A Hard Time

Pleased to see signs that President Obama is getting a rougher ride in the press and the honeymoon is over. The recent criticism of White House attempts to plant friendly questions at so-called town hall meetings and questions about the success of the first round of economic stimulus - about which Paul Krugman has written in an excellently pointed manner - will do more to help promote good governance than simply rolling over and letting what looks to be a fine administration in so many respects have its own way.

It seems to me that Obama is so obviously competent that his greatest enemy is his impressiveness. It doesn't do any of us any good, once out of adolescence, to be told regularly how right we are, even if we are right. We need the critical perspective and we need it uncontrolled by whatever influence we might have over it. And if we're in a position of any power we need it all the more.

I think the gentle ride given to Blair and New Labour in the early days can be seen as sowing many of the seeds that grew the weeds that have blighted the current Labour government in the UK. It seemed to result in a determination to spin everything the way the government wanted it instead of promoting a determination to be aware of deficiencies, mistakes, folly and address those all-too-human characteristics.

We have the opportunity to be at our best when facing criticism, and it doesn't necessarily have to be sincere and honest - just difficult and, therefore, worth listening to and answering.