Exopolitics Comment 82

An Exopolitics Christmas Message: President-Elect Obama and Change We Can Believe In!

President-Elect Barack Obama elicits a range of responses by observers of U.S. politics. At one end of the spectrum are his supporters who view him as the harbinger of great changes in the U.S. that will wipe away eight years of mismanagement under the Bush administration. His supporters view his political appointments as pragmatic choices that will overturn Bush administration policies on a range of issues such as the economy, energy, environment, health care, and a disastrous Iraq war. Supporters point to him as the physical embodiment of the kind of change called for by Martin Luther King where people are judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. For many of Obama's supporters, he physically embodies a profound change in U.S. society and politics. They implicitly view him as a supporter of the deeper policy changes desired by social progressives in a range of areas. Obama instills in his supporters a sense of hope as perhaps no U.S. President before him has done.

At the other end of the spectrum are those that view Obama as a creature of corporate interests that pulled him out of obscurity to make him a media sensation. They claim that key phrases used in his Presidential campaign, 'hope' and 'change', are empty political slogans used to mask the reality that he will simply enact the policies of his corporate masters. Critics view internet driven scandals of Obama as evidence that he will be controlled behind the scenes by those with the ability to manipulate such scandals to their advantage. Furthermore, Obama's critics point to his senior advisors as tainted political figures from earlier Presidential administrations whose loyalties lies in the corporations that have previously employed or funded them. The oil and armaments industries are regularly cited as among the most powerful lobby groups that routinely sway Presidential administrations to support military solutions to international problems. For Obama's critics, there is little prospect of any real change by an Obama administration.

How does one reconcile these disparate responses to President Obama into a coherent understanding of the kind of changes to be ushered in by his upcoming Presidential administration? What I propose is a simple distinction in how we perceive the kind of changes that an Obama administration will introduce. We need to distinguish between "policy change" and "consciousness change".

As far as policy change is concerned, an Obama administration cannot be expected to depart too drastically from current and previous presidential administrations in a number of key policy areas. While there might be incremental policy changes in areas such as science, the environment, education and health, the underlying way in which Washington does business will remain the same. Powerful lobbyists will sway political representatives to vote consistently on a range of policies that favor major corporate interests. As far as national security is concerned, an Obama administration will continue to be swayed by the same alliance of corporations, militant lobby groups and nations that supported the Iraq war, and pushed aggressively for a new war against Iran.

Taking a more aggressive military stance in Afghanistan seems to be the way Obama has decided to compromise for the moment with such an alliance of pro-war interest groups. However, a military build-up in Afghanistan will only continue to stoke tensions in the region. Renewed calls for a war against Iran will emerge and it remains to be seen how Obama will react to a concerted effort by pro-war interest groups in favor of militant policies. So in that sense, Obama's critics have reason to be pessimistic about the prospects of any real change by his administration in key policy areas.

What needs to be considered, however, is the consciousness change that an Obama Presidential administration will usher in to the U.S. political system, and how this impacts on the policy process. Obama physically embodies the kind of racial equality that has long been a dream of the civil rights movement in the U.S. and more generally around the planet. In that sense, the mere inauguration of the first African American President will do much to reconcile historic racial animosities, and change the way Americans perceive themselves. Obama may or may not make any grand official gesture of racial reconciliation or apology for past injustices against African Americans. Nevertheless, his Presidency and the different minorities that comprise his Cabinet constitute a fundamental change in public attitudes towards minorities. For many civil rights supporters, an Obama Presidency symbolizes a fundamental consciousness change in the U.S. body politic where merit determines one's suitability for leadership roles. That will inspire countless talented individuals in the U.S. and around the world to believe in themselves and their ability to reach their fullest potential.

President-Elect Obama has taken initiatives to have his administration become the most open and responsive to public interests than any previous Presidential administration. His transition website, Change.Gov, has adopted a number of social networking internet tools. Individuals can now give their opinions on a range of policy issues; vote on key questions they would like the administration to prioritize; make available many documents discussed in meetings with outside interest groups. Change.Gov even gives each individual their own webpage where they can track their opinions, votes, and dialogue concerning the Obama administration. The Obama transition team's use of the social networking tools will give a younger generation of Americans a real sense that the Presidency is Open and responsive to its citizen's concerns.

The above are some of the concrete consciousness changes that will be ushered in by an Obama Presidency. At this point, I would like to offer a brief overview of how consciousness change occurs at a global level and how this relates to an Obama administration.

The best source for understanding the concept of 'global consciousness' and how it affects the evolution of life on Earth is Tielhard de Chardin and his concept of the 'noosphere'. The noosphere was an evolving composite of humanity's thoughts, feelings and social relationships that evolved steadily upward towards a fuller manifestation of human potential. De Chardin's thoughts on a 'global consciousness' were independently supported by theorists such as Carl Jung who discovered archetypes of the 'collective unconscious' of humanity. More recently, popular researchers such as Gregg Bradden and Lyn McTaggart have cited scientific evidence for the existence of a unified global consciousness grid around the planet.

Scientific support for the idea of a global consciousness is provided by a Project at Princeton University. The Global Consciousness Project has tracked major global events and how they impact on the 'collective consciousness' of humanity. Global events such as the deaths of Princes Dianna and Mother Theresa; the 911 attack; the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games; and even the November 4, 2008 election of Barack Obama have all had a measurable impact on global consciousness.

So how does the idea of a global consciousness relate to the Obama administration? The first is the hope of racial equality that his presidency embodies by nature of Obama's own ethnic background. His father was a black Kenyan citizen of Muslim heritage that married his white mother from Kansas with a Christian background. Obama also spent four formative years in Indonesia where he was schooled with local Indonesians who were largely Muslim. Perceptions of racial inequality and domination by European peoples and their descendents is still a pervasive legacy of colonialism around the planet. Perhaps nowhere was Obama's election celebrated more than in African and Muslim nations that could easily identify with his background.

An Obama administration is likely to take a number of highly symbolic steps to reconcile the U.S. with the international community. Among these is anticipated to be a major policy speech in an important Muslim nation. This will do much to address deep grievances against recent U.S. policies in the Muslim world. Furthermore, the symbolism and policy changes in such speeches will do much to reconcile historic and contemporary animosities between the developed world, and many nations in the undeveloped world.

Another way that global consciousness relates to the upcoming Obama administration is through the social networks that he is establishing with U.S. citizens through the internet. The concept of a global consciousness is physically represented through the communications infrastructure of the internet. The internet probably more than anything else physically symbolizes the noosphere or 'global consciousness' that Chardin was arguing to be a critical factor in the evolution of humanity. The social networking that the Obama administration has initiated through its Change.Gov sight will significantly impact on the development of a more unified global consciousness. This will facilitate the free exchange of ideas and establishment of relationships that will accelerate consciousness change in a range of key policy areas.

Obama's critics might be willing to concede that he does instill genuine hope of profound social changes for many around the world, and does facilitate greater networking between U.S. government and citizens. These benefits, according to his critics, pale in significance to the stranglehold on policy created by corporate interests that control key personnel in his administration. The hope for a positive future and social networking induced by the Obama administration are seen as the proverbial velvet glove covering the steel fist of corporate capitalism that will ultimately crush the hopes of many in the U.S. and around the world.

Such criticisms are short sighted insofar as they profoundly underestimate the impact that consciousness change has on the policy making process. Many historical events provide evidence of how changes in consciousness led to profound policy changes despite the opposition of powerful interest groups. Historic social movements such as anti-slavery, women's suffrage, civil rights, environment, peace, etc., all arose from consciousness changes among citizens the world over on key political ideas. These ideas had been in place for centuries and led to official policies that were staunchly defended by those who saw them as part of the natural order of society. The consciousness changes ultimately led to private citizens mobilizing to force political elites to shift their support away from outdated ideas and policies. As Victor Hugo, the celebrated French once said: "Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come."

In the modern era, an idea whose time has come is that of the reality of extraterrestrial life and the public policy implications of a government cover up of this reality. After Obama's election, a campaign began to have a million faxes or letters sent to President-Elect Obama asking for him to release classified information concerning UFOs and extraterrestrial life. The Million Fax on Washington campaign is one of the many initiatives that are part of the rapidly growing exopolitics movement that is focused on the public policy implications of extraterrestrial life. The cover up of such life has for long been a major concern for most interested in the reality of the UFO phenomenon and the extraterrestrial hypothesis. Obama's appointment of John Podesta as Co-chair of the Presidential Transition Team, an open advocate for the release of files concerning UFOs, signals a profound shift in official policy on evidence concerning UFOs and extraterrestrial life is on the horizon.

The infusion of new ideas, relationships and ways of looking at the world does ultimately bring about profound policy changes. Insofar as President-Elect Obama embodies and facilitates profound consciousness change in the U.S. and around the world, he does ultimately represent change we can believe in. For those of us in the exopolitics movement, this leads to growing optimism that the resulting policy changes will finally reveal the truth about extraterrestrial life, and the advanced knowledge and technology they bring. Have a Merry Christmas.

Michael E. Salla, Ph.D
Kona, Hawaii
12/25/08
www.Exopolitics.Org

***

Forward as you wish. Permission is granted to circulate among private individuals and groups, post on all Internet sites and publish in full in all not-for-profit publications. Contact author for all other rights, which are reserved.


Back to Homepage NEW DVD Presentations featuring Dr Michael Salla Also recommended Book information Exopolitics Partner Websites Exopolitics Institute Exopolitics.Com Exopolitics Toronto Exopolitics UK Exopolitics EU Exopolitics Germany Exopolitics Denmark Exopolitics Radio Exopolitics Spain Exopolitics South Africa Exopolitics Hong Kong Exopolitics (Institute) Network Exopolitics World Network Exopolitics Resources Exopolitics Journal Exopaedia.org	An Exopolitics Christmas Message: President-Elect Obama and Change We Can Believe In! President-Elect Barack Obama elicits a range of responses by observers of U.S. politics. At one end of the spectrum are his supporters who view him as the harbinger of great changes in the U.S. that will wipe away eight years of mismanagement under the Bush administration. His supporters view his political appointments as pragmatic choices that will overturn Bush administration policies on a range of issues such as the economy, energy, environment, health care, and a disastrous Iraq war. Supporters point to him as the physical embodiment of the kind of change called for by Martin Luther King where people are judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. For many of Obama's supporters, he physically embodies a profound change in U.S. society and politics. They implicitly view him as a supporter of the deeper policy changes desired by social progressives in a range of areas. Obama instills in his supporters a sense of hope as perhaps no U.S. President before him has done. At the other end of the spectrum are those that view Obama as a creature of corporate interests that pulled him out of obscurity to make him a media sensation. They claim that key phrases used in his Presidential campaign, 'hope' and 'change', are empty political slogans used to mask the reality that he will simply enact the policies of his corporate masters. Critics view internet driven scandals of Obama as evidence that he will be controlled behind the scenes by those with the ability to manipulate such scandals to their advantage. Furthermore, Obama's critics point to his senior advisors as tainted political figures from earlier Presidential administrations whose loyalties lies in the corporations that have previously employed or funded them. The oil and armaments industries are regularly cited as among the most powerful lobby groups that routinely sway Presidential administrations to support military solutions to international problems. For Obama's critics, there is little prospect of any real change by an Obama administration. How does one reconcile these disparate responses to President Obama into a coherent understanding of the kind of changes to be ushered in by his upcoming Presidential administration? What I propose is a simple distinction in how we perceive the kind of changes that an Obama administration will introduce. We need to distinguish between "policy change" and "consciousness change". As far as policy change is concerned, an Obama administration cannot be expected to depart too drastically from current and previous presidential administrations in a number of key policy areas. While there might be incremental policy changes in areas such as science, the environment, education and health, the underlying way in which Washington does business will remain the same. Powerful lobbyists will sway political representatives to vote consistently on a range of policies that favor major corporate interests. As far as national security is concerned, an Obama administration will continue to be swayed by the same alliance of corporations, militant lobby groups and nations that supported the Iraq war, and pushed aggressively for a new war against Iran. Taking a more aggressive military stance in Afghanistan seems to be the way Obama has decided to compromise for the moment with such an alliance of pro-war interest groups. However, a military build-up in Afghanistan will only continue to stoke tensions in the region. Renewed calls for a war against Iran will emerge and it remains to be seen how Obama will react to a concerted effort by pro-war interest groups in favor of militant policies. So in that sense, Obama's critics have reason to be pessimistic about the prospects of any real change by his administration in key policy areas. What needs to be considered, however, is the consciousness change that an Obama Presidential administration will usher in to the U.S. political system, and how this impacts on the policy process. Obama physically embodies the kind of racial equality that has long been a dream of the civil rights movement in the U.S. and more generally around the planet. In that sense, the mere inauguration of the first African American President will do much to reconcile historic racial animosities, and change the way Americans perceive themselves. Obama may or may not make any grand official gesture of racial reconciliation or apology for past injustices against African Americans. Nevertheless, his Presidency and the different minorities that comprise his Cabinet constitute a fundamental change in public attitudes towards minorities. For many civil rights supporters, an Obama Presidency symbolizes a fundamental consciousness change in the U.S. body politic where merit determines one's suitability for leadership roles. That will inspire countless talented individuals in the U.S. and around the world to believe in themselves and their ability to reach their fullest potential. President-Elect Obama has taken initiatives to have his administration become the most open and responsive to public interests than any previous Presidential administration. His transition website, Change.Gov, has adopted a number of social networking internet tools. Individuals can now give their opinions on a range of policy issues; vote on key questions they would like the administration to prioritize; make available many documents discussed in meetings with outside interest groups. Change.Gov even gives each individual their own webpage where they can track their opinions, votes, and dialogue concerning the Obama administration. The Obama transition team's use of the social networking tools will give a younger generation of Americans a real sense that the Presidency is Open and responsive to its citizen's concerns. The above are some of the concrete consciousness changes that will be ushered in by an Obama Presidency. At this point, I would like to offer a brief overview of how consciousness change occurs at a global level and how this relates to an Obama administration. The best source for understanding the concept of 'global consciousness' and how it affects the evolution of life on Earth is Tielhard de Chardin and his concept of the 'noosphere'. The noosphere was an evolving composite of humanity's thoughts, feelings and social relationships that evolved steadily upward towards a fuller manifestation of human potential. De Chardin's thoughts on a 'global consciousness' were independently supported by theorists such as Carl Jung who discovered archetypes of the 'collective unconscious' of humanity. More recently, popular researchers such as Gregg Bradden and Lyn McTaggart have cited scientific evidence for the existence of a unified global consciousness grid around the planet. Scientific support for the idea of a global consciousness is provided by a Project at Princeton University. The Global Consciousness Project has tracked major global events and how they impact on the 'collective consciousness' of humanity. Global events such as the deaths of Princes Dianna and Mother Theresa; the 911 attack; the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games; and even the November 4, 2008 election of Barack Obama have all had a measurable impact on global consciousness. So how does the idea of a global consciousness relate to the Obama administration? The first is the hope of racial equality that his presidency embodies by nature of Obama's own ethnic background. His father was a black Kenyan citizen of Muslim heritage that married his white mother from Kansas with a Christian background. Obama also spent four formative years in Indonesia where he was schooled with local Indonesians who were largely Muslim. Perceptions of racial inequality and domination by European peoples and their descendents is still a pervasive legacy of colonialism around the planet. Perhaps nowhere was Obama's election celebrated more than in African and Muslim nations that could easily identify with his background. An Obama administration is likely to take a number of highly symbolic steps to reconcile the U.S. with the international community. Among these is anticipated to be a major policy speech in an important Muslim nation. This will do much to address deep grievances against recent U.S. policies in the Muslim world. Furthermore, the symbolism and policy changes in such speeches will do much to reconcile historic and contemporary animosities between the developed world, and many nations in the undeveloped world. Another way that global consciousness relates to the upcoming Obama administration is through the social networks that he is establishing with U.S. citizens through the internet. The concept of a global consciousness is physically represented through the communications infrastructure of the internet. The internet probably more than anything else physically symbolizes the noosphere or 'global consciousness' that Chardin was arguing to be a critical factor in the evolution of humanity. The social networking that the Obama administration has initiated through its Change.Gov sight will significantly impact on the development of a more unified global consciousness. This will facilitate the free exchange of ideas and establishment of relationships that will accelerate consciousness change in a range of key policy areas. Obama's critics might be willing to concede that he does instill genuine hope of profound social changes for many around the world, and does facilitate greater networking between U.S. government and citizens. These benefits, according to his critics, pale in significance to the stranglehold on policy created by corporate interests that control key personnel in his administration. The hope for a positive future and social networking induced by the Obama administration are seen as the proverbial velvet glove covering the steel fist of corporate capitalism that will ultimately crush the hopes of many in the U.S. and around the world. Such criticisms are short sighted insofar as they profoundly underestimate the impact that consciousness change has on the policy making process. Many historical events provide evidence of how changes in consciousness led to profound policy changes despite the opposition of powerful interest groups. Historic social movements such as anti-slavery, women's suffrage, civil rights, environment, peace, etc., all arose from consciousness changes among citizens the world over on key political ideas. These ideas had been in place for centuries and led to official policies that were staunchly defended by those who saw them as part of the natural order of society. The consciousness changes ultimately led to private citizens mobilizing to force political elites to shift their support away from outdated ideas and policies. As Victor Hugo, the celebrated French once said: "Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come." In the modern era, an idea whose time has come is that of the reality of extraterrestrial life and the public policy implications of a government cover up of this reality. After Obama's election, a campaign began to have a million faxes or letters sent to President-Elect Obama asking for him to release classified information concerning UFOs and extraterrestrial life. The Million Fax on Washington campaign is one of the many initiatives that are part of the rapidly growing exopolitics movement that is focused on the public policy implications of extraterrestrial life. The cover up of such life has for long been a major concern for most interested in the reality of the UFO phenomenon and the extraterrestrial hypothesis. Obama's appointment of John Podesta as Co-chair of the Presidential Transition Team, an open advocate for the release of files concerning UFOs, signals a profound shift in official policy on evidence concerning UFOs and extraterrestrial life is on the horizon. The infusion of new ideas, relationships and ways of looking at the world does ultimately bring about profound policy changes. Insofar as President-Elect Obama embodies and facilitates profound consciousness change in the U.S. and around the world, he does ultimately represent change we can believe in. For those of us in the exopolitics movement, this leads to growing optimism that the resulting policy changes will finally reveal the truth about extraterrestrial life, and the advanced knowledge and technology they bring. Have a Merry Christmas. Michael E. Salla, Ph.D Kona, Hawaii 12/25/08 www.Exopolitics.Org *** Forward as you wish. Permission is granted to circulate among private individuals and groups, post on all Internet sites and publish in full in all not-for-profit publications. Contact author for all other rights, which are reserved.
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