On our cruise from Valaparaiso, Chile to Buenos Aires, Argentina around the tip of South America and through Cape Horn and the Strait Magellan, we are reminded of the historic context of the passages. This is an inhospitable part of the world – only 300 miles away from Antartica – the Atlantic and Pacific clash with 40 foot swells and 100 mph winds. And this is still summer. The area is littered by ships making unsuccessful attempts around the continent to find routes to the East Indies and new world.
Direction is ever important for navigation, and sailors use compass terms in highly specific terms. Variations by degrees, minutes or seconds may lead to safe passage or disaster. Our common use of bearing though allows for greater latitude.
• “Following True North” implies certitude in our moral compass. Following this direction indicates that we are keeping true to our heart and integrity.
• “Heading South” implies life is falling apart and becoming more decrepit.
• “Go West”, similar to the Village People song, implies recreation of oneself, discovery and innovation. For the US, going West is our Manifest Destiny.
• “Returning Back East” is revisiting our traditions and heritage. Coming back home.
With President Hu’s visit to the White House and Obama’s State of the Union Address, the question of US direction comes into question. There is much to emulate from China. They are a strong competitor – robust economy stronger than Japan’s, students achieving higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics than the US; and a society with unstoppable motivation to improve their lives.
So, instead of continuing in our Westward direction should the US re-navigate to go East and be more like China? Let’s see what the arts have to say about this.
In Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue, the protagonist is a 5 year-old boy growing up in an enclosed room with his mother. Unable to leave the 12’ by 12’ space, Donoghue’s relates a convincing story of how two individuals can coexist, accommodate and grow under stifling conditions. As we understand the circumstance for their confinement, we see how claustrophobic conditions can be shaped into an environment that is reality. Once the two are thrown outside, a literal extension of Plato’s Cave, they are overwhelmed by the expansiveness of the real world. What they have learned from their confinement is applicable, but woefully inadequate.
Donoghue’s novel is impressively fast-paced given the self-imposed boundaries of the premise. The star of the book is Jack, whose impressions of a limited and limitless universe are memorable wisdom for any jaded, world-weary adult.
The Kids Are All Right came out over the summer, and is in Oscar contention for its performances. The story of two women who raise their children through parental confusion and marital crisis has been coined by some members of the press as a Lesbian-family story. The writer/ director, Lisa Cholodenko, has created more though. She spins a relatable tale of any family bringing up children. The fact that this one happens to have two female parents may be the hook, but that is merely incidental. The ensemble cast works fluidly and soon the audience forgets the hook and becomes enmeshed in the characters.
The movie is symbolic of Western cinema not that it portrays gay characters, almost every country in the world has done that by now, but that it shows the couple as no more or less tough than their straight counterparts. They are not glamorous, hard-working or exceptional. They are hard-working beings trying to make it in the world with their share of travails and mistakes. One reason we enjoy the story is because the lesbian characters are “normalized” their uniqueness is just part of the variance of US’ diverse society. Annette Bening is in a tight race with Natalie Portman to get the best Actress Oscar, but my bet is on Annette’s performance.
We can extrapolate from these examples.
The US can learn much from China in terms of being more industrious, proactive, and being less entitled. But the constraints in freedom of expression, ability to challenge the status quo, and diversity of population handicap China from becoming a world power. These tenets are essential for societal innovation or Schumpeter’s creative destruction. With these constraints the country will continue to grow, but eventually the government will encounter the will of its citizenship to break against them. Good business and good political economy demand the ability to question and allow for diverse perspective.
Similar to the inhabitants of the Room, the country can make the best of its restrictions, but only when it decides to step out into reality will it face the “true” reality requiring a new set of skills to compete. Acceptance of its own population diversity, e.g. Tibetans or Muslim Uighurs, is the first step.
For now there is no other direction for the US to emulate but the one it created – Going West.
January 29, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Some thoughts on… Making Compromises
Looking back at 2010, we can review the work of the administration over the past year. Aided by a bickering Congress, Obama has managed to pass several landmark bills which have changed the US landscape.
• Providing universal Health Care
• Repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
• Overhauling the student loan program
• Instituting financial reform
As always, these bills came with concessions. The extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for two more years places the country in greater debt, and many pieces of legislation are on the cutting room floor for now including Clean Energy and institution of the Dream Act providing amnesty to children of undocumented immigrants.
We can debate the merits of the new laws, and question whether the compromises were worthwhile. To find an answer, let’s see what the arts have to say about this.
The King’s Speech portrays the ascension of George VI to the English throne despite being the younger of two brothers and having a troublesome stutter. Colin Firth plays the young Prince with a mix of nobility and vulgarity – a troubled soul fighting the demons of being a bullied child and ignored son. In a parallel story, Firth’s performance should ascend him to the Oscar throne after being overlooked last year for A Single Man.
In order to achieve the goal of speaking in public forums, the Duke of York conceded to the unorthodox manners of his language tutor. In the movie, he must give in to being treated as a pedestrian rather than royalty. The teacher calls him “Bertie” and requires him to take the classes outside the palace grounds. At first the Prince’s attention to better elocution seems selfishly motivated – doesn’t he have more important things to do? Yet, his conciliations lead to the greater good. By reclaiming his voice, the King comforts a nation on the brink of war and establishes his position in the monarchic line.
Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark has not yet opened, and it is the hottest ticket on Broadway. Julie Taymor’s uncompromising vision has garnered substantial press given the repeated delays to opening night and extensive injuries on the set. Watching the show in previews, it is difficult not to be overcome by the theatrics. This is an experiment that if successful could transform Broadway yet again as the Lion King did.
Part circus, part Greek myth, and part high-tech acrobatics, there are innumerable kinks that need to be worked out including a tightened story line, increased empathy for the characters, and improved singing. Nonetheless one can perceive where Taymor is taking us, and the heights are breathtaking. Weaving this arachnid story has had several negative repercussions – financially on the producers, physically on the actors – and in the end the public will decide with their wallets if it was worth it. This one early viewer believes.
Past the mid-point of a first term in office, we have seen Obama transform from a popular politician to a man that is governing. Politics like theater is the “art of the possible” – two steps forward and one step back. In retrospect, the sacrifices George VI made were unequivocally worthwhile. With Spider-Man, the results are still to be seen. We need to judge if the unrealized vision is worth the give and take.
In the end, we will evaluate Obama’s legislative accomplishments and the attendant compromises by determining if we live in a better society. To me the vision is still sound, and I am more proud to be a citizen. I continue to believe.
December 26, 2010
• Providing universal Health Care
• Repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
• Overhauling the student loan program
• Instituting financial reform
As always, these bills came with concessions. The extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for two more years places the country in greater debt, and many pieces of legislation are on the cutting room floor for now including Clean Energy and institution of the Dream Act providing amnesty to children of undocumented immigrants.
We can debate the merits of the new laws, and question whether the compromises were worthwhile. To find an answer, let’s see what the arts have to say about this.
The King’s Speech portrays the ascension of George VI to the English throne despite being the younger of two brothers and having a troublesome stutter. Colin Firth plays the young Prince with a mix of nobility and vulgarity – a troubled soul fighting the demons of being a bullied child and ignored son. In a parallel story, Firth’s performance should ascend him to the Oscar throne after being overlooked last year for A Single Man.
In order to achieve the goal of speaking in public forums, the Duke of York conceded to the unorthodox manners of his language tutor. In the movie, he must give in to being treated as a pedestrian rather than royalty. The teacher calls him “Bertie” and requires him to take the classes outside the palace grounds. At first the Prince’s attention to better elocution seems selfishly motivated – doesn’t he have more important things to do? Yet, his conciliations lead to the greater good. By reclaiming his voice, the King comforts a nation on the brink of war and establishes his position in the monarchic line.
Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark has not yet opened, and it is the hottest ticket on Broadway. Julie Taymor’s uncompromising vision has garnered substantial press given the repeated delays to opening night and extensive injuries on the set. Watching the show in previews, it is difficult not to be overcome by the theatrics. This is an experiment that if successful could transform Broadway yet again as the Lion King did.
Part circus, part Greek myth, and part high-tech acrobatics, there are innumerable kinks that need to be worked out including a tightened story line, increased empathy for the characters, and improved singing. Nonetheless one can perceive where Taymor is taking us, and the heights are breathtaking. Weaving this arachnid story has had several negative repercussions – financially on the producers, physically on the actors – and in the end the public will decide with their wallets if it was worth it. This one early viewer believes.
Past the mid-point of a first term in office, we have seen Obama transform from a popular politician to a man that is governing. Politics like theater is the “art of the possible” – two steps forward and one step back. In retrospect, the sacrifices George VI made were unequivocally worthwhile. With Spider-Man, the results are still to be seen. We need to judge if the unrealized vision is worth the give and take.
In the end, we will evaluate Obama’s legislative accomplishments and the attendant compromises by determining if we live in a better society. To me the vision is still sound, and I am more proud to be a citizen. I continue to believe.
December 26, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Some thoughts on… Accumulating Loss
With the midterm elections of Obama’s first term, the voice of the electorate is clear. The country has moved strongly to the right. Republicans have gained control of the House supported by Tea Party enthusiasm. Democrats barely hold on to the Senate and the Administration concedes the need for a course correction. A pendulum swing in voter preference is not a new phenomenon, and likely indicates discontent with the economy. But the finger pointing can be done in all directions, and it is clear we are all frustrated with a federal government unable to work together for the nation’s good.
As liberal-minded individuals, shouldn’t we be sad about the Democratic loss? Let’s see what the arts have to say about this.
David Fincher’s recent film, The Social Network, is a re-telling of the rise of Mark Zuckerberg from Harvard college student to owner and CEO of Facebook. Based on court documents and interviews with key individuals, Aaron Sorkin’s instant message-like dialogue connects the perspectives of the ideators, visionaries and builders of the site as they watch a nascent concept transform into a behemoth. Fincher moves us through the story at internet speeds helping us see how intelligent and motivated individuals can create a $27 billion company from a $1,000 initial investment and making Zuckerberg the youngest billionaire (under 30) in the world.
The tagline for the movie hints at the morality play underlying this hyper growth – “You don’t get to 500 friends without making some enemies”. Along this ascent, we watch individuals compromise ethics, morals and relationships in pursuit of their dream. The trade-offs portrayed in the movie are not surprising. We have seen on the screen before how willing people are to throw-off ballast from racing ship. What is unexpected is the regret of the protagonists. On the way to the summit, they know they are making egregious missteps which they mourn for a nano-second, but they are unable to stop from climbing.
The movie, Brief Encounter, based on a script by Noel Coward has been re-interpreted for Broadway. The story follows chaste lovers who meet incidentally then surreptitiously at a train station discovering their attraction and then their guilt over the reunions in a month’s time. The production splashes the audience with waves of affection as the couple is overtaken with love. Combining aspects of silent film and minstrel show, Emma Rice’s adaptation is the roller-coaster of an abbreviated romance –confusion of a first encounter, thrill of interim reconnaissance, melancholy of an inevitable departure.
As a closeted gay man in the 1930’s, Coward must have been writing of his own inability to create a meaningful relationship. A feeling of deprivation and longing are only strengthened by the tantalizing notion that cutting existing bonds and societal norms could lead to ultimate happiness. Despite their loveless marriages and suffocating every day lives, the couple comply with their responsibilities in the end. Releasing each other from short-term happiness, and hopefully becoming stronger people in the long-term.
At my brother Wameek’s graduation from Vassar seven years ago, Susan Sontag the keynote speaker said that “life is an accumulation of loss”. This is a fact. The question is how we deal with it. In a world of internet geniuses, Russian oligarchs and Chinese manufacturing tycoons, becoming a billionaire by the age of 40 has never been more real or as fast. But the result of gathering material, political or academic achievement quickly is that the inevitable loss makes one powerless, negative and frustrated. On the other hand, being able to appreciate the equally inevitable gains is a celebration of the small wins of life.
The Facebook founders’ accelerated accumulation early in life made their successive losses seem devastating. By the end of the movie, Zuckerberg despite unquestionable financial success is still looking for a meaningful relationship. In contrast, the star-crossed lovers from Brief Encounter built steady lives with incremental wins – a house, family, kids. For them the loss of a singular love is heart-breaking but also something to be remembered and to grow from.
The loss of Democratic control is disappointing, but perhaps we gained too much too quickly. Taking a step back, we may now need to appreciate what we did achieve – passing ground-breaking legislation on Health Care, stabilizing the world economy, and reviving failed businesses like GM. Like the lover’s encounter, we can celebrate the heady days and go back to our responsibility of piecing together a divided country and ascending from the experience.
November 7, 2010
As liberal-minded individuals, shouldn’t we be sad about the Democratic loss? Let’s see what the arts have to say about this.
David Fincher’s recent film, The Social Network, is a re-telling of the rise of Mark Zuckerberg from Harvard college student to owner and CEO of Facebook. Based on court documents and interviews with key individuals, Aaron Sorkin’s instant message-like dialogue connects the perspectives of the ideators, visionaries and builders of the site as they watch a nascent concept transform into a behemoth. Fincher moves us through the story at internet speeds helping us see how intelligent and motivated individuals can create a $27 billion company from a $1,000 initial investment and making Zuckerberg the youngest billionaire (under 30) in the world.
The tagline for the movie hints at the morality play underlying this hyper growth – “You don’t get to 500 friends without making some enemies”. Along this ascent, we watch individuals compromise ethics, morals and relationships in pursuit of their dream. The trade-offs portrayed in the movie are not surprising. We have seen on the screen before how willing people are to throw-off ballast from racing ship. What is unexpected is the regret of the protagonists. On the way to the summit, they know they are making egregious missteps which they mourn for a nano-second, but they are unable to stop from climbing.
The movie, Brief Encounter, based on a script by Noel Coward has been re-interpreted for Broadway. The story follows chaste lovers who meet incidentally then surreptitiously at a train station discovering their attraction and then their guilt over the reunions in a month’s time. The production splashes the audience with waves of affection as the couple is overtaken with love. Combining aspects of silent film and minstrel show, Emma Rice’s adaptation is the roller-coaster of an abbreviated romance –confusion of a first encounter, thrill of interim reconnaissance, melancholy of an inevitable departure.
As a closeted gay man in the 1930’s, Coward must have been writing of his own inability to create a meaningful relationship. A feeling of deprivation and longing are only strengthened by the tantalizing notion that cutting existing bonds and societal norms could lead to ultimate happiness. Despite their loveless marriages and suffocating every day lives, the couple comply with their responsibilities in the end. Releasing each other from short-term happiness, and hopefully becoming stronger people in the long-term.
At my brother Wameek’s graduation from Vassar seven years ago, Susan Sontag the keynote speaker said that “life is an accumulation of loss”. This is a fact. The question is how we deal with it. In a world of internet geniuses, Russian oligarchs and Chinese manufacturing tycoons, becoming a billionaire by the age of 40 has never been more real or as fast. But the result of gathering material, political or academic achievement quickly is that the inevitable loss makes one powerless, negative and frustrated. On the other hand, being able to appreciate the equally inevitable gains is a celebration of the small wins of life.
The Facebook founders’ accelerated accumulation early in life made their successive losses seem devastating. By the end of the movie, Zuckerberg despite unquestionable financial success is still looking for a meaningful relationship. In contrast, the star-crossed lovers from Brief Encounter built steady lives with incremental wins – a house, family, kids. For them the loss of a singular love is heart-breaking but also something to be remembered and to grow from.
The loss of Democratic control is disappointing, but perhaps we gained too much too quickly. Taking a step back, we may now need to appreciate what we did achieve – passing ground-breaking legislation on Health Care, stabilizing the world economy, and reviving failed businesses like GM. Like the lover’s encounter, we can celebrate the heady days and go back to our responsibility of piecing together a divided country and ascending from the experience.
November 7, 2010
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