Wouldn't it be great it President Obama concluded the state of the union with a symbolic display of international goodwill, vision, compassion, and leadership, by asking, "may God bless America and all the nations and peoples of the world?"
From the first time I ever heard a U.S. President deliver a State of the Union address, long ago as a child, the insularity of the "leader of the free world," and most powerful nation in the world saying only, "God bless America," has always seemed like a jolt of insularity, cultural narcissism, and lack of global vision - as well as a public relations shortfall.
It's made me feel like I might if invited over to another family's Thanksgiving dinner and the host ending the prayer with, "and may God bless his own family, leaving out the guest's familys - like an implied footnote - "all the rest of you can roast in &^)&, or fend for yourselves."
"Hey, global putzes, we got ours, why don't you go get yours!"
Or worse, don't even bother sense from our view, "our God wouldn't bless the likes of you anyway." "We are the only 'chosen' people, the rest of you can bugger off!"
I know this is not really the intended message of leaving out a blessing for all the rest of the peoples of the world who we know are watching. I know the State of the Union is a message to the American Congress and people about the state of our affairs. But what a lack of easy grace. How easy would it be to be generous - it would cost us nothing, but potentially gain a great deal of global goodwill at a time we all need as much more global goodwill as we can get.
And, be evidence that we might be capable of some higher level of social awareness than is sadly implied by leaving out the other 7.5 billion people on the planet we we ask for God's blessing, in a globally relevant event we know is broadcast and watched through-out the world.
Especially this year, just after the tragic shooting in Paris, we know many through-out the world are looking for global leadership from whomever will rise to the challenge.
Although it's not really in vogue so much anymore, I'm old enough to remember when commentators regularly reminded listeners that the United States was a widely respected, and leading global power, and the President of the United States was considered the de-facto leader of the free world.
We were once more widely appreciated around the globe for our generous and visionary leadership, and efforts to help rebuild Europe, Japan, and other devastated areas after World War II, disproportionate funding of the United Nations, World Bank, IMF, and many other noble gestures.
Efforts like the Marshall Plan, World Bank, our open markets, sharing our investments in science, health care, and other innovations led many around the world to respect and appreciate our generous natures at many levels, including that of spirit. Even though many of our efforts at global peace, which in retrospect may have been deeply flawed, seem so more out of naivete than malfeasance - at least on the behalf of our average citizens if not our leaders.
Let's face it - the international "goodwill" we are deriving from having predator drones roaming the skies of dozens of other nations in our global "war on terror" seems to be "running out of steam," or at least reaching a point of diminishing returns.
Would it not be wise to send a message that our global war on terror is not an thinly veiled ethnocentric war of "us, the good guys" against "them and others - the bad guys," as many seem to believe.
I spend many hours of each day reading foreign media as part of other projects - trust me we have much opportunity and need to improve our image. Some who belong to different religions, nations and ethnic groups seem to suspect we are really conducting an ethnocentric ideologically based war of global domination against Islam, Arabs, Palestinians, communists, and any others who stand in our way or the multinational corporations that used to call the U.S.A home until it become convenient for tax purposes to move elsewhere.
Our continuous use of our veto power in the United Nations Security council leads some to suspect we are not really an honest broker but have taken sides in a religious, and ethnic conflict, and that we have misused out global power - that we are not as much motivated by noble principles as much as by political ethnocentrism and religious bias.
I believe the President should devote a section of his speech to these issues, but even if he doesn't feel the SOTU is the best place for this discussion, he can at least contest the hypothesis by including a blessing for all nations and people of the world. If this is too controversial, he could modify such a request by adding "peace-loving nations and peoples of the world," however, this risks poking a hornets nest of folks who might immediately challenge our own qualifications for such an select group.
Let's pick up the optimistic theme of global solidarity expressed in the Paris Charlie Hebdo rally of world leaders standing united with all nations and people throughout the world against violence, criminality, and terrorism.
Let us explicit announce that these espoused goals are not just transparent rally cries to engage in war against other nations, peoples, religion, and ethnic groups we do not like our stand in our way. President Obama can demonstrate global goodwill, without any argument, and without additional justification, that even though security, late timing, and perhaps other concerns may have prevented him from joining the Paris Charlie Hebdo rally, he on behalf of all of us in the United States of America join all of those striving for peace, security, the rule-of-law, non-violent social change, and international good will to all people on earth and stand in solidarity to strive for and hope for peace and goodwill to all the people of the world.
And the moments of buzz and confusion such an expression would engender will open a doorway for those of us who wish to build global goodwill as cultural ambassadors. So we can rush in and at least make our best case with an alternative narrative the sad way in which are are too often portrayed.
Also, let me apologize in advance for this small Machiavellian partisan addendum, but let's not overlook a few additional political angles, which include the predictable protests from some of those in the extreme right who may see such a gesture as "aiding and abetting the enemy." Some Republicans appear to believe, mistakenly, that they have a monopoly on communities of faith, and that Democrats are really "godless communists" trying to subvert goodness from beneath every rock we crawl out from under. Or worse, that their vision of God truly believes God really does only bless America and perhaps, provisionally Israel, subject to their later conversion.
These contrasting worldviews are going to be campaign issues in 2016. What better way to start from the moral high ground. Generously asking God to bless all the people and nations of the world places the burden on opponents to suggest who we should exclude and why.
So, in addition to all of the noble and good reasons for supporting such a noble gesture, from a Machiavellian view, which I apologize for, this blessing could help smoke out some of the extremists who we can predict will complain that President Obama is showing weakness, or lack of resolve in our war on "Islam," (sic) Islamic terrorism, Arabs, (sic), and Palestinians (sic). (Snark alert: we are not actually "officially" at war with any of these groups - this use of political sarcasm is used for rhetorical poignancy to reveal a sad, and unfortunate strain of racism, and religious supremacy that appears to be "not uncommon" from some on the far right. All the more reason for President Obama to make clear our real war is only on criminal individuals, and elements who endorse criminal violence, not on nations, other ethnic groups, or religions.)
Every SOTU for the last 40 I am reminded of this suggestion about two days prior to the delivery day, when it is too late to gather any grass roots support. Perhaps, I can ask those of your with quicker ties to the White House, to see if we can get this suggestion to President Obama in time to add this one extra phrase to the end of the SOTU. If not, let this be a first early rally cry for an effort to reach the president by next year.
It's a fantastic and much needed message that will likely reverberate around the globe and act as a wake-up call and remind us all that we are all in this together, but that it take extra effort on the part of everyone to be aware of, and to step up and transcend our own limiting unconscious assumptions, and ethnocentrism. "We have met the enemy and it is us."
Let be the change we wish to see in others. Let's first address the mote in our eye before we castigate the specks in others. What a great way to battle small mindedness, and parochialism in others by first looking for tinges in ourselves. And, then stepping up to a higher plane with the kinds of generous and noble expression most of us were brought up to believe about ourselves.
Thank you, and may God bless America, Daily Kos, other nations, peoples and bloggers of the world.
In the spirit of international goodwill, love, security, and peace,
HoundDog