View from another country

[pyat]

The powers that be have invited the entire staff to leave the office and go watch Obama's inauguration speech in a pub across the street. Wow.

I am sort of expecting him to come up to the podium and start laughing evilly as he hits the "Evil Robot Invasion" button.

EDIT: Actually, no I'm expecting a darn fine speech. :) *listens*

Comments

[pwned-kisa.livejournal.com]

With as much hype as what's happening? Yeah, I'm totally getting the evil robot vibe.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

It's not hype, it's a rare instance of mass public optimism. :) Optimism can come to nothing, but that's not the goal of feeling optimistic.

[dagoski.livejournal.com]

Man, it sucks to be work in government right now. We're still trapped in the office cranking out stuff for DARPA and other acronymed agencies.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

You guys get to do the scutwork of Change! :)

[bodhifox.livejournal.com]

I have a feeling we've sworn in the Antichrist.

Or not.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Pfft. You'll be in your bunk(er)?

[bodhifox.livejournal.com]

I think reality will soon set in. This is America after all, not Canada. :)

[pyat.livejournal.com]

You'll all wake up and realize the president is neither Messiah nor Antichrist, but rather an agent of the Reptillian Space Armada.

[pwned-kisa.livejournal.com]

Yes, and when we wake up and realize that he isn't the Messiah but a normal human being? That's what I worry about. This is America, after all.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Do you think ANYONE seriously considers him the Messiah, or as anything but a welcome change?

[pwned-kisa.livejournal.com]

Considering how much applause he's being given, for no real reason? Yeah, I'm beginning to have the same feeling.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Oh, piffle. Spontanous demonstration of public relief and good will. He'll either earn it or he won't. In the meantime, you might as well enjoy the cake and punch.

[pwned-kisa.livejournal.com]

But what happens when everyone comes down off of their high? when they realize that he's a mortal man, fully capable of mistakes? What then? This is America, land of overreaction, nukes, and childish behavior. Once people come down from that high, look around, and see that nothing's changed? How do you think our masses will react?

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Seriously? I don't think anything will happen. I would like to see a historical example that suggests otherwise.

FDR was elected with much hoopla and hype. A movie was made with a Busby Berkley dance number dedicated to him, and he was regarded as a sort of secular saint in many circles. He was just a competent and intelligent man and he didn't make the problems disappear - though he tackled them intelligently. People did not suddenly start wailing and setting fire to things when they realized he wasn't a god.

On the other side of the spectrum, Warren Harding won the biggest landslide election in U.S. history and turned out to be the worst president of the 20th century. Nothing much happened when people realized he was a big fat dud.

People forget highs in the same way they eventually forget lows.

[anidada.livejournal.com]

That assumes that many people haven't already come down off the high (c.f. Rick Warren, among other things) and/or, that after eight years of Bush, they expect perfection from any politician.

[paka.livejournal.com]

Why does nobody ever launch a good robot invasion?

[stress-kitten.livejournal.com]

What about in iRobot? After all, the robots were only trying to keep humans safe. *grins*