Years of Poems and Spirits

Like so many times before when I was witnessing history in the making (6.4, 9.11), I missed the precise moment when it happened.

When the electoral vote count scrolled cross 270, I was getting a lousy beer in the kitchen. When I came out, people are jumping, dogs barking and kisses and hugs and all that shit.

For the last 12 month, I felt like riding in a canoe on a rough sea . He was my choice and his success and failure felt so much more “real” to me than any other electoral events. Whenever arguing for him, either online or face to face, there was always a sense of dread and desperation that he could be marginalized by the great silent American majority.

And how much the mass has been tempted: first it was a name-brand politician seemed to have everything–a faux promise, a faux competency, a faux “historical first” and even a faux marriage. Next it was a great war hero that I could never learn to hate. After that it was a sweet little bitch who appeals not only to the fanatics but also the subconscious longings of a romantic Americanism amongst the common. Besides the main antagonists are all kinds of colorful characters: Jessie “the Nut Cutter” Jackson, Rev. Wright, Joe “the Big Mouth” Biden and a whinning Bill Clinton.

It was not until the financial crisis did the scale finally tipped. On the one hand, I felt quite unsettled that it took a crisis of this magnitude to change the majority’s perception. On the other, however, a close victory keeps the victor humble and driven.

Regardless, this is a wonderful night. When Obama gave his speech of the night, a couple next to me were quietly sobbing. I know how they feel. Historical moments are often remembered with a singularly strong emotion attached to it. Whenever I recall 6.4 or 9.11, I felt anger and vengence. But this is a night I’d always remember with a sense of vindication, joy and hope.

最近读的几本中文书笔记备录：

1. 《刚鉴易知录》（唐史）：初唐无聊，中唐故事多，晚唐最有意思：极富戏剧性，像武侠小说，爱不释手。问题：为什么潘镇“割据”而不“独立”？什么使中国难以分裂？

2. 《剑桥中国隋唐史》（崔瑞德，费正清，三联）：关于陈寅恪的评价，“陇西-山东”框架，私铸货币和通货膨胀，中央管理货币的尝试

3. 薄一波的《若干重大历史事件的回顾》（人民出版社）：毛泽东的霸道，刚愎自用和小气：十五天从反右到反左。刘少奇的“走狗式”（李斯，范蠡）的下场：桃源经验，“三分天灾，七分人祸”，党内民主制度不健全，西楼会议，七千人大会？ 另：关于毛对知识分子的怀疑和憎恨，见李锐的文章：毛泽东与反右派斗争 大多从毛的原话，原著中解读引证。

4. 《政治儒学》（蒋庆）： 踩在学术和博客的边缘，文章罗嗦冗长 。读上去感觉好像一个面壁的愚儒在振振有词地证明皇帝的新衣确实存在。唯一可取的是第三章，儒学与民主政治，二者平等而不兼容。不可用西学的概念来解构儒学。联想：中国的“政治”和西学的“政治”是一个概念吗？

Per this WaPo article,

The decision to hire McCain (as a naval liaison to Congress) fell largely to the commander of naval operations, four-star Adm. James Holloway, who had known Jack McCain during his liaison days and thought that his son might be aptly suited for the same line of work. “John was a personable young guy who had been brought up in the right atmosphere,” Holloway recalls. “I mean, he had that kind of social education that came from seeing his parents entertain a lot of people from Congress. . . . He had good genes, and he also had a good sense of humor and social skills at a cocktail party. He was a guy who could play poker and help with arrangements, a good fellow.”

Compare that with Obama’s rise, this story echos a larger debate between aristocracy and meritocracy, doesn’t it?