I see on the horizon a glimpse of a new world, of a shining and flourishing globalization. I certainly see the end of a vicious and black history in which so many peoples and nations had experienced horror, tragedies, destruction and disaster. I certainly see the beginning of a humane, prosperous and generous history full of love and fraternity.
"We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."
If President Obama can continue his recent "bold leadership and prophetic eloquence" in the State of the Union Address, he has the opportunity to override the bickering in the House of Representatives, imprinting an indelible impression in the minds of the 77% of Americans who believe that compromise is a worthy objective. No one should be naïve enough to think that politics will not return to the heated debate that marked the last Congress, but on 25 January Obama could don the mantle of representing the "silent majority" of moderates of both parties –-- and Independents --– in the US.
A moment of intersection: while working on a story on the current US military intervention in Afghanistan, I discovered this interview with Martin Luther King, Jr., on The Mike Douglas Show in 1967.
A bit of background: The Mike Douglas Show was a pleasant but normally undemanding daytime chat show, featuring guests --- often actors and singers --- and musical performances. So the sudden shift to 20 minutes with King, introduced by Douglas as "controversial", in a challenging exchange on the Vietnam War is without comparison today.
The video is in three parts:
In the past few months, US media have commented extensively on the "enthusiasm gap" among liberal voters that is threatening the chances of Democrat candidates in the forthcoming elections for Congress. This Saturday sees the progressive base of the party fight back. Over 150 local, state, and national organizations will unite under the banner "One Nation Working Together" and descend on Washington to demand "Jobs, Justice, and Education For All".
This will offer a strong indication of how far the "enthusiasm gap" has affected the progressive core of the Democratic Party. The march has been planned for a long time, marking a month to go before the elections, and it involves most of the major organizations on the Left of American politics. The Democrat’s greatest hope for avoiding the sweeping defeats in November, predicted by many, is for their voters to put aside their disillusionment with the progress made in Washington and realise that the protest of abstaining from voting will ensure Republican control of Congress. This march marks the beginning of concerted efforts by activists to convince those wavering voters that the politics of hope and change must not be defeated by what they see as the politics of hate and fear.
Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 7:13