Hope Is On the Way?

Last night, John Kerry spoke to the Democratic National Convention, reaffirming what has been a dominant theme... hope for the future. It is clear that the politics of fear and disinformation, as practiced by the Republicans, has taken its toll. The existential fear, that has gripped our government, particularly since 9/11, must be replaced, they say, by a new optimism.

Whether or not the Democrats are just spinning their own web of illusion, remains to be seen. But clearly, the conditions of hope and fear, as they affect the national psyche, is what will drive this election. Roosevelt's "Nothing to fear but fear itself," might be the appropriate slogan of the day, if it didn't sound naive to a public demanding tough talk on national security in the face of terrorism.

No matter how much the Democratic Convention has been about national security, the Democrats have staged a flag-waving celebration of all-American optimism as the real solution to a world in crisis. Hope is on the way, they declare. Is this the real American Dream? Hope? Or will we continue to follow that frightening path down the road to an Orwellian society of fear and control.

Stay tuned for the next scene.