"North America in the 21st Century will be an increasingly diverse place. Long-established principles of equality and national unity will be disrupted by the demands of difference. "
-- Scott Pratt, Native Pragmatism, intro, xvii
I do believe ol' Scott nailed it on the head there. That does seem to be where we are at, right now, with the headlines all full of racial tension and violent reactions... even if it is 'only' a media thing, it is also and totally a "media thing" and an object of thought to be fought. We must deal with this perception of America in crisis, that comes through the airwaves and out to the world which watches.
And our leadership is defunct.
Can we all just admit that?
Right up front?
The kind of skillsets and character that make for success in politics, do not constitute the characteristics of true leadership.
capisce?
Of course you do. You understand exactly how it works. There's a sort of folk-saying for it - the only person adequate for public office is the person who doesn't want public office. Ronald Reagen portrayed that character on the big stage, and it definitely wins voters.. But in real life, it's impossible. A self-defeating conundrum. But let's hear what else Scott has to say on our current crisis...
" Any adequate response to this pluralist environment will require changes in established ways of thinking. "
Wow! That seems pretty obvious, but at the same time, pretty radical. How do we change established ways of thinking? Especially in a world where the establishment owns the propogations of digitalized cultural inputs? That seems highly problematic, to me.
imho.
" It will call up, in fact, a philosophical crisis,"
yup. agree completely. I think I'm not alone in my agreement, 'neither.
"Whether or not it is so named, in which options will be narrow. People can ignore difference, suppress it with escalating violence, or they can search for other principles. alternative ways of understanding and acting in the world, that will promote coexistence."
I vote for the latter. I vote for the pragmatic solution, which increases the quality of my social experience. That's my vote. I'm with Scott.
What about you?
