Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." – John F. Kennedy

[drpwgxyz]

We dive into President John F. Kennedy's powerful inaugural address that challenges us to prioritize collective progress over personal gain. We explore the importance of civic duty and the impact of community service, highlighting inspiring stories from historical figures like Clara Barton to modern-day heroes. Join us in reflecting on how we can contribute to the greater good and build a stronger, united nation.

 

 

[exchemist]

5 hours ago, drpwgxyz said:

We dive into President John F. Kennedy's powerful inaugural address that challenges us to prioritize collective progress over personal gain.

....[snip].....

........importance of civic duty and the impact of community service, highlighting inspiring stories from historical figures like Clara Barton to modern-day heroes. Join us in reflecting on how we can contribute to the greater good and build a stronger, united nation.

 

 

Who is "we" and what do you want to discuss? Or is this just spam?

Edited August 4 by exchemist

[swansont]

!

Moderator Note

Youtube link deleted. Posting to advertise a youtube channel is against our rules

 

[MigL]

On 8/3/2024 at 11:10 PM, drpwgxyz said:

prioritize collective progress over personal gain

If you substitute 'national' for 'collective' in the above, you essentially end up with B Mussolini's Fascist ideology of the 20s.
That, and J F Kennedy banged anything that walked and was female. 

Edited August 6 by MigL

[J.C.MacSwell]

I remember author Robert Ringer (libertarian individualist) paraphrasing it (not in support of it) to:

"Ask not what those in power can do for you...ask what you can do for those in power"

[CharonY]

I think the influence of libertarian ideology on modern politics quite fascinating. On its face, libertarians seem are seeming fiercely individualistic, which often puts their influence at odds with certain programs that could be considered common goods (e.g. health care, infrastructure etc.). And I originally thought that most arguments in politics would be centered on economic disputes. Yet, strangely libertarianism has over the decades increasingly merged with authoritarianism, which always seemed contradictory to me. Other streaks are very visible in the US, where on the one hand we have the call for small governments and individual freedoms, yet want to micromanage which books kids are allowed to read or what sexual orientations are deemed acceptable.

Looking back at papers in the 80sor so, researchers argued what seemed logical, libertarian and authoritarian attitudes would be on opposite sides of a social scale. And while this might have held true for a long while, especially in recent times (Trumpism being such an example), assertions of individual rights were fused with authoritarian demands. During the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-vaccination has turned from individuals not wanting to get vaccinated, to demands to abolish vaccines and masks, for example. A colleague pointed to an interesting chapter in The Palgrave Handbook of Psychosocial Studies" which asserts that in modern individuals there is an inherent ambivalence.

Quote

It is produced by two basic but potentially contradictory needs – for the assertion of individuality, and for membership of a collectivity. 

[...]

Fromm describes the depth of fearful aloneness and vulnerability felt by the modern individual who has emerged from the very limited individuation of pre-modern societies. This leads to the dangers of a regressive escape from that fear, and into identification with an idealized collective, which is the basis of popular support for authoritarianism.

This remains a highly relevant analysis, though another, complementary dynamic must now also be considered. This involves a fear of the collective, a libertarian denial of the pains of separation, and an idealization of the unfettered individual. A deficit of confidence in the core, individuated self produces vulnerability to both of these anxieties, trapping us in an ambivalence between freedom and belonging, unable to feel fully secure with either.

Personally, I am always sceptical regarding this grand theories, but it at least tries to resolve how folks can keep these different tendencies aligned (emotionally, at least).

[MigL]

J F Kennedy is one of those Presidents that everyone remembers fondly as one of the best.
They go so far as to describe his time in Office as 'Camelot'.
He could certainly 'turn a phrase', but when you read about his Presidency, and what he did, you can't help but think his reputation is undeserved.

[sethoflagos]

7 hours ago, CharonY said:

Yet, strangely libertarianism has over the decades increasingly merged with authoritarianism, which always seemed contradictory to me.

Only if you believe the advertising slogans of the authoritarian right. The irony is quite clear in the Auschwitz welcome:

"Arbeit macht Frei"

[dimreepr]

9 hours ago, MigL said:

J F Kennedy is one of those Presidents that everyone remembers fondly as one of the best.
They go so far as to describe his time in Office as 'Camelot'.
He could certainly 'turn a phrase', but when you read about his Presidency, and what he did, you can't help but think his reputation is undeserved.

Morality is generally judged by what we can get away with at the time, it's like a spouse that loses their partner before the horror of understanding their humanity; they're forever a Saint, despite their humanity...

9 hours ago, sethoflagos said:

Only if you believe the advertising slogans of the authoritarian right. The irony is quite clear in the Auschwitz welcome:

"Arbeit macht Frei"

Is that ironic? Or is that the excuse?