Auld Lang Syne

Can this year of interminable Republican debates end soon enough? Sing to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne":

Should Newt and Herman be forgot
And Michele and Ron Paul, too?
And Rick and Rick and Jon H, yes,
There's not much more they can do.

For Mitt is all that's left, my dear,
For Mitt is all that's left.
We'll drink a cup of bitterness
And live with what we've got.

The Messiah

The tributes to Steve Jobs were amazing. Flowers, candles, and apples--his company's store fronts became for a few days shrines where pilgrims could honor his spirit. This outpouring of affection for a brilliant, arrogant businessman struck me as odd. Are people really that attached to their iPads?

Perhaps. But I wonder if something else isn't going on.

We've been searching for a secular messiah in our country for some time now. I count myself among those who saw in Barack Obama the promise of a leader who would deliver us out of our mess. The Republican party, as it lurches from one presidential candidate to the next, is trying to find its messiah as well: Mitch Daniels, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Chris Christie, Sarah Palin, won't someone (other than Mitt Romney) ride in on a big, white horse?

Enter Steve Jobs, an American genius and entrepreneur whose products sell all over the world. Think the United States is in decline? Well, think again. Steve Jobs kicked butt, developing one new design after another. Take that, China.

The trouble is, Steve Jobs isn't and never was going to solve our massive problems for us. No one is, and the sooner we realize that no messiah is coming the better off we'll be. Which makes the Wall Street Occupiers all the more compelling. Inherent in their demonstration is the realization that no such messiah exists.

It's "we the people," stupid; this is the mantra we must tack on our walls.

Wanted Desperately: Leadership on All Fronts

It feels like the calm before the storm. These last weeks before Labor Day have everyone hunkered down, quiet, recovering from the fury of Irene. Ten years ago we learned in horror what could happen after Labor Day, when airplanes flew as they pleased and took down a nation unaccustomed to such assault.

Our troubles now seem more far-reaching than they did then and cry out for leaders to lead. Will President Obama stand up boldly for jobs creation in his speech next week (see Eugene Robinson, Washington Post) or will he cave to his instinct for compromise? Will Democrats, reasonable Republicans, and Independents stand up for balanced approaches to our financial woes, or will they continue to let extremists set an extreme agenda?

The times call for those who don't normally view themselves as leaders to lead as well. Will scientists remain in their labs while Governor Perry and his ilk make false statements about climate change and evolution, or will someone stand up? Will ministers hide behind their pulpits while politicians turn their backs on the poor and disadvantaged, or will someone stand up?

And will our press and our people do their jobs as well? A media that constantly inflames rather than educates does a disservice to all, and a population of apathy where so few people vote emboldens demagogues.

A nation where no one leads is a sorry nation indeed. The resulting vacuum leaves opportunities for the worst sorts to exercise power. We need only to read history--or to observe the behavior of ourselves and colleagues at work--to understand this simple lesson.

Rick Perry Enters the Race

Based on "I do not like thee, Doctor Fell," a Mother Goose poem:

I do not like thee, Governor Perry,
With you as prez I'd feel quite wary
Of how you'd manage climate change
And how you'd treat poor Ben Bernan-ky.