If we cannot make our greatest dreams more compelling, especially to ourselves, than the worst nightmares driving the agenda of the right, the forces of scarcity and fear, we will lose.
It's interesting being in DC, and seeing how the petri dish of all that is good and bad, succeeding and failing must impact policy makers. I think, generally, people who come to this work out of compassion and an understanding that we have already achieved prosperity look around them and realize the system is failing to distribute the goods of society adequately. People who come to this work out of a sense of entitlement and privilige, and an understanding that success is about achieving more than your fellow man, look around them and think we need more prisons, more law and order, to protect what I have from others.
The trick is getting the latter to understand that their best interests are to liberalize their own views so they can stop fearing and start sharing.
I find it exceedingly ironic how folks like Brownback recognize the strife in Darfur and want to do something about it, but fail to recognize the decay in neighborhoods blocks from the capitol.
Comments