Obama's Work Ethic

Or the Slave's Disdain for Leisure

The idea that slaves helped build American greatness because (among other things) they preferred work to leisure is so offensively stupid that it clearly wandered into Obama’s speech via sloppiness rather than by design. (This is in itself undermines his reputation for wordcraft and attention to detail: the only reference to slavery in the inaugural speech of the first African-American president was permitted to carry this crazed logic.) Maybe we can ... Full Story »

Posted by Adam Florin

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2.3
by Adam Florin - Jan. 21, 2009

A fairly obnoxious but not unintelligent criticism of one angle of Obama's inauguration speech: the bizarre denigration of leisure. It's true that Obama might have been driving home the conservative work-ethic angle a bit too hard. But then, the author fails to mention that this was in the context of a speech which seriously played to McCain voters, an angle which will be necessary to build the broad alliance Obama will need to put his policies in motion. (Policies which, mind you, are probably more in line with the author's politics than the speech was.) He also doesn't bother mentioning that Obama was aiming this directly at Wall Street's culture of greed, not at the free time of academics like himself. But, fair to say that the speech had some puzzling moments overall.

(6 answers)

Adam's Rating

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2.3

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