This is not a new trend, of course - lest we forget, as the battle was raging at First Manassas there were already people picking bullets up to sell as mementoes. As capitalistic streaks go, we Americans are about the best.
What strikes me most about this instance, though, is the fact that it seems to be a negation of so many of the things that helped Obama to victory. How many volunteers spent months knocking on random stranger's doors? Talking to people on the street? Basically opening up their doors and their lives because of something that they actually BELIEVED in. And all...unpaid.
The real win in this election - albeit briefly - might have been for Actual Human Contact. For looking someone in the eye - not via Facebook or Myspace or Twitter or blogging or any of the innumerable ways to communicate online, but by combining that with actually looking someone in the eye. And that's certainly something we need more of right now. Something that might not be profitable or easy or comfortable - but that rings true.
Early on in my band's history, we decided that we would do our best to not stay in hotels and instead find people to offer up their homes. Which sounded absurd at the time, but which we've done - for over 3 years now. And we've all put up innumerable musicians in our houses/apartments/parents houses. We've met some of the most amazing people through this proces - sometimes people who will stay on my own floor, and sometimes people who I'll never have the chance to return the favor for. It has - to use a cliche - restored my faith in people.
So it seems to me like - overidealistic as it might seem - if this tide of good will is going to continue, now is the time for people to open up for reasons bigger than a few extra bucks.
