We call the
politicians who hold elected office our “leaders.” And just maybe that’s
what is wrong with America. The guy I voted for last time around inspired us to
“hope” and convinced us to make a “change,” a change of party and culture. The
problem is that “hope” and “change” are not policies: they are concepts,
one-word concepts to shape the brand “Obama.”
It's just marketing. The guys he runs against always seem to be for “freedom” or “country
first” or “believing in America.” Maybe you voted for McCain, or maybe you plan
to vote for Romney. Anyhow, we probably vote with a more similar attitude than
you realize. We pull lever for the empty term and then expect the empty term to
make America just peachy. We decide that, when candidates say “freedom” or
“hope,” they understand that term exactly as we do, exactly as all Americans
do, and that we will get freedom and hope.
But that’s not how it works. The thing that gives me hope
may dash yours, and your freedom may come at the expense of mine.
