Last fall it seemed as if Sarah Palin would light a fuse and cause a social explosion. Behind her beauty-pageant smile lurked the shadow, the dark side of human nature. Her tactic of appealing to the worst impulses of the electorate had a long history in the Republican Party. Indeed, Palin inherited the selfish, mean-spirited values of another politician with a gleaming smile, Ronald Reagan.
When it first dawned in American politics, the shadow was shocking. Values were turned upside down. The AIDS crisis? Ignore it. They deserve what they got. The deficit? Doesn’t matter as long as the rich get what they want. Huge unemployment and falling incomes among the working class? Feed them crank social issues so they have someone to hate. Palin breathes this noxious atmosphere like the clear air of Alaska and thrives on it.
Now, however, Palin brings a smile. When she quit her job as governor, it was obvious that someone had whispered in her ear, “You’re fading. Soon you’ll be a nobody. Grab the money while you can.” And so she did, earning a hefty advance, much of which, fittingly, goes to paying off lawsuits related to her ethical violations while in office. The shadow that seemed so dangerous a year ago has been defanged, reduced to spiteful backbiting against the McCain campaign, the very people who gave Pain her spot in the limelight to begin with.
I hope the left will take a deep breath and stop treating Palin like a diabolical force. The American character has always had a large dose of orneriness in it, and the more ornery you were, the farther west you moved. Alaska has a reputation for being an icebox for malcontents. Palin came straight from the source, and countless Americans root for her. In hard times, being the bellyacher-in-chief is a valid role. Hence the rise of Glenn Beck.
But nobody is being fooled. A recent Gallup poll showed that 67% of responders don’t want Palin to run for President. Fear of Palin is ill-advised on two counts. First, fear is what the shadow wants. Without it, the shadow has no power. Second, the left needs to learn how to win graciously. The current upheaval in American society, which has been an enormous threat on many fronts, called forth a president and a constituency that knows how to handle crisis. The voices of sanity are prevailing. The solutions that have emerged on all fronts — economic, social, and international — represent the best in the American character.
But you can’t expect everyone to join the party. As long as we know that Palin is fooling nobody all of the time, the darker side can be tolerated. The shadow is always with us. Today it’s on a book tour.
Published in the San Francisco Chronicle
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posted November 23, 2009 at 11:40 am
Right on article Deepak. Palin fits the scene of making the money while she’s hot, racing around America on her book tour. Not a whole lot different from an article on msnbc this a.m. about “concierge” doctors charging a yearly fee over the insurance people have in order to stay with their practises! Something like 1,800 per yr. and up. Hope this is figured in on the Health Bill, to eliminate. Make the money as fast as they can before laws appear against them, or people grow tired of a big open mouthed smile in every news picture.
posted November 23, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Coming from a guy who has made his bones peddling a threadbare brew of American Transcendentalism and Hindu pop psychology, “Deepocket Chopra’s” indictment of Palin doesn’t pass the laugh test. Admittedly, like Anthony Robbins, he has made fooling a lot of people a good deal of the time into an art form.
I would wear any condemnation by this “guru” with a second-story man’s mentality as a badge of honor.
“If you and I are having a single thought of violence or hatred against anyone in the world at this moment, we are contributing to the wounding of the world… .”
Really, Master?
Pass the tourniquets.
posted November 23, 2009 at 12:02 pm
So sad that a man with your power can slander a whole group of people,you seem to disagree with.. If Palin is your shadow figure, than where might you place KSM and his new civil rights 5? If those who disagree with the left, are not malcontents..God help us…for we have then already lost our freedom to think, speak and disagree.
posted November 24, 2009 at 7:11 am
It saddens me that “enlightenment” leaves no room for those who do not
drink the Kool aid. This woman is no different from anyone who has a set of beliefs — and we all do. The people of the world have to get past the concept of wanting everyone to be identical, to “see it our way” or we will be no different from those who wish to do us harm for our way of life. The inconsistency of being intolerant and needing to point out how others differ from us, while preaching tolerance for all is what will do us in. If we follow things to their conclusion, we are not separated from each other, we just think we are… Balance, balance in all is the key… and neither Deepak nor Sarah are there. Sarah, however, has written ONE book. How many books has Deepak Chopra written? The level of attack from a certain section of political thought indicates fear-based thinking to me— not what is necessarily being preached by the “Love is the answer…” crowd. We set an example for others when we react with love to those we do not agree with. Think about it.
posted November 24, 2009 at 10:17 am
Sarah Palin is an American patriot. Sarah Palin is a God loving women who wants America to remain a capitalistic nation. She is strong and firm yet has the passion to get the work done right. How sad she you try to bring her down. You cannot!
posted November 24, 2009 at 10:21 am
WRONG: Sarah Palin is a smart and ambicious women who is not self-serving. People love her because she is REAL, is strong, and has values. WHAT KIND OF BELIEF article is this. Get rid of it.
posted November 24, 2009 at 10:24 am
This article should be wiped clean and written with by someone with integrity. Deepack should be packing his bags after this one.
posted November 24, 2009 at 10:33 am
“I am shocked at Depok chopra! He has written a ton of books about tolerance and love and all the spiritual stuff!!!!! He is off my list now!!!!!!” (Friend, 2009)
posted November 24, 2009 at 10:39 am
This is the second time that I have come across an article where you use the term shadow to insult the republican party. It is very easy to slant material to take on your personal beliefs . I wonder why being the spiritual person you are, you use the topic of shadows to discuss Sarah Palin, this borders on ridiulous. Why dont you discuss the light . You have taught the concept of the shadow and how we all have every part of the shadow in us, we are all one .I am very surprised by this piece.It is clearly uses spirituality as a means to attack someone. I could easily say that I see a manipulative sneaky angle in you. Does it promote all the things you seem to want people to practice. No, and I also know that because you seem to say that we all have the evil, how can you even have this discussion. Do you read your books. I feel mislead because I realize that you have written 50 books. Maybe you dont even know your own content. How much have you profited on your so called tours. Why is the Deepak center so overpriced if you really cared at all. I guess you still have issues to work on. Whats behind your smile, a lot of darkness that you seem to project onto Palin.
posted November 24, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Good for you T!!! I will never buy one of his books!!!!
posted November 24, 2009 at 4:30 pm
I will never buy one of his books!!!!
posted November 24, 2009 at 8:50 pm
I have heard it said that when you hate someone (as ‘Mr. Spiritual? apparently does)…it is because you see something in them that you hate in yourself……Your article is a display of intolerence and personal attack….So if I take your remarks to their natural conclusion, it was a bad thing that ‘Mr. Darkside’ Reagan defeated Communism and gave us eight years of prosperity…Sarah Palin defeated the crooks in her own party and left office with Alaska in much better shape than America is after 10 months of your ‘god’ Obama..I trust your teachers, too bad you didn’t learn what you have taught…
posted November 25, 2009 at 11:25 am
It is so refreshing to hear someone say what most of us feel without apology. Tolerance is a good thing and a must for a peaceful world but being tolerant does not mean that you should be blind to the hazards and dangers presented by some politicians. Politicians run so they can win and and take our country in a way that fits their agenda. To ignore the politicians that want to take the country in the wrong direction is to give away the country. Palin wanted to keep the wars going in the Middle East for no purpose except that she is a warmonger. That attitude does nothing to further peace in the world. Deepak Chopra knows this and is not afraid to say what needs to be said.
posted November 25, 2009 at 4:09 pm
You guys don’t get it do you… He is not saying she is evil.. he is basically saying she is nothing to fear as she is too stupid…. and people don’t take her seriously except for other stupid people.. I guess we know where you stand… LOL
posted November 26, 2009 at 5:36 am
Anita,
We get it. The good doctor has been peddling tolerance, universal love, God in man, and countless other concepts to “enlighten” lesser mortals.
This op-ed, as any literate individual can get, is a not-surprising tome of utter contempt. Behind these
scenes more than a few of these visionaries are less pious than meets the eye.
Can anyone say Osho?
The most incomprehensible aspect of the entire Palin phenomenon is the pretentiousness of people like you, who actually believe a woman who has accomplished more in two years than either you or I will in a lifetime, is stupid.
So who are you, Madame Curie?
We get it and we know where YOU stand: right in the middle of a sinkhole of self-righteousness and
irrational contempt.