During the 1990's, we had a subscription to Harpers magazine, and one of the highlights of my month was reading editor Lewis Lapham's brilliant monthly essays. His deep knowledge of history and society and his acerbic, biting, take no prisoners approach made his essays a breath of fresh air amidst the daily blather of media chaff.
Of course, my sentiments were always in line with his, so I basked in the eloquence of his dissection of the intellectual wasteland that was American politics(George Bush: two terms? Really?). He put words to what I was thinking, and much better words than I could ever do. There's also a lot I learned by paying attention: how past history has informed and shaped our modern society. He also introduced me to the Patrick O'Brien Jack Aubrey novels(there was a year well spent, reading the entire series). After a good long run, Mr Lapham retired as editor along with his monthly columns. Harpers lost it's charm for me after that.
But, he's back, at least for one last hurrah. The November issue has him back in full flight with 'Bombast Bursting in Air - The story, so far, of the 2016 election'. In this edition he traces the American pre-occupation with abandoning political responsibility to the 'golden ones' all the way back to Plato's noble lie, running through Lincoln, Reagan(the 'Hollywood drum major'), and Bill Clinton(the 'Arkansas prom king'), where those who are 'mixed with gold' are actually the corporate power brokers that are the real power behind politics, no matter who wins.
The article seethes with classic Lapham biting wit, incredulous at the vapid obviousness of it all, and lays out how the ancient myth has been made modern and sold and continues to be sold.
The dark, background uneasiness I feel in this American campaign is Donald Trump. At first I thought: ok this is a joke, it won't last. However, the last time I had this thought was in the late 1970s when Ronald Reagan was running for president. I remember attending a party in Washington state during that campaign and having a conversation with local along the lines of: 'Ronald Reagan, Bedtime for Bonzo star running for President, are you guys crazy?' My conversation partner hung his head in shame. Boy, was I wrong.
Lapham provides a new insight into the Donald Trump fiasco. Trump is bypassing the power brokers and creating his own myth, he doesn't need their money, and they are scared, as they can't control the event (the election, that is). However, all that history of the electorate abandoning political responsibility is still there, as carefully groomed by the 'golden ones'. Will the new hero sweep in and take the prize?
However, Lapham's essay is less a criticism of the power brokers than of the electorate that has allowed it to happen:
'The electorate over the past forty years has been taught to believe that the future can be bought instead of made, and the active presence of the citizen has given way to the passive absence of the consumer... The wish to be cared for replaces the will to act, the spirit of freedom trumped by the faith invested in a dear leader'.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
A Return to Graciousness
Watching Justin Trudeau's acceptance speech on election night brought to mind the difference in what is being called 'the tone' of the new government.
Mr. Trudeau thanked Stephen Harper for his his years of service to the country, as is expected from the new Prime Minister, thanking and recognizing the old PM.
He also went one step further and talked about how he and Mr. Harper had had 'a few words' about family life in politics, painting the picture of a friendly banter between the two. I think Mr. Trudeau was being extremely generous. It's well known that Harper loathes Trudeau.
In our lunch with Justin, he recounted how Mr. Harper ignored him for weeks after he won the leadership of the Liberal party. Custom has it that other party leaders congratulate, or at least acknowledge, these events, and welcome the new party leader to the fray. Not so with Mr. Harper.
According to Justin, it wasn't until a few weeks later that Mr. Harper, as an aside as walking by, acknowledged Mr. Trudeau as the new leader of the Liberals. As my sister-in-law said at our lunch table: 'That's just rude'.
That's the memory that came back as I watched Trudeau being gracious, probably portraying the contact he and Stephen Harper had in a better light than it actually had been, all to send Mr. Harper off nicely.
Maybe there are now new standards of decent behavior and a return to graciousness? We'll see.
Mr. Trudeau thanked Stephen Harper for his his years of service to the country, as is expected from the new Prime Minister, thanking and recognizing the old PM.
He also went one step further and talked about how he and Mr. Harper had had 'a few words' about family life in politics, painting the picture of a friendly banter between the two. I think Mr. Trudeau was being extremely generous. It's well known that Harper loathes Trudeau.
In our lunch with Justin, he recounted how Mr. Harper ignored him for weeks after he won the leadership of the Liberal party. Custom has it that other party leaders congratulate, or at least acknowledge, these events, and welcome the new party leader to the fray. Not so with Mr. Harper.
According to Justin, it wasn't until a few weeks later that Mr. Harper, as an aside as walking by, acknowledged Mr. Trudeau as the new leader of the Liberals. As my sister-in-law said at our lunch table: 'That's just rude'.
That's the memory that came back as I watched Trudeau being gracious, probably portraying the contact he and Stephen Harper had in a better light than it actually had been, all to send Mr. Harper off nicely.
Maybe there are now new standards of decent behavior and a return to graciousness? We'll see.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
My lunch with Justin Trudeau
In July 2013, my brother-in-law Doug Hamilton, won a 'lunch with Justin' contest by joining the Liberal party during a promotion. He took me, my wife, sister-in-law, and son. Lunch was in the backyard of a supporter's house on the Vancouver west-side. Doug brought a salmon he had caught and he and Justin cooked it on the BBQ. Just the six of us, all miked up with the camera crew hovering. We were probably all on best behaviour, but no more so than Sunday dinner at the in-laws.
Justin was gracious, forthright, ordinary, genuine. He was a willing student as Doug coached him on how to cook the salmon. Justin sat at the head of the table on the outdoor patio and graciously played host, passing the salmon, jumping up to fetch more beer from the house, working the mike check seamlessly into the conversation. He talked about how he initially said no to being Liberal leader, but then realized he had his own reasons and that he couldn't honestly turn down the opportunity.
He connected with us all. With Doug about fishing on the west coast, my wife about the neighbouring summer camps they attended, my son with their shared experience at Jericho sailing clubs. He listened intently as I voiced my pet peeve about Mr. Harper (that Mr. Harper doesn't think I'm a good Canadian because I'm not in the 'big blue tent' and he doesn't understand that even though I didn't vote for him, he still represents me in the world). I like to think that I can hear my feedback in some of Justin's comments now.
At one point we were all telling stories about spending time with our families and being outdoors. After a few of us had weighed in, Justin told us about canoeing with his father. We all nodded, same as we had for the other stories, but then it hit me: he's talking about Pierre. And the funny thing was, that didn't put him above us, it seemed to bring us all closer. It genuinely seemed as if he was happy to be able to contribute a normal parent/son outdoor experience the same way the rest of us had.
Ian Brown, in his recent article in the Globe and Mail, talks of a similar incident, where Justin spontaneously remembers a poem. Mr Brown goes on to say that he wondered if it may have been staged to impress. This was not the case with our experience. It didn't make the video. Justin told us the same story about seeking his father's advice that he told Mr. Brown. So, when Justin's wife Sophie says to Mr. Brown that they don't disassociate between life and the campaign, maybe it's true, this is the real thing.
It's interesting to watch Justin in the debates and press conferences, and compare that more public Justin with the person who sat opposite me at lunch. It's the same guy. His enthusiasm and general good will that was evident then is still there, but now seems more focused and targeted. He has listened for two years, in situations like our lunch, taken it all in, and the codification of all that input is now coming out.
As campaign co-chair Katie Telford says in Mr. Brown's article, 'If we could introduce him to every Canadian, we'd have this thing in the bag'. I had the opportunity to meet him, and I agree. This election I'll be supporting Justin Trudeau and the Liberals.
Relevant links:
http://www.liberal.ca/winner-bbq-dinner-contest/?fb_action_ids=10152409434552662&fb_action_types=og.likes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCAFGaL1v8k
Justin was gracious, forthright, ordinary, genuine. He was a willing student as Doug coached him on how to cook the salmon. Justin sat at the head of the table on the outdoor patio and graciously played host, passing the salmon, jumping up to fetch more beer from the house, working the mike check seamlessly into the conversation. He talked about how he initially said no to being Liberal leader, but then realized he had his own reasons and that he couldn't honestly turn down the opportunity.
He connected with us all. With Doug about fishing on the west coast, my wife about the neighbouring summer camps they attended, my son with their shared experience at Jericho sailing clubs. He listened intently as I voiced my pet peeve about Mr. Harper (that Mr. Harper doesn't think I'm a good Canadian because I'm not in the 'big blue tent' and he doesn't understand that even though I didn't vote for him, he still represents me in the world). I like to think that I can hear my feedback in some of Justin's comments now.
At one point we were all telling stories about spending time with our families and being outdoors. After a few of us had weighed in, Justin told us about canoeing with his father. We all nodded, same as we had for the other stories, but then it hit me: he's talking about Pierre. And the funny thing was, that didn't put him above us, it seemed to bring us all closer. It genuinely seemed as if he was happy to be able to contribute a normal parent/son outdoor experience the same way the rest of us had.
Ian Brown, in his recent article in the Globe and Mail, talks of a similar incident, where Justin spontaneously remembers a poem. Mr Brown goes on to say that he wondered if it may have been staged to impress. This was not the case with our experience. It didn't make the video. Justin told us the same story about seeking his father's advice that he told Mr. Brown. So, when Justin's wife Sophie says to Mr. Brown that they don't disassociate between life and the campaign, maybe it's true, this is the real thing.
It's interesting to watch Justin in the debates and press conferences, and compare that more public Justin with the person who sat opposite me at lunch. It's the same guy. His enthusiasm and general good will that was evident then is still there, but now seems more focused and targeted. He has listened for two years, in situations like our lunch, taken it all in, and the codification of all that input is now coming out.
As campaign co-chair Katie Telford says in Mr. Brown's article, 'If we could introduce him to every Canadian, we'd have this thing in the bag'. I had the opportunity to meet him, and I agree. This election I'll be supporting Justin Trudeau and the Liberals.
Relevant links:
http://www.liberal.ca/winner-bbq-dinner-contest/?fb_action_ids=10152409434552662&fb_action_types=og.likes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCAFGaL1v8k
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