INSPIRED BY CHANGE MAYBE? — An Oak Park letter writer has warmed globally to Sen. Obama as reminiscent of JFK almost 50 years ago with his stirring “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” But O’s message is just the opposite, consisting entirely about what your country should do for you, though admittedly details are vague even about this.
In any case he calls for no burst of generosity, as of Peace Corps commitment or embrace of national defense vs. our cold-war enemy the Soviet Union. Instead he would have us rally ‘round the flag of statism and dependence on government. He captures support by his looks and demeanor, not by any call to arms or service, except vaguely in a Rodney King-like plea to get along.
With all respect, isn’t this the Democrat way? When Democrat candidates gathered together at the Oak Park Library during primary season two years ago, they talked government aid, in sharp contrast with Republicans a few weeks earlier, who talked job creation through entrepreneurship.
For the Dems the cause of the moment was job training by a government agency — old-time Democrat religion of government aid. For the Republicans it was about tax relief and other diminutions of government activity — a far cry from asking what government can do for us.
Blithe Spirit 