How does "going off" help?
I find it absurd that Spike Lee told Obama to "Go off" in response to the oil spill:
And pray tell, how will "going off" help? The oil spill is a problem that needs to be solved with a cool, level head, not screaming to "do something." I guess some of those on the left don't understand that just "feeling something" will not make it so. They are so used to screaming and demonizing people to get their way (because it works) that they think it will work in every situation. Unlike in the movies and Democratic politics where feelings dominate and seem to save the day, cool, rational thought is needed to deal with this particular crisis.
One time, go off!" director Spike Lee urged on CNN's "AC 360°." "If there's any one time to go off, this is it, because this is a disaster."
Lee's sentiment echoes the frustration of people who want to see Obama get loud, take charge and inspire them like he did during his presidential run.
And pray tell, how will "going off" help? The oil spill is a problem that needs to be solved with a cool, level head, not screaming to "do something." I guess some of those on the left don't understand that just "feeling something" will not make it so. They are so used to screaming and demonizing people to get their way (because it works) that they think it will work in every situation. Unlike in the movies and Democratic politics where feelings dominate and seem to save the day, cool, rational thought is needed to deal with this particular crisis.
posted by Helen at 7:24 AM
27 Comments:
Get several nasty feminists, put them in diving suits with attached sound-transmitting underwater megaphones and have them nag the broken pipeline over and over and over until it just gives up and quits spraying oil.
Going off
Goingoff
Goingff
Golff
Golf
I wondered the same thing when I read that. When has "going off", by which I interpreted that Spike Lee meant getting angry, accomplished anything. Cool, calm, collected and intensely focused always works better.
It's similar to his 'just plug the damn hole' comment. I believe it was Rush who commented "Does he honestly think BP hasn't thought of that?"
It's the classic response of someone who is clueless because they've never been responsible for actually accomplishing anything in their entire lives.
It's like swearing.
I hardly ever swear, but when I do, people sit up and take notice. It's because I'm really mad.
No, in this case, Spike Lee is asking Obama to get really mad about something Obama doesn't really care about. Good luck with that.
Several thoughts here. First, I have no respect for Spike Lee, and think that taking his advice would be a bad idea.
Second, having some kind of outburst and showing you're not in control of yourself is likely to bring down your approval ratings further, possibly affecting even the Obama Zombies.
Third, I agree with Albert Ellis, that giving vent to anger and having an outburst is counterproductive. It is like "practicing" anger. Giving in shortens your fuse and makes you less able to restrain yourself when it counts.
when in trouble
Or in doubt
run in circles
scream and shout
Going off can be a good motivator in select circumstances, but I fail to see how it applies here. Does Spike know that our president was the largest recipient of BP political donations?
Trey
Is it possible to GET OFF on GOING OFF?
Yes, let's bring BP's engineers to the White House, bring them to an underground bunker, and 'get off' on them, make them beg for their lives, so they will finally plug the damn hole.
Leaving Lee's disgusting immorality aside for a second, the mistake is the assumption of knowledge; if only those nasty BP engineers wanted it bad enough, the problem would be solved in no time.
It isn't only BP engineers of course. In the past it has been 'Kulaks', 'wreckers', better-off Chinese peasants, Jews, Armenians...
An executive of my acquaintance was fond of the phrase "fix problems, not blame." Ever since Obama has been in office, I've observed that he follows the same principle, only in reverse.
And Spike Lee wants him to become even more strident...
David reminded me of something I read in a list of "new words". Although most were just another Internet-circulated joke, I am fond of one in particular: Blamestorming. Instead of working towards a solution, it is an effort to affix blame to one or more persons.
For those who have read Atlas Shrugs: remember the incident in which a politician is demanding that his train go through a tunnel so he can get to his rally on time? And he's not interesting in hearing about the technical problems involved, since he's convinced that *fear* will motivate people to do what he wants them to do?
I hadn't heard the going off tidbit but I've heard plenty of similar sentiments and immediately thought how ignorant the statements were. You can only do what you know how to do and have the capability of doing. Going into some sort of fit of rage or agggression isn't going to help.
I imagine BP is doing what it can at the moment.
The real time for action was before all this happened. In this case an ounce of prevention would have been worth barrels of cure.
Stormbringer - I came across "blamestorming" a couple of months ago. A great term that describes much of what goes on in the world.
The "going off" approach very likely was a causal factor in the recent Polish air crash that killed the President and many others. I'd be very surprised if the pilot, who ignored minimum weather requirements and even the signal from the terrain warning system, had not been given the strong impression that his career depended upon landing at this particular airport.
"We will keep our boot on their neck until the job gets done," Salazar told reporters.
=====
Well boot on neck AND angry. That'll help.
As an engineer I can tell you that yelling at inanimate objects does not get them to do what you want them to do. People who deal with people rather than things often make this mistake.
This reminds me of Wyatt's Torch only 5,000 ft below the surface. Not caused by sabotage, but by incompetance.
And WHO told us that those cold, unfeeling rationalists with all their rules were repressing us from exploring our feelings, and doing what feels good?
Why, the mental health industry and the social scientists, of course!
Thanks again.
dweeb,
Cognitive behavioral therapy does not tell people to do what feels good. It teaches them to problem solve in a rational manner--as does Albert Ellis's work. I understand your frustration, but not all of us are idiots.
Just to be clear this is not an oil spill, but an underwater oil volcano. Geesh.
Spike Lee comes from Hollywood where people "go off" when things don't go their way. It's a way of life there and can actually get results. However, in the real world, "going off" seldom accomplishes much other than making you look like an out of control jerk.
There is a new book out: "Why We Hate The Oil Companies", by John Hofmeister.
Required Reading.
Really. It is amazingly insightful.
Written by a past president of Shell Oil company, it is an honest insider's look at the energy situation in our nation and in our world.
Read it.
John Hofmeister states that our number one enemy regarding energy is MISINFORMATION.
Dr. Helen -- any chance you would be willing to do your blog-thing and post links to reviews, etc.?
I mean it. This might just be the most important book of our time. Read it.
1. It's hardly surprising that the racist film director, Spike Lee, would advocate behaving like Al Sharpton; Hollywood brats learn in Grade 1 that throwing tantrums is the best way to draw attention to yourself (as opposed to learning something or taking corrective measures). As soon as a media whore opens its mouth, my ears recede more severely than my hair.
2. Anyone wishing to read the clinical impact of "going off" may wish to look into the work of Roy F. Baumeister and his colleague Diane L. Tice from the University of Florida. Their work has demonstrated, repeatedly, that venting accomplishes nothing positive. It's just one of those myths that people cling to.
I have read that the Obama administration, through the mental midget Holder, it now threatening criminal penalties for all involved, inccluding the engineers. As an engineer, I can assure everyone, that would be demotivating in the extreme, knowing that every decision will later be examining and dissected by an attorney in the courtroom in a situation where you cannot win. I would not be too surprised if all the engineers simply quit. The personal liability for continuing on is too great at this point. Let the geniuses at the DoJ engineer the solution!
I would honestly like to see those who are doing the screaming actually come up with an effective and immediate way to fix this leaking pipe on the gulf bed, almost a full mile under water. I can't imagine the number of engineers and technical types who are ripping their hair out trying to fix this thing.
Oh, by the way, Helen Thomas is an absolute idiot.
@br549: I used to have a molecule of respect for Helen Thomas. Now I see a very old woman I just want to slap until the cops haul me off.
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