The Death Of America's "Common Man"

Submitted by Michael Brenner,

America’s Common Man exists no more – gone and forgotten. Once he was lauded as the salt of the earth - our country’s embodiment of what made us special, of what made the great democratic experiment successful, of what made of the United States the magnetic pole for the world’s masses. Politicians paid their rhetorical respects, poets exalted him in paeans of praise, Aaron Copeland composed an “Fanfare to the Common Man” suite. It was an honorable term, an affective shorthand for the Working Man, the Artisan and the Shopkeeper, the clerk. All now passed from our language and from our consciousness. Instead, we are offered the “hard working middle class people who pay their taxes, obey the law and worry about their children’s future.” The linguistic dross of the hackneyed stump speech.

Loss of the Common Man is not due to progressive economic realities and a naturally evolving political culture. More educated Americans are caught in the grip of long-term stagnation than ever before, they have less likelihood of social mobility than ever before, more have every reasonable expectation that their children will be worse off than they are, more are politically marginalized by a party system that serves up a restricted menu of options which effectively disenfranchises 25% or so of voters. The Common Man has lost the attention as well as the concern of the country’s elites. He has been marginalized in every respect but one – he is sovereign audience for a pop culture that provides a heady brew of distractions. In that realm of fantasy he reigns supreme while the serious action which shapes his life takes place elsewhere.

Today, to call a person common is an insult, just as we have degraded the term working class. The connotations are heavily pejorative –they’re failures, they’re losers, they had the American Dream within reach but lacked the will and the spirit to grab it. It is natural, and just, that they should live out their lives on scant rations. It’s their own fault. This Victorian ethic grounded in Social Darwinism has now been restored as part of the national creed. Fitted out in the post-modern fancy dress of market fundamentalist economics, Ayn Randish homilies of narcissistic ego-mania, and a parade of revivalist Christian sects that mix New Age Salvation with balm for anxious egos, this beggar-thy-neighbor ideology dominates our public discourse. It has put on the back foot those who still adhere to the enlightened humanism which propelled progressive thinking and policy for a century.

All this is no accident. Powerful interests have orchestrated a relentless campaign for more than forty years to reconfigure American life in accord with their reactionary aims and principles. This is now obvious to anyone who cares to look. The key questions are: why have so few cared to look, and why the ease with which the crusade has won converts, fellow travelers and the acquiescence of the country’s elites.

The distressing truth of our times is that the Common Man has been abandoned by those elites – in politics, in government, in journalism, in professional associations, in academia. The most cursory monitoring of what they do and say – and, equally, what they don’t do and say - makes that manifestly clear. Personal acquaintance with those elites confirms it. It is a fair generalization that they care little, are preoccupied with their own careers and pastimes, possess only a feeble sense of social obligation, and are smugly complacent. Money is the common denominator in all of this. But why? These are the people whose material well-being is best protected from the vagaries of a globalized economy, from the predations of big finance and big business. Yes, it is true that they are concerned about preserving their fine houses, sending their children to the top schools, having substantial nest eggs, and enjoying generous health care. Yes, avarice and moral courage are not compatible human traits. However, none of their comforts is threatened by public policies that conform to the New Deal consensus which most of them at one time shared (or their parents shared). In objective terms, the greatest potential threat to their well-being lurks in the plutocratic structures that control our public affairs, the effects of gross and growing income mal-distribution, and the lurch toward mindless Rightest nostrums by both parties.

We should look elsewhere to explain the wholesale flight from responsibility by America’s elites. Social anthropology offers more insight than does a crude political-economic calculus. At the heart of the matter is status anxiety. All layers of society struggle with status deprivation or status insecurity. It is most acute among those whose education and ambition have made them ultra-sensitive to insignia of rank and marks of achievement. They can’t live happily without tangible signs of their having a place that honors their efforts and satisfies their pride. Money is that tangible sign. It always has been in America where inherited class position never was wholly secure and easily uprooted by the winds of a constant social shuffling. Americans always have been consumed by an endless, open ended status competition. That generates anxiety since there is never enough positive status to go around. Status is a finite commodity as most are destined to find out to their surprise and frustration. Nowadays, people who see themselves as uncommon winners can’t be bothered by the plight of the Common Man.

What has changed to make contemporary American so anxiously self-absorbed when placed in historical context? Above all, there is the deepening of our narcissistic culture. We are now a society where growing numbers recognize no external communal standard to measure and appraise their conduct – or their worth. The collective superego is shriveled. The self is the only valid pole of reference. That self directs its attention with near exclusivity to its own wants and expectations. It is almost as if the new categorical imperative is to think of oneself alone whenever and wherever possible. To give priority to any other claim on us is taken as unnatural, i.e. something that has to be justified rather than instinctive or ingrained. The Godfather’s self-serving plaint that “I did it for my family” is widely adopted as the all purpose excuse for selfish acts of malfeasance or non-commission which, in an earlier time, would be felt by many to be irresponsible – if not downright shameless.  The axial precept “Let humanity be the ultimate measure of all that we do” was the gyroscope for the enlightened social humanism fostered during the second half of the twentieth century. It no longer balances and orients us.

Why then not betray a public trust when doing so (seemingly) advances my political ambitions? Why level with a distressed populace when “America is back!’ strikes such a sonorous upbeat note? Why not defer to the latest doomed escalation abroad dear to an incoming President when skepticism endangers funding, access and visibility? Why not avoid critical columns that expose a naked untruth when the entire political class in going along with the convenient myth that Social Security is part of the Treasury’s budget and a cause of the deficit? Why not trade in my senior government post for a lavish corporate life style since notions of the collective good and of the public trust are subversive of the individual enterprise that makes this country great?; besides, there’s my family’s financial security to think about. Why irritate campaign contributors when pulling your punches supposedly means that your well intentioned self can be kept in office for another 6 or 2 years? Why not conceal from readers the knowledge of systematic civil liberties violations when not printing the truth may give you access to other truths more fit to print? Why call attention to yourself by teaching the untutored and uninformed of how twisted their nation’s public discourse has become? Why not be accomplice to torture when doing so opens a spot at the Pentagon trough for the American Psychological Association? Why not hide your head in the sand to avoid the discomfort of resisting the assault on the law if you are an officer of a Bar Association?  Why should a law school Dean or senior faculty stick his neck out when the Koch Bros are offering lush funding to establish Law & Economics programs that just happen to promote market fundamentalist principles?

These are the persons who will stand up front before the bar of History – because they knew better,  should have known better, were expected to know better.

Why deny yourself 3 hours of golf on 333 occasions while President even if there are grave, unresolved issues requiring your attention and reflection?

If I have good reason to sublimate all this, why have I a duty to the Common Man – the ordinary citizen? My status, my rank, do not depend on it. My financial well-being does not dictate it. To pose the question this way is to anticipate the convenient answer.

We know one thing for certain:

When the “common man” dies, the America that the world marveled at for 250 years dies with him

Seeing...and Being Seen

Seeing…and Being Seen

By

Cognitive Dissonance

While I suspect western culture has always been afflicted with the desperate need to be seen, affirmed and acknowledged, we appear to be nearing the climax of self destructive behavior in our mindless pursuit to escape our true self by having our madness verified as normal and natural by other mad men and women.

Misery, and madness, loves company.

Last week Mrs. Cog and I traveled to our daughter’s capital city university to retrieve her for several days of rest and relaxation before she returns to begin a grueling summer study session at college. Basically Sarah will stuff a full semester (15 credit hours) into a few months of intense work before beginning the fall semester in late August.

We decided to grab something to eat before heading back and drove over to a popular eatery for a quick bite. Naturally it was packed and parking (this being the inner city) was at a premium. In fact, so precious was the ability to park our four wheeled steel cage that the small parking lot was overseen by a man whose sole purpose was to manage vehicle traffic in order to maximize lunch hour meal service.

While I admit seeing a parking lot attendant is a bit of a novelty since we moved to a sparsely populated area of the state possessing very few parking lots, let alone attendants, I was immediately struck by the ‘presence’ of this man. There was something about him that was arresting and my curiosity was peaked. So while we waited for a parking space to clear I settled in and began one of my favorite pastimes……people watching.

We are strange and wondrous animals and fascinating to watch when prowling our natural habitat, regardless of whether it is a busy city street corner or the wide open rolling hills of rural Southwestern Virginia. Go sit for an hour in a busy shopping mall, Wal-Mart or downtown park for a first hand education in human nature.

But I digress.

The attendant, middle aged, reasonably trim and wearing a bright reflective vest, displayed a body language that spoke volumes to anyone who cared to listen. I first noticed him when his back was turned towards me. But even then it was immediately obvious he was alert and engaged, yet somehow calm, relaxed even.

Or maybe the better phrase might be comfortable in his skin. He was at ease with himself and his surroundings, in his element, finely tuned and ticking like an exquisite Swiss watch. When he finally turned and faced me, for I was now next in line to be parked, I saw intensity, focus, professionalism and pleasure. He liked what he was doing and he was good at what he did.

He studied each face he interacted with and remembered who they were and where they were parked when they came back out. He had command over the small lot and was expert in directing waiting cars around to allow those wishing to leave to quickly vacate so those waiting could quickly fill the empty space.

Our daughter and her friend, who were waiting to park ahead of us, decided to leave and park at a nearby garage to expedite the parking process for Mrs. Cog and I, then walk back to the eatery for lunch with us. Even though the attendant never ‘parked’ them, he remembered them and commented that they had made their way back to the restaurant, then warned them not to park across the street, a place notorious for towing unauthorized parked cars.

While he accepted tips and had placed a sign at the exit informing those leaving that tips were welcome and appreciated, I did not sense he was hustling just for money, but rather for the joy of being in the groove and at his best.

I tipped him on the way in to be seated and once again on the way out, telling him I found his personality engaging and a joy to behold. He expressed gratitude upon hearing my comment and said it had made his day. I heard honesty and sincerity in his voice and saw it’s reflection in his demeanor.

He had been seen by someone else and it meant a great deal to him. And upon reflection, it meant a great deal to me as well for he acknowledged my acknowledgment of him. Two ships, passing in the night, signaling to each other Hello and Goodbye.

What I saw was someone who was being the best he could be at what he was presently doing. While I have no way of knowing if this is true, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to find he approaches many, if not all, of his daily tasks with the same vigorous perspective. He wasn’t being obsessive/compulsive; there wasn’t this intense need to complete certain tasks before moving on to the next, just him being thorough and precise in a relaxed but alert manner.

I suspect the vast majority of others, myself included, who might be pressed into service as a parking lot attendant, willingly or not, would not invest anywhere near the time, energy or thought into his or her task as this man clearly does. I felt, sensed really, he was at ease and in command of himself, and therefore at ease and in command with everything and everyone he interfaced with.

Western "civilization" sucks us dry, offering no nourishment. Only we can fill the void left behind.

There is a powerful scene in the movie “Last Samurai” where the captured soldier (played by Tom Cruise) is free to wander within the village and interact with the natives, thought always shadowed by an armed guard. He observes how all whom he encounters are disciplined and focused as they complete each task, no matter how small or trivial, to the highest perfection without being wasteful of time, energy or material. They are being the best they can be for no other purpose than to be true to themselves.

Rather than seek meaning in life from external sources, they infuse life with meaning and purpose, thereby creating a virtuous circle where they both give everything they have and gain everything they can from giving of themselves. In order to truly receive, to be capable of receiving, they must first give it away by infusing themselves into whatever it is they are creating.

They live a life based upon a simple concept; only when they are all they can be, thus are, will they see their self fully and honestly. And only then can anyone else see them, and therefore their self, for whom and what they really are. Otherwise all they see, and are seen as, is the false façade they project to others, eventually believing through endless repetition this is what they truly are when in fact the exact opposite is true.

Either we are the truth we seek by living it on a daily basis, or we practice the life of a lie and are easily distracted and manipulated. The difference is being a rock, barely embedded in the soil, easily dislodged and carried away, or one deeply buried but for the top, rooted to the Earth, impervious to surface disruptions yet fully cognizant of all.

Of course, the inner knowing we all possess, the true non egoic self, recognizes the fundamental lie for what it is, thereby setting up and inflaming a terribly disruptive cognitive dissonance within. This inner conflict sets upon us a terrible emptiness and craving to be affirmed in our lie, less we be forced to face the truth of our own self deception. The vast majority of us are at war with our selves. And it shows in the increasingly dysfunctional and neurotic lives we lead and live.

The insane asylum is becoming increasingly insane, the natives progressively more manic and the lies more deeply intertwined and nonsensical. In a paternal hierarchy, the authority declares what is truth and lie, the mindless minion helpless to do much more than to submit to the tyranny of the hive mind. This is why insanity is contagious when contracted in groups, while sanity returns, even thrives, one individual at a time.

This brings me back to the ‘presence’ observation I made when describing the parking lot attendant at the beginning of this piece. While everyone has experienced presence at one time or another, most don’t recognize it for what it really is because it quickly blends into the prevailing fog of our lives. Or we mistake presence for celebrity, be it actor, politician or athlete.

But true presence is sensed before it is seen, felt before touched, perceived by our inner knowing as real, genuine, sincere and authentic. True and unabashed sanity glows, lighting the way forward by action and deed rather than empty rhetoric and proffered falsehoods.

Animals, babies and young children instantly recognize presence while we adults, severely degraded by decades of decadent cognitive conditioning supplemented by a poisonous diet, barely notice the ripple in space and time as another opportunity to experience sanity passes by.

I claim no special powers other than the desire to declare I have seen the depths of my insanity and wish never to go there again. The one and only endowment bestowed upon me when I visited my madness was the gift of desperation, of knowing that sanity does not just happen but must be vigorously and endlessly pursued. Insanity seeps in when the mind and spirit are lazy and infused with an entitlement mentality.

Madness cannot be escaped when one is surrounded by insanity unless one is willing to actively seek the one flower of sanity always in bloom, the one found deeply within our self.

The only question remaining is, how desperate are we to unearth the sanity and set our self free?

05/21/2017

Cognitive Dissonance

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