to join the world of blogging. I’ve been considering for some time to throw my hat in the blogosphere, but up until now have had about five million reasons which kept me from actually doing so (possibly the subject of my next post). However, given the historical significance of this day, it seems that the time is ripe for me to add my proverbial two cents.
First, let me get this out of the way. I couldn’t be more proud of our nation today. That a minority could have risen to the highest place of prestige, power, and prominence in the land (and world) is surely a sign of the strides that we are making as a nation. I recently read someone describing the outcome of our elections, and he compared the step we’ve taken as a nation in electing a minority to the Oval Office to an adolescent who is finally maturing to adulthood. I couldn’t agree more. I have a great deal of respect for President Obama, and want to be hopeful about the promised change he and his administration might bring about.
However, as much as I have tried to suppress it, I remain cynical. Now, it is without a doubt that cynicism is one of my defining characteristics. I don’t say it proudly. In fact, it is not infrequently something of which I am ashamed, but I’ve come to an uneasy peace about that particular facet of my personality. I digress.
My problem isn’t so much with Obama, as much as it with the entire political process. While speech-makers and commentators alike fell over themselves to highlight today as being yet another successful “peaceful transition of power,” I couldn’t help but think to myself that the reason that it has been peaceful (yet again) is that no real transition of power has taken place. The real power brokers – corporations, special interest groups, big money, etc… – are all still securely situated in the driver’s seat. I really don’t think that those groups of people who control unfathomable financial resources in our country really cared much one way or the other who ended up in office. As long as the play makers in the administration (also frequently not the president) are willing to play ball, then they don’t have much to worry about. And on, and on, I usually go, quoting Ephesians 6 and the like. I hope I’m wrong. I really do. But I’m probably not.
Which sort of almost brings me back to why I’m choosing today to begin the blog. I need an outlet to communicate my often half-baked and less than mainstream ideas. I’m well aware that I’m not the only person who feels the way I do about our political process, but today it felt like I was. I found myself among a group of people who were attempting to attach some weight and significance to the events of this Inauguration Day. They wanted to recognize it for the truly watershed moment that it is. And in the midst of their meaningful reflection, I spew my smug and unsolicited opinions. Socially awkward? Yes. Both the situation, and me in general.
So there it is… this blog’s raison d’etre. A place for me to put on display all my cynicism and social awkwardness. Sounds promising, doesn’t it? Almost as promising as the candidate I voted for in ’08… Nader for REAL Change!