Dec 9 2018
As America paused to reflect on a past president’s legacy, more revelations from the country’s 2016 and 2018 elections unfolded.
As The World Turns
Does the whole country mourn Bush 41?
Most people in my immediate network didn’t pay much attention to, much less watch, this week’s memorial and burial ceremonies for America’s 41st (Republican) President George H.W. Bush, who died on November 30 2018. I guess it was par for the course, living as I do in one of the most politically liberal regions of the country. And mourning a classic establishment figure like President Bush, in these populist times, just isn’t the thing to do.
But when I moved to the US, I brought with me an Asian-upbringing respect for leaders and elders – their warts and all – and so I reveled in the tributes and ceremonies, by the people who loved Bush 41 most. It’s also my occupational hazard…as a spiritual biographer, I’m automatically pulled into the news of a global leader’s passing. It’s my cue to roll up my sleeves and get to work, to distill the essence of their life and to share what that essence has to teach us. So this was a busy week for me.
Because of President Bush’s willingness to work across the aisle, and his warm personal bond with Democrat presidents Clinton and Obama, he “may be the last U.S. president who wasn’t despised by a big chunk of the American public.” And Senator Bob Dole showed us the power of a deep and abiding friendship with President Bush, when he insisted on standing to salute the man he admired and would miss. (watch the AP video below)
(A journalist did use the occasion to highlight the dark side of all American presidencies. It’s worth watching and reflecting on, and is something I will expand on at a later date.)
Election revelations
We’re used to thinking of lame duck periods – when the pre-election incumbent party is now (technically) in the minority and has lost its mandate – as a time when new laws won’t be passed. Apparently not for Wisconsin this week, when lame-duck lawmakers passed legislation that would transfer more powers to themselves, and away from a governor-elect of the opposing party.
And in the ongoing probe into potential Russian meddling in America’s 2016 presidential campaign, we learned this week that ”a Russian…offered ‘political synergy’ with the Trump election campaign and proposed a meeting between the candidate and Russian President Vladimir Putin.” I tend to omit the ins and outs of this probe from my newsletter, because it would easily suck the oxygen from all the other stories happening in our world. But this nexus between the election campaign and Russian leadership is striking, and more direct than other revelations that reporters have been able to share with us from the highly sensitive investigation.
I reflected on this slow-as-molasses investigation during its early days – feels like a century ago! But I still stand by what I concluded then – the wheels of justice are often slow and sometimes imperfect, but they do turn.
Om Is Where The Heart Is
Desiring from the heart
As I shared last week, December is my month for reflection on what has been, and envisioning what could yet be.
Each December, I join a year-end group “planning” retreat led by a coach to solo business owners and other agents of social change. The word planning is in quotes, because we begin the process not through our analytical minds, but from the deep desires in our hearts. Lasting change begins when we are catalyzed, activated or inspired by something audacious or visionary, not by a data-driven or paint-by-numbers approach.
After all, when was the last time an analyst moved you, in your soul, to want to change the world? (No offense to analysts – I’m one too, I stand with you and the important work you do to keep the rest of us grounded and informed.)
That’s why, time and again, we’re pulled in to the soaring rhetoric of a politician, even if part of us knows they won’t deliver on all their promises. That’s why we hold on to our imagination (or nurture our children’s imaginations). That’s why artists and business owners do what they do, to remind us the audacious is possible.
And so, I attended that “planning” retreat this week, as my annual ritual to reconnect with the dreams and desires that started me on this blended path of creativity and commerce. I’m processing the new insights, releasing some decisions that have run their course, and beginning to meet 2019 with a clearer vision.
Who is a real American?
“…all that’s needed to assimilate in America is to embrace our founding convictions, the foundation of Western civilization, that all have an equal right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, to the protections of the law, to be governed by consent, to speak freely, practice their religion openly, go as far as their industry and talent can take them. That’s it, and it’s beautiful in its wise simplicity.”
“You can be sentimental and proud of the heritage you brought with you. You can change American arts, food, and industry. Only our ideals must remain unaltered.”
“You’re welcome to your opportunities. You’re welcome to America, land of the immigrant’s dream.”
“Anyone can become an American if they embrace our values. Anyone.”
John McCain
I’ve taken the late Senator John McCain’s words to heart, especially on days when America’s anti-immigrant rhetoric or hate crimes become too hard to bear.
This week, a Grinnell College national poll asked the question, “Who is a real American?” A majority of respondents agreed with Senator McCain’s view, in terms of treating people equally, and accepting people of different backgrounds. There’s also a growing recognition that “discrimination is a part of everyday life for some Americans,” a necessary first step in reducing that discrimination over time.
And yet. this same poll revealed that America’s contentious political sphere is normalizing intolerant behavior among young people, with a majority of respondents under 35 reporting feelings of hate.
What’s causing this hate? Is technology the main culprit, or is it that we only consume content that reinforces our current world view? I know that silos breed hate, which can then spark violence in our communities, and it’s something I continue to discuss and resolve through my work.
News and Views
In the next issue:
I’m beginning to wind things down, as the year-end holiday season approaches. So I may share more reflections on making the most of this transition period from 2018 to 2019.
Till then…
Live well and lead large – Maya