My friend Sheryl sent this to me this morning. I read it out loud to my fella and my son. He has written down what I have been feeling and thinking about.

Follow this link if you want to see the original form: http://www.chopra.com/node/1064

Deepok Chopra on the Palin effect”

Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin’s pluck has been admired, and her forthrigh tness, but her real appeal goes deeper.

She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of “the other.”

Obama is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.) I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin’s message.

In her acceptance speech Gov. Palin sent a rousing cal l to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision. Look at what she stands for: Small town values — a denial of America’s global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism. –Ignorance of world affairs — a repudiation of the need to repair America ‘s image abroad. –Family values — a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don’t need to be heeded. –Rigid stands on guns and abortion — a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree. –Patriotism – the usual fallback in a failed war. –“Reform” — an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn’t fit your ideology.

Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from “us” pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat.

The radical right marches under the banners of “I’m all right, Jack,” and “Why change? Everything’s OK as it is.” The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good. The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness.

Obama’s call for higher ideals in politics can’t be seen in a vacuum.

The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow — we all do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? No one can predict.

The best thing about Gov. Palin is that she brought this conflict to light, which makes the upcoming debate honest. It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.

If you feel inspired to pass this along…please feel free.

6 Responses to “Thank You Deepak Chopra~”

  1. WOW! Thanks for posting this.

  2. :) Yep!

  3. Wow! Thanks much Lynne for posting this. I’m not always a Chopra fan, but hear he has expressed much of my deepest feelings.

    To me, Obama calls for the best in all of us..that we can strive as individuals for the better good of all…and right now the all is struggling with urgent issues effecting their lives today.

    I’ve been thinking about if Jesus were here, he would he vote for. The answer for me is the candidates who are caring (truly through plans and actions) for the poor and the oppressed.

    Chopra spoke so well to what is puzzling so many of us women who are watching woman supporting Palin. “They are voting against themselves.”

    Thank you Lynne for sharing this and Chopra’s unusual, but wise, perspective on what has happened since Palin was put on the McCain ticket. Going to pass this on. Kerry

  4. Glad you found it intriguing~ I read it and felt so much better. Wait until you see this mornings post…on the lighter side…but, not really!

  5. To me, Obama calls for the best in all of us..that we can strive as individuals for the better good of all…and right now the all is struggling with urgent issues effecting their lives today.microsoft mcitp I’ve been thinking about if Jesus were here, he would he vote for. The answer for me is the candidates who are caring (truly through plans and actions) for the poor and the oppressed.

  6. Thanks for stopping by William~ I totally agree!

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