CONTRIBUTION
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Yesterday (10/5/11) two announcements were made. First the death of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer and second, the decision by Sarah Palin, erstwhile Governor of Alaska and vice-Presidential candidate, not to run for the presidency in 2012.
With Steve Jobs’ death we lost not only a genius who shaped the technology and the aesthetics of that technology for the last 35 years, but we lost the visionary who changed the way we listened to music (or consumed content) and what we understood as the proper role of the telephone (if you can even call it that anymore).
Whereas what exactly has Palin’s contribution been? This is not to pick on Palin, you could equally well substitute any other of the candidates running for office. Which leads to an understanding of why politicians have such a low approval rating.
Jobs was known as a creator. He didn’t succeed by tearing down the other technology companies, by bad mouthing them with distortion, spin and lies. He built stuff that people wanted to buy. Politics on the other hand is the art of destruction. It doesn’t create, it reduces. Why would voters rate politicians well when they are constantly told by other politicians what bums they are?
RIP Steve Jobs, even people who weren’t Apple folk benefited from you, as you forced the PC people to get better as well. Good luck to you Sarah Palin, perhaps now you can find something to build.
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