Inauguration Day

Today America has a new President.

Contrary to the cynicism espoused by Tim, I am cautiously hopeful that something good will come of this change. It has been pointed out that Obama is by no means superhuman. He is not a savior, or the single solution to our problems. He is, however, a tool – a means by which America can, given a fierce desire to learn from the lessons of our past, and an unwavering resolve to fix a system that is most assuredly broken, return to the principles and ideals which defined our past and helped make us great.

I’m under no illusions about my level of oratory skill, but when, after I went to submit my e-mail address for “updates” on the new WhiteHouse.gov, I was prompted (yes – it’s required) to enter a comment I was forced to think for a moment about what I would say to President Obama if I could (and to put my thoughts in writing…).

In the end, I sent him this note:

Congratulations President Obama! You have helped a nation begin once more to hope. That’s a lot of pressure to live up to, but as long as you strive to be open and straightforward with us I think you will find that we will strive in kind to remember that you are a man, not a figure of history. As a man, all you can do is your best; that is all we have any right to ask of you. For my part, I hope that you will remember the same of us, and that you will ask the same too.

We are each of us human, and no one of us is ever going to be able to solve the problems of the rest. It is that realization, I have found, which forms the root of President Obama’s appeal to me. I tend to be centrist in my political leanings; I’m very conservative on some issues, and very liberal on others. Naturally, parts of President Obama’s agenda are at odds with my personal beliefs. I do believe, however, that the greatest gift of man lies in our capacity for ingenuity. I believe that America is great because, at the time of its founding, it attracted settlers possessed of a certain unbreakable spirit. It called to the adventurous, the entrepreneurial – those who firmly believed that all they needed was the right opportunity. America is built on the sweat of these men and women who refused to give in, refused to give up, and refused to accept the notion that something “could not be done”.

If America has fallen from the place we formerly occupied in the world, it is because we have become complacent. We have lost our reverence and respect for the spirit that forged colonists into citizens, and colonies into the United States. President Obama’s strongest appeal is not his disdain for Guantanamo Bay. It’s not his promise to spend billions of dollars to “fix” the economy. It’s not even his promise to end the “failed policies” of George W. Bush (a good many of which, I will admit, rub me the wrong way). It’s his willingness to admit to the American people that his kind of change is going to take hard work from all of us, and his ability to inspire faith and hope despite that harsh dose of realism.

No matter what any of us may think of his policies, we have to admire his politics. No one, no matter how naive, can claim that the American democratic system is what it should be; rather, it exists as an ideal which we move closer to and further from. If for nothing else than the chance for long-overdue change, the audacity to believe in the possibility that one man could be unwavering in his commitment to that ideal, I support President Obama and wish him all the best. For the first time since I can remember, I believe there is a chance for America to heal its divisions, cast off the shackles of a system that has failed to adapt to a new global and cultural reality, and to truly move forward into a new era built on the spirit that helped turn it from a rebellious colony into a shining beacon of hope and opportunity.

And the wheel turns… »« Previous Post

Journey, Life, the Universe, and Everything

It’s been a little while since I last posted. Reasons are difficult, perhaps, to express, but they have something to do with the facts that I can’t post from work and that I find myself with less and less free time once I actually make it home. Much has happened.

Yesterday I saw Journey live in concert.

They were accompanied by Heart and Cheap Trick, a fact that only serves to heighten their awesomeness. Those are by no means small-time bands, after all. The concert was everything I could hope for, but was bittersweet for several reasons I’m no longer sure I can rely in a public forum. As usual, a woman was involved.

A little earlier, the Girl and I spent a day in Annapolis. We talked, we walked, and as usual things were ambiguous. Oh well – at least I got good crab cakes out of it. Also on the weird front – I met her mom. And she cooked dinner for us. Good times.

Various other things have popped up that vex and frustrate me… But I think I’m still processing them. So I leave you with some thoughts:

1. I am now, officially, middle-class entirely on my own. There’s a scary thought.
2. South Ossetians celebrated Russia’s support of their independence… By firing guns into the air. First – way to show your civilized nature, gents. Second – what goes up…
3. Of all the organizations that could use a few consultants, DC Metro probably needs us the most. Dear lord – a train stopped at Federal Triangle shut down the orange and blue lines in both directions, just about. Only they were turning back trains at Arlington Cemetary – WTF? Why not Foggy Bottom? Why not just bounce trains off the stations on either side and run buses to cover the gap? Zero coverage failure, minimal additional cost, hundreds fewer angry customers. Come on guys – this is a no-brainer.

Until next time~

Election 2008 »« Consulting

Want to be nobility?

Fo’ real Holmes!

Nobility, man!

Bumblebee! No! »« Decisions, decisions…

Blast from the (not-so-distant) past?

So I have a sticky on my desktop. I created this sticky back when I was in Japan and was too busy to actually post things on this blog. We all remember those times, right? Oh irony of ironies – a dry spell during the period in which the blog was actually supposed to be used.

Not that I’ve gotten around to finishing the blog since then… That’s another thing that’s on the list for “after I outrun real life”.

In the interests of getting that list of links off my desktop, this post will cover the basics.

First off: “You know you’ve been in Japan too long when…”. While I don’t really like the Author’s site, I did (and still do) find myself doing many of the things he describe. Perhaps the rest would have come with more time?

Second: Arudou Debito’s view of the word “Gaijin” and its connotations. Debito is… Unique. From what I’ve read of his work, he tends to take things VERY personally. He also seems to have some kind of “manifest destiny” complex. I agree completely that Japan is discriminatory and two-faced about the question of so-called “Japanese Superiority”, and to be honest I agree with the principle that countries allowing naturalization of foreigners have an obligation to afford those citizens equal rights. Debito’s actions, however, show a flagrant disrespect for Japanese cultural norms and a serious misunderstanding of the Japanese world-view. He’s treating Japan like his own private US, while waving the “I have a right to live wherever I want and to all my rights wherever I am!” card as much as possible (any one else notice how the first thing he does when he hits something he doesn’t like is run to the US consulate?). News flash, Debito – that’s an AMERICAN ideal. According to the Japanese, you really don’t… Who are you to say they’re wrong?

But I digress. His comments about “Gaijin” vs “Gaikokujin” follow similar patterns, though. I mean – I know I can’t really talk about the long-term effects of “Gaijinism” given the short duration of my stay, but I think he once again misunderstands Japanese culture. I mean – granted, it IS technically a form of racism, but the Japanese don’t see it that way. They see it as distinguishing “in” from “out” verbally. It’s not really racism in the way we Americans use it so much as it’s Xenophobia, nationalism, and lingering isolationism. Part of the Japanese worldview seems to be an ever-present sense of “being Japanese”, and to the extent that the word is used to satisfy this part of the worldview, yes an indian in India can be “gaijin” in his own country to a Japanese tourist. I don’t think that’s necessarily wrong except to the American way of seeing things. My problems with the word arise when it’s used to foster genuine racism or when it fails to recognize naturalized Japanese citizens as part of the “in” group – I feel the distinction is important.

Third:

I laughed about this one for like… 30 minutes. It’s so true, too. All my friends – and I DO mean all my friends – have Macs now. So much for the “underdog”. Apple’s gone and become the NEW evil empire. Then I found this one:

Which is just plain awesome. Fourth (And I had to dig for this link…): The Defense Ministry’s moved to using manga to explain their defense policies. Apparently the whole idea of a Defense Ministry and defending themselves is so new to the Japanese that they need pictures to help them understand?That was a low blow. I actually think the manga is a pretty creative idea. America could probably use some of that kind of creativity.Also in the Wai-Wai section of Mainichi (albeit this week) comes these gems:
-Japan’s Celebrity Cannibal
-Deep thoughts on sex and gender from the Japanese
-Said thoughts seem to be a theme this week…

Fifth: More crazy “news”. That’ll show ‘em kid. Especially when they mix it into EVERYONE’S salad, and you wind up answering the age old question “how do I taste?”

Sixth: Summertime in Japan. Guess they really DO like crowding? Sub-headline: “Hundreds die as the ‘Baby Ruth in the pool’ trick turns deadly…”

Seventh: Apparently you really CAN live in the mall. This guy did. What does that say about mall security that they didn’t notice him dragging a kitchen hutch into the bowels of the mall? It’s not like he could have asked them to deliver it there.

Finally: I think I meant to read these two and never got around to it. Someone want to give me spark notes? They look interesting… For all you history buffs out there.

Aren’t you glad I’m done? Me too.

Link of the Night: Blog of awesomeness… »« Is Racism real?