Kamala Harris is a case in point. So, while this is critical of her, let's not overlook that she represents a class of characters. Politicians. Both sides of the aisle.
And, the point is ...
The big picture: A wise old car salesman said this: "You know how you can tell they're lying? Their lips are moving."
Kamala Harris spoke powerful wise words on the 2024 campaign trail: “What can be, unburdened by what has been.” Arguably one of the most powerful utterances in modern public discourse. Or anywhere, anytime. Booyah! You go girl!
Who doesn't want to live liberated from old baggage. Not that old baggage is not useful, just that is shouldn't rule your day(s), carried with you all the time. Just take it out the closet and pack it when you're going on a trip. Otherwise have it there when needed. Kapische Italiane?
Let’s break it down. “ ... unburdened by what has been”. That is the operative predicate phrase. It’s the ground of being, where you're coming from. It speaks to a point of clear vision, unbiased and unencumbered by past conditioning(s). It points to being in the moment, fully present to what is in that moment. This is indeed the potent point of view with which to pave the road ahead. No argument. True that.
But ...
Let’s break it down. “ ... unburdened by what has been”. That is the operative predicate phrase. It’s the ground of being, where you're coming from. It speaks to a point of clear vision, unbiased and unencumbered by past conditioning(s). It points to being in the moment, fully present to what is in that moment. This is indeed the potent point of view with which to pave the road ahead. No argument. True that.
But ...
In the case of one Kamala Harris those are just words put in her mouth. Put in her head — by who know who — and out her mouth into our ears. And, into our heads. That's called political narrative. The core of the political game. Shaping public opinion. Enlisting the hoi polloi in a story about what's so.
Did she strike you as someone who walks that talk? Not me. Maybe in her obvious strong drive to succeed in politics she fills that bill. But, not as a fully individuated Human Being — or even a Human Being on the Path to wholeness. One that is committed to truth, being true. Self awareness is not something we see much of, if any, in state craft these days.
You don't win in politics by telling the truth. Funny, since the truth is that, at the root of it, we just don't know. Props to Socrates. But, look what they did to him!
And, even funnier, is that coming from "I don't know" is the most creative stance. "Don't know" is not that you're a nincompoop without a brain in your head, but intelligent enough to know that you don't know. You know? Standing in the not knowing view gives you a clear sight on what's in front of you. "Knowing" colors the picture with its framings and biases and preferences and conditioned tendencies. You know?
So called knowing is ignorance. To know, that's another thing altogether. I must defer on that point to the Masters. Just saying.
But, we only elect those in the know. And, read the news — Oh Boy! — look where we are now on the national and global political fronts with all those smarty pants vying for our attention and backing for all the kerfuffles they be waging.
In fact, while it was a statement of powerful truth, it was disqualifying coming from her. For me it was.
Why?
And, for those of you who bought her pitch ... just what was her vision of what can be? That is, just what is she gonna have come to be? Would someone please tell me?
The really tricky and wickedly slick part of this comes packaged in the full quote: "When young children see someone who looks like them running for office, they see themselves and what they can be, unburdened by what has been." Kamala as role model. Personally I enjoy movie entertainments where I can have identification with the characters. In Politics, the identification is mainly in the vision and platform. Otherwise, George Clooney would make a great President. On looks alone. Or any of the other likables on the public stage at the moment. Stephen Colbert has made a career of being likeable. A real Mr. Rogers for the adults in the room. We're still to see what's he gonna do for his next gig. Lots of mentions in the social media on his wonderfulness. We shall see.
And, for those of you who bought her pitch ... just what was her vision of what can be? That is, just what is she gonna have come to be? Would someone please tell me?
The really tricky and wickedly slick part of this comes packaged in the full quote: "When young children see someone who looks like them running for office, they see themselves and what they can be, unburdened by what has been." Kamala as role model. Personally I enjoy movie entertainments where I can have identification with the characters. In Politics, the identification is mainly in the vision and platform. Otherwise, George Clooney would make a great President. On looks alone. Or any of the other likables on the public stage at the moment. Stephen Colbert has made a career of being likeable. A real Mr. Rogers for the adults in the room. We're still to see what's he gonna do for his next gig. Lots of mentions in the social media on his wonderfulness. We shall see.
Two parts to unpacking Harris' visionary utterance ...
First, Kamala is presenting herself as the embodiment of that possibility. Oh joy! We have a winner! Role model, like I said. And, second, it’s a soft reference to children of color and the sensitivities to historic racial bias and discrimination. If she can do it, you too can do it.
All in all, brilliantly crafted rhetoric. Truer words were never spoken. Out her mouth, however, pure bullshit. BS on account of that nothing in her delivery and body language suggests authenticity. Heck, I seem to recall a time when she forgot the rote spiel and clumsily attempted to wing it over the finish line. And, then also the many other slightly turns of phrase to mix it up a bit so its fakery wouldn't seem so, well, fake.
Fortunately we dodged a bullet. Had someone with some portion of charisma said that, and we put them in office, we’d have another monster. A better one. Anything but Trump! Right? That's a winning strategy ... anything but HIM!
All in all, brilliantly crafted rhetoric. Truer words were never spoken. Out her mouth, however, pure bullshit. BS on account of that nothing in her delivery and body language suggests authenticity. Heck, I seem to recall a time when she forgot the rote spiel and clumsily attempted to wing it over the finish line. And, then also the many other slightly turns of phrase to mix it up a bit so its fakery wouldn't seem so, well, fake.
Fortunately we dodged a bullet. Had someone with some portion of charisma said that, and we put them in office, we’d have another monster. A better one. Anything but Trump! Right? That's a winning strategy ... anything but HIM!
A monster is a monster. And, speaking of monsters, we recall one Prime Minister of the Palestinian enclave called Israel receiving 58 standing ovations in a speak to the gathered Congress of the US of A. Den of thieves, anyone?
As the late great George Carlin said, "It's a big club, and you ain't in it!".
As an afterthought I'm wondering why the Dems put up Kamala Harris in the first place. Sort of like when the Red side put up Sarah Palin. Did they already know that they were gonna lose, and foisted those dames as, what, testing the waters? A Hail Mary? And, let's not jump on "dames". Which those to bimbos happen to be. In my book "bimbo" is not gender specific. What's a "bimbo"? Bimbos are what bimbos do. Read the news! What would you call it?
And, speaking of Mr. Donald J. Trump: "Make America Great Again." Multi props for that one. In the annals of all rhetorical prestidigitation, where a slogan is crafted to mean whatever the listener thinks it means, the gentleman is the past master of that craft. And, props too, to the gentleman for a return to the Oval on the wings of that phrase and other promises which has rent the curtain from the Wizard to expose political rhetoric to be nothing more than to just get votes. Oh sure, there's an attractive promise(s) made. But, once in office, the map is no longer the territory. Pols ... liars all. And that's some tough nuggies to reckon with. But, at least the covers are off. As my Aunt would famously say, we shall see.
