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Edited on Thu Aug-27-09 06:11 PM by mntleo2
http://www.websters.com pol⋅i⋅tics /ˈpɒlɪtɪks/
1. the science or art of political government.
2. the practice or profession of conducting political affairs.
3. political affairs: The advocated reforms have become embroiled in politics.
4. political methods or maneuvers: We could not approve of his politics in winning passage of the bill.
5. political principles or opinions: We avoided discussion of religion and politics. His politics are his own affair.
6. use of intrigue or strategy in obtaining any position of power or control, as in business, university, etc.
7. (initial capital letter, italics) a treatise (4th century b.c.) by Aristotle, dealing with the structure, organization, and administration of the state, esp. the city-state as known in ancient Greece.
Politics may not be the "answer" to the world's problems but politics certainly have a definite affect. From what you see that politics means then perhaps this guy would understand better why one might be active in who the politician might be since they will have an impact on our world (see definition # 6, which is about the impact on institutions, one of which is the U.S. government).
In times when there wasn't a way to elect and force the "politician" to be accountable this realm was much smaller. But in our realm, in America, we have an impact on our politicians who then have an impact on the world. Still in all times, their power causes impact on the world is why politicians are important.
If he even understand why the definitions of politics is important (which I am not sure he can) then I am sure the next question for this clueless individual will be: "So why Obama?"
Here were my reasons for supporting Obama that have to do with "impact" on the world:
1. As a teacher of Constitutional Law, Obama knows our law and is well aware of the impact of this law on all Americans
2. Obama is by far more intelligent than the average person or he would not have achieved the academic and political place he has ~ and as any person of color will tell you, you have to be "twice as intelligent, twice as achieved," with anything as a person of color, in a White man's world; George Bu$h our last president for an example who graduated from Yale all right but his main standing there was that his family gave a great deal of money in exchange, where Obama had to use his intelligence and perseverance to achieve what he did ~ and even much of his later achievements were handed to Bu$h because of his family and birth position in our society
3. Obama is very skilled at the art of politics or he would not have gotten as far as he has, he has the potential to be great with many different types of negotiations on the world stage as well as everywhere else.
4. With Obama's experience as an activist in one of the most depressed and poor areas of the nation. he has had some very deep insights into humanity and the impact of the laws and society's impositions on the ones who have the least voice.
5. Speaking of the ones with the least voice: If Barak Obama cared about the poor and the downtrodden, these ones with the least voice, he also cares about the rest of us, because if he chose the ones with the least "legitimacy" in our society whose plight if made better, affects those above them as well. Because the "top down" approach mostly for laws, taxes, etc., affects those at the top favorably, it does little for anything below, while laws for the least impact far more people, and this is due to classism.
6. Most of the world is not white, it is people of color, this may be a surprise to your cousin, but it is true. Barak Obama is a man who looks like them, he already appears to have more impact for that. Besides his background of growing up in predominantly a "brown" society (Hawaii and Indonesia) gives him far more legitimacy than the privileged white men of the past. I am not saying this is *all* the answer, but I am saying that it could have a greater impact on peace treaties, even conversations in the same room with people who look more like him especially, but he is also garnering a lot of respect in the European nations as well.
7. One of Barak Obama's "downfalls" with world politics imo comes down to class. Class is what much of the world faces here with (mostly) men of privilege, no matter how "brown" our president is. With the Saudis for instance *only* men of privilege count and this is why GWB could leave a place of negotiations holding hands with the Emir, as both of them are on the same level and grew up in much the same circumstances. However, Barak Obama may be a dangerous face for men like the Emir, if his common people who suffer greatly for the Emir's greed, get a load of our new president and who he is.
These are some of the things I see and I am nobody but I have supported this president for these reasons and more. and yes, many of our world's problems ARE affected by those in politics and as Americans whose citizens actually CAN have an impact on the politician, it is our duty to be active because then WE have impact for whatever change we want can happen...
See???
Cat In Seattle
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