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The dark side of Obamamania
Robert Sibley, Ottawa (Canada) CitizenThe late political philosopher Michael Oakeshott is not widely known. He should be, because what he said about politics is worth considering as Obamamania sweeps the United States. Many people seem to see an Obama presidency as the cure for the social and political ills of American society. Journalists covering his campaign describe the adulation of the crowds and supporters as akin to a religious revival. . . . Politics is not something from which we should be saved, any more than life is an illness in need of a cure. As Oakeshott put it, politics is not "an encounter of dreams," a "jump to glory," or the means for making people better. This attitude probably has few adherents nowadays. Many assume the function of government is to serve our wants and desires. Some even think it's the government's obligation to improve our lives, make us healthy. Oakeshott thought people should behave like adults, take responsibility for their behaviour, and accept the consequences of their actions. Such a disposition places a restraint on attempts to use politics for grand social engineering schemes. Oakeshott certainly wouldn't have thought much of a political program based on slogans as mindless and banal as "change we can believe in." Posted by: Mike 2008-02-28 |
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