http://www.radioopensource.org/barack-obama-what-kind-of-insider-brown-bag-v/ Christopher Lydon in conversation on arts, ideas and politics Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:23:24 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://www.radioopensource.org/barack-obama-what-kind-of-insider-brown-bag-v/comment-page-1/#comment-162788 hurley Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:05:42 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=2214#comment-162788 Ditto to cocopuffs. Ditto to cocopuffs.

]]> http://www.radioopensource.org/barack-obama-what-kind-of-insider-brown-bag-v/comment-page-1/#comment-162787 cocopuffs Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:54:43 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=2214#comment-162787 What kind of insider will Obama be? Let's just hope that he isn't so grateful to be admitted to the club that he forgets that we elected him to change the rules. What kind of insider will Obama be? Let’s just hope that he isn’t so grateful to be admitted to the club that he forgets that we elected him to change the rules.

]]> http://www.radioopensource.org/barack-obama-what-kind-of-insider-brown-bag-v/comment-page-1/#comment-162786 orangescissor Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:53:29 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=2214#comment-162786 Chris and Prof. Loury not giving any ground, good stuff. I like the idea of being realistic about Obama and evaluating him as operating in the context of American power and fulfilling the traditional duties of a President, rather than as some inherently transcendental character. But, in the same way that you could never take what Bush said at face value, I don't think you can do the same for Obama (in the other direction perhaps). So basically, Obama himself might be aware of that he has to fulfill some of the constitutive responsibilities that have been historically constructed, but he might carry them out in such a way that changes their meaning. I guess my point is that in addition to having the intellectual responsibility to be somewhat realistic in evaluating an Obama Presidency compared to the overblown mainstream press coverage, one should also read his statements and actions in such a way that *actually* makes them different even if they are not explicitly so (i.e. lets keep talking about Joesph Lowery's speech and the like) . Because the way we represent events bring them into being ...and going of the short Obama campaign and post-election history, Obama has shown a remarkable ability to change the direction of the discussion ever so slightly (i.e. he might be creating new constitutive norms). But still, power is power, Obama's Predator Drones are the same as Bush's (automated) so you gotta be critical no matter who's at the helm of the ship (that's been morphing into the Dark Star for a couple decades). Chris and Prof. Loury not giving any ground, good stuff. I like the idea of being realistic about Obama and evaluating him as operating in the context of American power and fulfilling the traditional duties of a President, rather than as some inherently transcendental character. But, in the same way that you could never take what Bush said at face value, I don’t think you can do the same for Obama (in the other direction perhaps). So basically, Obama himself might be aware of that he has to fulfill some of the constitutive responsibilities that have been historically constructed, but he might carry them out in such a way that changes their meaning. I guess my point is that in addition to having the intellectual responsibility to be somewhat realistic in evaluating an Obama Presidency compared to the overblown mainstream press coverage, one should also read his statements and actions in such a way that *actually* makes them different even if they are not explicitly so (i.e. lets keep talking about Joesph Lowery’s speech and the like) . Because the way we represent events bring them into being …and going of the short Obama campaign and post-election history, Obama has shown a remarkable ability to change the direction of the discussion ever so slightly (i.e. he might be creating new constitutive norms). But still, power is power, Obama’s Predator Drones are the same as Bush’s (automated) so you gotta be critical no matter who’s at the helm of the ship (that’s been morphing into the Dark Star for a couple decades).

]]> http://www.radioopensource.org/barack-obama-what-kind-of-insider-brown-bag-v/comment-page-1/#comment-162785 olivercranglesparrot Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:28:05 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=2214#comment-162785 That was an excellent conversation. Thank you Professor Loury. Thank you Chris. I thoroughly enjoyed that and think these brown bag talks are great. That was an excellent conversation. Thank you Professor Loury. Thank you Chris. I thoroughly enjoyed that and think these brown bag talks are great.

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