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May 19, 2005
Use the Force
The Star Wars trilogy contains many threads, but the one that strikes me right now power - the lack of it, and the exercise of it. In the story, there are all the combinations of good and bad people using power well or poorly. Because of the sweep of the movie (in time and space), one gets a strong sense that exercising power must be done with care; we as spectators see the effects.
My experience is that it is incredibly difficult to view a situation objectively when in the echo chamber created by being in a position of power. It's really complicated - when you turn to the people around you, you don't get what you expect. Some don't want to criticize, some don't want the responsibility of criticism, some are ambivalent about the outcome. I think this is clear from the Star War story as well - there are lots of examples, but my poor memory of the character names would reduce my explanation to "that guy who tried to get the other guy to..." so you'll have to excuse me.
The Republican Caucus in the Senate is an echo chamber full of powerful people. I think that in the short run they (the Republican Caucus) will run things they way they want. But in the long run, like in Star Wars, the very power they wield will fall victim to the echo chamber they have created around themselves. For progressives, this is cold comfort, but comfort none the less.
Take note - some day you will have more power than you expected - balancing focus and perspective will be your biggest challenge.
Posted by pgutwin at May 19, 2005 10:42 PM