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Obama, the Puppeteer Written on July 9, 2008 As a follow-up to the last article, “Obama, the Military Candidate,” this article seeks to bring awareness to how Obama’s position on foreign policy, while certainly less overtly aggressive, might actually be a continuation of the problems inherent in the United States’ overall approach to the rest of the world. A common part of Obama’s explanation of his stance on relations with Iran is the phrase “carrots and sticks.” The idea of using carrots and sticks is straight out of the behavioral model of psychology where the positive potential of rewards and the negative potential of punishments are thought to be the sole motivations (or at the very least primary motivations) of human behavior. But this basic pain/pleasure paradigm has two major issues. First, this theory is clearly not a full description (or even the core explanation) of human nature. Anyone who has ever delayed immediate pleasures and proactively endured the pains of challenge in order to overcome their obstacles and elevate themselves toward the achievement of a meaningful, purposeful, even spiritual mission understands that human nature can rise above the more animalistic, instinctive pain/pleasure paradigm. Humans aspire. And if you don’t give them the freedom to aspire, sooner or later, regardless of how many delicious “treats” or painful “spankings” you give them, they will defy you. They want to survive and thrive. They want to express and connect. They want to excel individually and bond collectively. They want to embrace, live out, and bring to fruition the exquisite human gifts that God or evolution (you take your pick) has given them. And no carrots and sticks will deter them indefinitely from that pursuit and doing so freely… which leads to the second point. Stating that we will use carrots and sticks to influence their behavior is the sign of a superiority complex with actions that send a message that we believe they are “beneath” us – that they will simply respond to the pain/pleasure paradigm of the “animal” nature while we come up with the policies that reflect the “higher thinking” of the human nature. It is to believe that we are the puppeteers (or God), moving the strings that determine their decisions and actions. It is to live by the assumption that we are “right” and they are “wrong,” instead of both of us being right and wrong and both of us needing to learn from each other and come together in a commonly desired purpose. Human beings are not animals to be trained by other human beings. We are animals who can reflect on and learn from each other and the world and who each have the power of free choice. The challenge is in how to make more effective choices where we don’t take from each other but add to each other and
the world around us. In conflict, we will create scarcity. In union, we will create prosperity. And if we don’t strive toward union, by letting go of our egotistical pride, getting beyond our rigid, self-centered positions, and respecting and supporting each others’ needs and desires, then we will inevitably end up in conflict. Obama may not be a proponent of aggressive acts of war, but his approach (as described in his words) demonstrates the superiority complex that seems to take center stage of U.S. foreign policy when our immediate national (and self-centered) “interests” are at stake. In fact, in a video where he defended his position on meeting with Iran’s President, Obama actually said that he would change their behavior. If one of the antiwar candidates is indeed elected as President and does follow through on withdrawing the troops, we as the citizenry must be careful not to become complacent simply because the troops are out of Iraq. It is our overall approach to the world that is more at the core of our international problems, and changing that approach takes more than just withdrawing our attack. Just think about your personal relationships, and you can surely understand the depth of change that will be necessary. To buy a physical copy (which is currently on sale) of The Makings of a President, click the link below: www.inspiringrevolutions.com/presidentbook.php To find out how to get your free eBook copy of The Makings of a President, click the link below: www.inspiringrevolutions.com/president To begin applying these ideas to your own life, answer the questions below: - What do you think and how do you speak about the relationships in your life that commonly have “power struggles?” What thoughts and words do you speak when it comes to resolving your conflicts? - Do they reflect tendencies toward superiority, toward you influencing them without them influencing you, toward you being “right” and them being “wrong?” - What prevents you from taking up the challenge to understand and embrace “their” side as well? - Do you ever thoroughly, genuinely, and objectively question your most cherished beliefs – not to negate your beliefs but to add what another believes? - What fears would you have to confront and resolve that you currently avoid and what benefits would you experience that would bring you greater meaning?