The Altitude of Change

Thomas Sowell, in The Vision of the Anointed (a great read!) describes the way many of the anointed will speak when "arguing" their points. He wrote "...another technique for arguing without actually using any arguments is to bury the specifics of one's policy preferences in a vast generality, so diffuse that no one can effectively oppose it."

This was written in 1995. And yet, this tactic of speaking at 30,000 feet is alive and well among the anointed. It is particularly well demonstrated by Obama. His words are sanctimonious, pious, and very, very serious. His elevated speeches cause his goose-pimpled listeners to cry out in unison "yes we can!"

Thomas Sowell continues,

"... a common practice among the anointed is to declare themselves emphatically, piously, and defiantly in favor of 'change.' Thus, those who oppose their particular changes are depicted as against change in general. It is as if opponents of the equation 2+2=7 were depicted as being against mathematics."

And Obama enlightens us with this excellent example, given in a speech on March 4th 2008:

John McCain and Senator Clinton echo each other in dismissing this call for change. They say it is eloquent but empty; speeches and not solutions. And yet, they should know that it's a call that did not begin with my words. It began with words that were spoken on the floors of factories in Ohio and across the deep plains of Texas; words that came from classrooms in South Carolina and living rooms in the state of Iowa; from first-time voters and life-long cynics; from Democrats and Republicans alike.

He then goes on, as he always does, citing examples that may or may not be true. But are so vague and elevated that nobody can criticize them. They are simply meaningless anecdotes. Which frankly, are becoming tiresome. Especially since each time he uses them, he becomes more and more righteous about it. But I digress, on with the cotton candy...

They should know that there's nothing empty about the call for affordable health care that came from the young student who told me she gets three hours of sleep because she works the night shift after a full day of college and still can't pay her sister's medical bills.

Why is the "sister" not paying her own medical bills? And how is it that this student can afford college in such dire circumstances?

There's nothing empty about the call for help that came from the mother in San Antonio who saw her mortgage double in two weeks and didn't know where her two-year olds would sleep at night when they were kicked out of their home.

Such is the pitfall of ARMs. How can Obama help people's bad financial choices?

There's nothing empty about the call for change that came from the elderly woman who wants it so badly that she sent me an envelope with a money order for $3.01 and a simple verse of scripture tucked inside.

And does anyone find it ironic that some elderly woman "called for change" by sending Obama an envelope full of ...change?

Classic.