We're No Angels
David Mamet has written a piece in the Village Voice entitled "Why I Am No Longer a 'Brain-Dead Liberal'". Mamet describes a philosophical and spiritual shift in his worldview. As a result, he is no longer a slave to the "perfectionist" impulse of American liberalism. One may be slightly surprised to find him quoting John Maynard Keynes in his introduction, or to hear that he has found succor in the writings of Milton Friedman and Shelby Steele, especially in contrast to his frequent contributions to the Huffington Post over the last several years.
Surprising as it may be, however, the article is a beautiful account of a brilliant man's struggle to reconcile the urge to make the world a better place with the "tragic" view that maybe things are as good as they can be right now. Maybe, he dares to say, they're not quite as bad as we make them out to be.
Depending on where you stand, the piece can come across as a liberal turning 60 and losing touch with the passion and idealism that drives positive change, or as a once-reluctant conservative realizing the folly of measuring the world—and the United States—by a utopian standard. To be sure, he makes some problematic arguments: "I am hard-pressed to see an instance where the intervention of the government led to much beyond sorrow". Mamet may be more hard-pressed to argue that his comparison of George W. Bush and John F. Kennedy withstands even the slightest application of historical context.
The piece is a great read for anyone wishing to better understand some of the fundamental underpinnings of the partisan divide between conservatism and liberalism, or reason and faith. At the very least it's a glimpse at the personal politics of the guy who wrote "Revenge of the Space Pandas".
Posted on March 12, 2008 by - AAG
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A Republican in a dress?
Of course he is giving up. Because HillBillary is just a Republican in a dress. Yes, The Mac and Hillary Show offer us the same "looking back in anger" song Oasis gave us a few years back. But they forgot something - something Obama remembers. The song says "don't look back in anger". What we need is a tomorrow we can define. Not a tomorrow defined by the burdens of yesterday. Being better than yesterday is a pretty low aim. We want a tomorrow we can build. More on this in my blog at http://angryafrican.wordpress.com/2008/03/06/dont-look-back-in-anger-a-cover-by-the-mac-and-hillary-show/
Posted on March 12, 2008 — by angryafrican
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False Dichotomy
I read (most of) Mamet's piece. He seemed to be wrestling with two conflicting feelings.
On the one hand he feels like being concerned about the world's problems (and there ARE problems...genocide's happening, species are going extinct, the U.S. prison system is broken, etc.) requires you to be perpetually angry and guilty.
On the other hand he feels like his own life is going pretty swimmingly and has an overriding sense that people "get by" from day to day.
Which is it? A life of penitence or enjoyment? Doom-and-gloom or optimism?
My take: you don't have to carry the weight of the world's problems OR retreat into blithe solipsism. You recognize the problems, and do your part to help and leave the world a better place than you found it, and IN SO DOING come to enjoy life more and feel comfortable about your place in the world.
L8
Posted on March 13, 2008 — by DirtyFiveThirty
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Exiting Empire
David Mamet has not become less concerned with the world's problems; he's come to the realization that the best way for us to help the world is to live up to our own ideals.
Contrary to the ideas advocated by the current line-up of presidential candidates, both liberal and conservative, government is not the answer. Regardless of whether a Democrat or a Republican takes office, little will actually change.
Both sides will expand government power, over-extend themselves in pursuit of empire, temporarily appease voters by offering entitlements they cannot deliver, and in the process continue to debase our currency, our wealth and our potential.
Change will come when we alter our thinking and rediscover the Constitution and our founding principles. Only then will we be of any help to others.
It's not David Mamet, but the rest of the world that has given up. They are no longer hoping we’ll come to our senses; they are beginning to move on.
Posted on March 13, 2008 — by chordchaser
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Palestine, the divider
I think the snippet about Mamet being fed up with NPR and calling it "National Palestinian Radio" is revealing. Liberal ideas are forcing him to confront certain issues that he is biased against, and finally fuses are popping in his head.
In this case, perhaps Palestinians' human rights issues don't sit well with certain prejudiced aspects of his Jewishness.
Posted on August 24, 2008 — by erediaman
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