Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round.
Help me get my feet back on the ground.
Won't you please, please help me?
The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations
by Christopher Lasch (1979)
"The atrophy of older traditions of self-help has eroded everyday competence, in one area after another, and has made the individual dependent on the state, the corporation, and other bureaucracies.
"Narcissism represents the psychological dimension of this dependence. Notwithstanding his occasional illusions of omnipotence, the narcissist depends on others to validate his self-esteem. He cannot live without an admiring audience. His apparent freedom from family ties and institutional constraints does not free him to stand alone or to glory in his individuality. On the contrary, it contributes to his insecurity, which he can overcome only by seeing his "grandiose self" reflected in the attentions of others, or by attaching himself to those who radiate celebrity, power, and charisma. [e.g., the Talented Tenth, AmericanReader comment] For the narcissist, the world is a mirror, whereas the rugged individualist saw it as an empty wilderness to be shaped to his own design." [p. 10]
"The new ruling class has elaborated new patterns of dependence as effectively as its forebears eradicated the dependence of the peasant on his lord, the apprentice on his master, and the woman on her man.
"I do not wish to imply a vast conspiracy against our liberties. These things have been done in broad daylight and have been done, on the whole, with good intentions. Nor have they arisen as a unified policy of social control. Social policy in the United States has unfolded in response to a series of immediate emergencies, and those who make policy seldom see beyond the problems at hand. The cult of pragmatism, moreover, justifies their unwillingness or inability to make far-reaching plans for the future. What unifies their actions is the need to promote and defend the system of corporate capitalism from which they -- the managers and professionals [and bureaucrats, AmericanReader comment] who operate the system -- derive most of the benefits. The needs of the system shape policy and set the permissible limits of public debate. Most of us can see the system but not the class that administers it and monopolizes the wealth it creates. We resist a class analysis of modern society as a "conspiracy theory." Thus we prevent ourselves from understanding how our current difficulties arose, why they persist, or how they might be solved." [p. 222]
The President Barack Obama Inauguration, January 17, 2009, Aly Adair:
"Barack Obama will fight for the average American and turn around the American economy.
"Barack Obama will fight for peace in the world and keep America safe.
"Barack Obama will work across party lines and never have a lame duck Congress.
"Barack Obama will close the American divide."
Top 10 Songs for the President Barack Obama Inauguration
Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) By Phil Collins
Dancin' In The Streets By Martha and The Vandellas
The Times They Are A-Changin' By Bob Dylan
A Change Is Gonna Come By Sam Cooke
People Get Ready By The Impressions
Help! By The Beatles
Bridge Over Troubled Water By Simon and Garfunkel
Gimme Shelter By The Rolling Stones
The Message By Grandmaster Flash
Born to Run By Bruce Springsteen
The Reasonable Barack Obama, January 24, 2007, Michael Breslow:
Why Lots of Folks Are Getting Giddy About Barack Obama
"Despite his obvious inexperience and the extraordinary odds against him, I find myself also developing a borderline man-crush on the guy.
"For a while, it confused me and I had absolutely no idea why I liked him so much, but after hearing his Larry King commentary on Bush's troop surge speech of January 10th, I've pinpointed the reason exactly: The man sounds reasonable. And that's what our country really wants right now."
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