Bob Herbert’s presentation of ‘Wounded Colossus’ Tuesday night was more of a call to action than a lecture. The distinguished journalist concluded the University Lectures series by discussing the need for increased civic involvement and political change.

Herbert, who left his 18-year career as an op-ed columnist for The New York Times in March, focused mainly on four major problems within American society: unemployment, education, infrastructure and foreign military action.

From the very beginning, Herbert retained his ‘tell-it-like-it-is’ reputation.

‘There is nothing funny going on in the U.S. today, so no jokes this evening — just truth,’ he said.

The first issue Herbert examined was the United States’ ‘Rambo-esque foreign policy’ in the War on Terror. Reading an excerpt from his upcoming book, ‘Wounded Colossus,’ he emphasized the devastating human toll. The toll, partnered with a price tag upward of $1 trillion and no clear purpose, proves that America has lost its way in waging these wars, allowing the ‘bottom to fall out of our quality of life,’ he said.

Herbert said a main proponent of this downfall is America’s economic woes, ranging from unemployment to business corruption. One-third of domestic jobs disappeared since 2000, he said. Herbert argued that joblessness is a ‘raging crisis with no end in sight.’

America was never supposed to be a plutocracy, he said, attributing this to the American money-fueled society that caters to the rich at the expense of hardworking Americans.

One solution Herbert raised for joblessness was simple: infrastructure. Billions of dollars are needed to begin rebuilding America from the bottom up through repairing bridges, roads and pipes, among other things. By hiring the jobless to repair our crumbling infrastructure, the country would be making an ‘investment in human and physical capital.’

Herbert took issue to the weakening education system in America, which has decreased in reputation and effectiveness since the 1970s.

He said that if the education problem goes untouched, all else will be lost. With higher education costs skyrocketing, an undereducated society will fall further behind.

But Herbert is not relying on Washington, D.C., to invoke change within the American society. Real, transformative change must come from the people themselves, he said. He cited the Keystone pipeline protests, the Wisconsin labor union disputes and Occupy Wall Street as examples of ordinary people rising up and speaking out. Herbert said this citizen backlash is the key to bringing back the ‘golden promise’ of the United States.

These public outcries are just hints of the widespread change needed to secure the country’s future.

‘That’s where you come in,’ Herbert said to the audience. ‘Americans have no right to remain indifferent to problems. Make no mistake. The great promise of America is being lost before our eyes. We have to make a choice.’

Herbert reiterated that the sweeping reforms needed in America are going to take quite a long time, and as a country, we are ‘in it for the long haul.’

Olivia Palmisano, a freshman public relations major, said she found the lecture worthwhile, especially his points on the long term versus the short term.

‘Today we are so used to instant gratification and that’s just not possible with the issues we’re facing,’ she said.

Though the content of the lecture was quite distressing, Herbert said Americans have faced much bigger challenges in the past. Times were tougher in America during the civil rights movement, the Great Depression and World War II.

Herbert ended the lecture by expressing his faith that the changes needed to save America can become a reality.

Said Herbert: ‘There are two steps to creating a better world — first, you imagine it. Then, you make it happen.’

jbundy@syr.edu

Published on November 15, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Jen: jbundy@syr.edu