Let's Grow Together.

Below you will find a thread from my Facebook page about the latest book I am reading on Obama.The thread also references an article by Chris Hedges.

Half way through this exchange my good friend Ari and I had a chat on Gmail. You will find the transcript of that chat below. I have pasted the conversation in its entirety for the sake of context and flow.

8:52 AM
Ari: our stupid fight on facebook?!?
8:53 AM
me: It is blocked here at school, I have my retort all written out, but can't post it now.
But don't have more time to get into it now.
What else is up?
Are you still teaching at the Russian school?
8:56 AM
Ari: i am . why do you ask?
 me: You should check out this book.
8:57 AM
Think it is an easy sell for kids. Lots of good themes etc...

8:58 AM
Ari: k. ...basically, my question about the marxist book you are reading is why you think this guy is more true in statements than obama in his books
8:59 AM
me: Don't have time right now. Leave it on Facebook.
9:00 AM
Ari: okay. can i share one small peom really quickly

me: sure. Now you got me thinking, why does Reb Anderson have more credibility to you than say Glenn Beck?
9:01 AM
Why Democracy Now over Fox?
Ari: totally!!!
me: Why Josh Ritter over Justin Beiber?
Ari: exactlly
 me: I get your point. There is no truth. We all know that.
9:02 AM
Ari: well if there is no truth...we need to watch out for people who seem to traffic in "their" truths
me: but we construct meaning and narrative through a melange of ideas. I don't believe Obama like I don't believe a commercial.
Yeah, but at some point we traffic in our truths too.
9:03 AM
I believe the marixts guy like I believe in NPR
Ari: too, true....this is what the branch of epistemology is all about in philosophy
me: His narrative matches people I respect and admire: Zinn, Chomsky etc....
9:04 AM
Ari: what "counts" as knowledge, as logical
me: His story matches the one I have viewed first hand. Thus making it more authentic...to me.
Ari: yep
yep, bz
 ...but...
me: That doesn't take away from the authenticity of it for me and trying to share that view with others who may not have seen it this way.

9:05 AM
Ari: (i have a big life shattering point to make)
me: people who still believe other views points, like the fact that Obama is honorable and authentic.
Ari: (i guess i just got flustered when you wrote "i told you so")
9:06 AM
me: For me it is like people believing that Reagan was just folksy or that Bush was a cowboy.
I see no difference in the Obama ad.
Ari: (it was like had some special insight that only your team was able to divine)
me: Valid point. That was provocative and uncalled for.
9:07 AM
Ari: okay, thats all i was reacting to
(when i am being honest with my emotions...i was just reacting to your provoction)
me: Anyway, great book. I am loving it.
Ari: cool...the dialetic thing is

9:08 AM
me: But def check out Speak for your classes.
Ari: if you read obama's two books
me: I will.
Ari: you would come away with this idea that he is the such a nuanced, thoughtful, brave, community-organizer-y dude
me: Just to be able to have a more solid foundation on which to criticize.
Ari: so reasoned.
he read sarte
he read marx
9:09 AM
he got down with the churches in chicago
me: Yeah, I also feel that Apple products make me cooler or that having a Pyrius is great, but that doesn't change the illusion.
Ari: he grew up in indonesia. he stuggled to find himself
me: He may have been all those things, but he aint that no more.
9:10 AM
Ari: yeah, but he did this all when his name was barry and he was going out for a first date with michele to see "do the right thing"
me: He is a pawn who thinks he is king. That line!
Ari: no. bob
let me say one thing

me: go
Ari: do you know how easy it would be
9:11 AM
to make you appear as a some two-faced capitalist pig
who espoused himself to his students
as pro human rights this and pro human rights that
but in the real world...mr. raisdana
took this job here
and shopped at this mall
and this online website
and consumed this
9:12 AM
and vacationed here
and spent his money on this thing
and ate from this place
i mean
i could go on and on
i could a priori
decide you were a corporate shill
and then only provide evidence that confirmed said belief

9:13 AM
me: Great point.
Very very well said.
Ari: leaving out all the lefty stuff
me: Sort of a pow to the head!

Ari: (its called being "intellectually dishonenest)
9:14 AM
i could EVEN easier do it with myself!
me: I get where you are going: Questioning the validity of the honesty of "working within the system."
But when push came to shove how would Mr. raisdana react?
Ari: well, push comes to shove every fucking day(that line!)

9:15 AM
me: Your point is well made, but did I try to convince my students, readers, family self..that I would do one thing than do the exact opposite....yeah yeah I do.
You are right.

Ari: bob, i dont want to be "right"
9:16 AM
...i just want to say...this:
me: I mean I understand your point.
Ari: its easy to fall in love with chomsky, et al
i love chomsky!!!!!!!!
i have his god damn reader, for christ sakes
but....

9:17 AM
me: I guess the trick is to change ourselves to become the honest people we want than attack the politicians for not doing it. then

Ari: i am part of the system is he critquing
I AM PART OF THE PROBLEM I AM RAILING AGAINST
YES.
as long as i shop at target
or get a cup of joe at starbucks

me: But that is so hard. Because I feel powerless in the face of the system.
Ari: or get lazy and dont recycle

9:18 AM
me: Maybe my frustration with Obama is really a mirror of my own anxiety.
Ari: (AND YOU DONT THINK PRESIDENT OBAMA DOES??????)
me: The system has trapped me too.
Ari: AND YOU ARE A MIRROR FOR HIM
TOTALLY
..i feel so trapped, too.
i dont make much money

9:19 AM
me: Yeah, try it with a family, where your choices are not your own anymore.
Ari: and sometimes it cheaper to buy from the corporation than from the local artisan
me: They are collective. Guess much like poltics

Ari: AND, GET THIS...THE COUNTRY IS THE PRESIDENTS FAMILY
so much to think about

9:20 AM
me: And they are crazy, irresponsible, illiterate, and dysfunctional and unable to listen or agree.
I get it. Thanks for this talk. I will let it stew for a while.

9:21 AM
Ari: k. me, too.
i just want to add this very very small point
me: obv
Ari: i think one thing that makes me trust obama in the way i never did with bush or most republicans...
me: oh oh....

9:22 AM
Ari: is he doesnt come from business...he didnt get into politics as a way of advancing some corporate loop hole for his company, etc...
he was an academic, a lawyer, a professor
a community organizer
his intentions were dispassionate

me: That almost makes it worse.

Ari: when it comes to corporate self serving greed
9:23 AM
well depends on a lot of stuff...
but the moral hazard isnt there
like with cheney as ceo and then the wars, etc
me: ok
9:24 AM
I will save this chat btw and share it somehow.
 
Great stuff.

So there you have it! It was a pretty intense chat, and honestly I am a bit drained from it all, but I wanted to try and at least synthesize the gist of it. 

The part that obviously struck me was when Ari called me on my own hypocrisy and shallow self-righteousness.

Ari: do you know how easy it would be
9:11 AM
to make you appear as a some two-faced capitalist pig
who espoused himself to his students
as pro human rights this and pro human rights that
but in the real world...mr. raisdana
took this job here
and shopped at this mall
and this online website
and consumed this
9:12 AM
and vacationed here
and spent his money on this thing
and ate from this place
i mean
i could go on and on
i could a priori
decide you were a corporate shill
and then only provide evidence that confirmed said belief

And really it is this inability to see ourselves and our choices within a political arena that causes so much anger and conflict. Here I am berating Obama for being a corporate stooge and sell-out, while I myself work at a for-profit school, make choices that I find appalling, and for all intents and purposes support the very machine I rage against.

Perhaps my anger toward Obama is that he was branded as our savior and I am disgruntled that he cannot do what I cannot do. Ari, made me realize that maybe he too is trapped within the system. I am sure if asked I could write a litney of justification as to why I work within the system, and how my intentions are in the right place and how i am trying to change minds from inside, the question than becomes: Who is to say that Obama is not faced with the same fate?

So what is the answer? Honestly I don't know. I think it has something to do with settling the storm within ourselves before we stir it up in others. I had a good run away from politics, and perhaps this immature return was a good lesson. I am just glad I have good teachers like Ari to remind me when I am acting irrationally. We should all be so lucky to have such good friends. Perhaps instead of reading inflammatory politics text, I should allow my temper to settle on these beautiful poems by Ari.

For those of you who know me, you know this will not be the last rant. Others will come and go. I am sure, but on this day it was nice to have my mind changed ever so slightly, even for a few minutes. It reminded me that I am free and not tied to any ideology or dogma.  My mind is my own to change. My ideas are fluid and not set in stone.

I will continue to read and write and discuss and feel and change. Hopefully I will find others who are also this invested. What do you think of all this? A lot to take in, I know. Share your thoughts. Let's grow together.