The Banality of Hope

Famed Obama 'Hope' poster artist losing hope

The story's really not all that interesting, except for one very telling little bit:

Fairey explained that when he came up with the poster in 2008, he was trying to find a single image that embodied the issues he cared most about -- promoting [communitarian] health care, helping labor [unions], and curtailing lobbyists. He likened the issues to projectiles.

"Looking at Obama's standpoint on various policies, it was like, 'Why throw all these particular projectiles over the wall... when I could put all those things in one projectile that I could hurl over the wall,'" Fairey said in a phone interview from Los Angeles, where he lives. "Obama was the delivery device in theory. Now, I realize that he maybe is not the correct delivery device, and I'll just deal with those issues separately."

[my comments]

Isn't that just a lovely picture of contemporary, electoral politics. Why make forthright statements about what you stand for when you can wrap it all up into one inoffensive word. Call it, "Hope," and let everyone see in it what they want. Fits right in with our lazy, trite, selfish, spiritual-but-not-religious, shallow, navel-gazing, Oprah-y, unsophisticated, immature culture. At least, "a chicken in every pot," was a tangible promise. "Hope in every heart," is our new aim. And so we create a government so devoid of first principles that the only ideal is power.

And we have no one to blame but ourselves. Not just with our choices in the voting booth, but our choices when we watch TV, go to the movies, pick up a magazine, listen to the radio, interact (or not) with our neighbors, etc. Or humble ourselves (or not) before God. It's our culture and I'm a part of it, and chances are, so are you.