The Internet and Americans' Resistance to Leadership

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It seems to me that the roots of all evil is because of Ignorance at all levels! Perhaps the ime has come to really concentrate on what makes Ignorance persist and deal with that before is too late. While we all adhere & fight for Freedom, it remains misinterpreted by many globally. True, we Americans may have it a bit better dealing with Freedom, but what kind of freedom is that when big business can influence and even buy our Representatives who supposedly represnt US equally.
Under the Kennedys we created YOUTH IN SERVICE FOR HUMANITY now in limbo like many others who still have to"fight"for Democracy rather than improve it. W even did a docu titled THE WALLS OF HISTORY & THE BRIDGE OF YOUTH to no avail.
LEADERS OF TOMORROW ©by Ray Arco
Awake we are and none asleep,
The Leaders of Tomorrow;
Some people drift dreaming deep,
This deepens our sorrow.
We ask no other sacrifice
Than to awake from being sheep;
Awake with thoughts that break the ice,
We are here to act and not to sleep.
Many of us are criticized,
Words and vows we never keep;
But some are still un-ostracized
And in those, our hopes lean deep.
When all of us will help and try
To know thy neighbors’ cultures,
There will be no need for us to die,
To prove we’re Man, not vultures.
Hunger and hate pound at our door
Feeding us clouds of sorrow.
We are but few that came ashore,
The Leaders of Tomorrow.
* * *

Ray Arco of CA 11:52AM March 02, 2010

Having served in the military, I was up close and personal with the best manufacturer of leaders. Doing the right things right, in the face of your very life depending on someone else, and vice versa, can serve as a great motivator for leadership. The brotherhood and camaraderie that spontaneously occurs has been tried to be copied many times before in the private sector, oftentimes unsuccessfully. One of the great losses of this generation is the loss of accountability, and placing blame on someone else for their actions. The Internet has been a boom and a bane. While it has facilitated information gathering and sharing at lightning speed, that same information has exposed the hypocrisy, frailties and weaknesses of our so-called leaders. Anyone is called a hero, when all they are doing is their job, or they are practicing compassion and kindness.

A. Rodriguez of FL 9:00PM November 05, 2009

As Hobbes said "We are all content with our own amount of common sense." But common sense isn't enough. We need both knowledge and wisdom. Our education system at the 'mass' level is very poor. At the elite level it is among the world's best. Because our masses are generally uninformed, they seem to run on hope. Hope that there will be money to pay our mortgages and credit card bills, hope that we can somehow cover our massiv e military and social expenses without raising taxes, and a hope for salvation after death. A real understanding of the modern world and our place in it requires a knowledge far beyond common sense.
Listening to leaders from China to Europe I find that our legislators are often so ignorant of the world. Many seem to get their 'knowledge' of international politics from their minimal knowledge of the Bible. I see in Obama the makings of an intelligent leader, but the modern democracies hog tie real leaders--except in wartime. Democratic leaders today must follow the masses, who are often led by media pundits without any broad knowledge of today's world.
Living in Norway now I see how democracy should work. Norwegians read. We get 4 newspapers a day. There are political debates on TV nightly with experts on both sides of the issue. People are so much better informed than in the U.S. Politicians are more likely to lead, then if the people don't like the direction being taken they choose new leaders. American parties are interested in controlling the legislatures, not in bettering the nation. Lobbyists and big contributors, along with the unimportance of education, have made a joke of the ideals of a democratic republic.

Bob O'Connor of CA 5:47PM November 05, 2009