Baffled by the Bizarre

"For any idea that does not at first seem bizarre, there is no hope. It will be only half understood by its [advocate] and a complete mystery to everyone else." – Neils Bohr

Patrick Healy in his analysis (New York Times) of Hillary Clinton's current confidence level, cites interviews with Clinton: "some aides said they were baffled that [Obama] – – was now outpacing a seasoned figure such as Clinton.

Apparently, Clinton's aides cannot grasp the appeal of a man who insists who asserts that, to heal our divisions, we must aim, not to destroy our opposition, but rather to seek to include them. And, that this process will reduce the partisan politics in American government that has, especially during the last seven, produced near paralysis.

In the campaign, of course, this process is still embryonic. But, it is a value, and, yes, a hope, probably based on Obama's early experience in organizing workers in Chicago. The principle seems clear: People support only that which they help create.

This vision and experience is most effective, not in working the conventional levers of government, but in unifying large numbers of citizens around a common goal. This is the most relevant vision and experience if we are to begin to heal our divisions.

It is by no means a "mature" process. But, it is a reliable sign that Obama grasps the process most essential to democracy. And, it is a declaration that he intends to tread the path of inclusion, and to call for personal sacrifice to gain that inclusion, for the good of the whole.

He maintains that this goal requires the participation and support of the many. It is not just a change in emphasis but a change in the way in which we begin to resolve our differences. He invites the American people to take back their basic power.

And, he states, strongly, that all of this will not be easy. But, the resolve needed is not new. We've always been a people, throughout history, who have faced and overcome long odds. Each new challenge has been met when sufficient numbers have grasped the urgency of the moment and acted in concert.

This is the crucial change that Obama talks about so often; shifting our attitude and behavior from confrontational to invitational. We can thereby reduce resentment and resistance and take the fundamental step toward changing the world by changing ourselves. It is a large order, bt a worthy and attainable one.

For many, this will be a totally foreign concept. No wonder. Most of us have been immersed, for a long time, in toxic and corrupted culture of which politics are only a reflection. Thus, for all of us, it will be a difficult but challenging and exciting journey.

There are myriad organizations and people, who have been working in the field of human systems for more than 50 years. Their experience will be invaluable in helping blaze a trail through this new wilderness. At some point, and some level, the rest of us will sense the larger import of this "bizarre notion". We may not exactly welcome the turmoil of this change, but more will join in as the vision of a higher quality life becomes clearer.

It has already started! The hope is that we can halt and reverse the downward slide into further fragmentation and move toward greater community. We will not soon get another opportunity. Those who do grasp the promise, must now join in taking the early steps along this dim path.

"There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea we are now afloat,
And, we must take the current when it serves
Or lose our ventures." – Julius Caesar: Act 4, Scene 3

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