people flocking to Obama’s gatherings weren’t born until years after JFK was inaugurated in 1961, or after 1967 when Martin Luther King stirred souls with his speech to end the Vietnam war. Even I wasn’t around when Churchill was telling the British people they would fight the Germans on the beaches.

To many Obama supporters, adult life has meant George W Bush, and possibly a bit of Bill Clinton. Their memories of politics revolve largely around Monica Lewinski and Iraq.

It’s little wonder they won’t pledge allegiance to Hillary Clinton, and prefer to throw their support, with vigor, behind Obama. Compared to their previous political memories, he must seem like the best thing since the invention of MP3 players.

And, who knows, it’s just possible he may be?

^{[1] “Obama and the art of empty rhetoric”, Gideon Rachman blog.}

Filed under: Political perspectives

It’s so seldom good news permeates the airwaves these days. When it does it’s a real joy to comment on it. Such is the announcement that the New York Philharmonic is to play a concert in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, this Tuesday.

One has to wonder why George Bush has waited till the declining months of his presidency to allow such a trip. After all, it doesn’t take an Einstein to realize that promoting culture and friendship throughout the world will have far more positive results than bombs and bullets.

It’s a simple philosophy, but a true one. No-one wants to fight their friends, only their enemies. The use of bully-boy tactics may coerce nations into sullen cooperation temporarily, but arouses so much hostility the end result will always prove negative.

On the other hand, a continuous flow of political diplomacy, coupled with exchanges of art and culture, provides an intermingling of interests and ideas that meld themselves into more permanent and satisfying relationships.

Of course, there are the sour pusses who mutter about ‘pandering to dictators’, or, ‘handing Kim Jong-il a propaganda coup’, but maybe the time has arrived to put culture and art before political power-mongering. After all, it is we, the people, who fashion our culture; it is a part of us. Politicians were never meant to squash and restrict free access to it in their never-ending quest for empires.

Zarin Mehta, the orchestra’s director, said of the trip:

“”This journey is a manifestation of the power of music to unite people. It is our sincere hope that these concerts will aid in the beginning of a new era between the peoples of our nations.”

Condoleeza Rice, whose department authorized the trip, advised against high expectations:

“I don’t think we should get carried away with what listening to Dvorak is going to do in North Korea,” she said.

Let us echo Mehta’s hopes, and not expect anything obvious from the concert, other than a greater willingness on the part of politicians to realize that boundaries and walls lead to separation; separation creates lack of understanding; misunderstanding powers fear, and fear is the enemy of harmony and mutual trust.

May the New York Philharmonic play a great concert. May the people of North Korea enjoy Dvorak. May the orchestra’s next concert be in Tehran.

I only wish they would refrain from playing the US national anthem at the beginning.^[1]

^{[1] BBC – NY Philharmonic in North Korea.}

Filed under: Light in a dark world

Commenting on the Oscars, unhealthy Mike Embley remarked:

“It was a good night for violence and testerone.”

Filed under: Fantasy and reality