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Barack John Obama Green

2008-04-10 · Hank · watch on YouTube · Global development · reflection essay

After seeing Barack Obama speak in Montana, Hank splices John's 'it's an us problem' lines with Obama's speech, attacks the hierarchy of needs as a theory that lets us ignore poverty, and gives $250 to Sean's Bangladesh work.

What is said

00:00:00 — Mock press-conference Obama endorsement; Hank in the longest line of his life to see Barack Obama

  • ★ The video opens with a mock press conference: a speaker calling himself John, who 'works for the city', says he announced to his wife, dog and cat that he endorses Senator Barack Obama. (playful) — 00:00:00 · Barack Obama
  • ★★ In a 'special edition of Brotherhood 2.0', Hank stands with a companion in the longest line of his life to see Barack Obama; getting up at 7 a.m. shows he is a big fan. (playful) — 00:00:00 · Brotherhood 2.0, Barack Obama

00:00:55 — Obama's speech was amazing; mash-up of John's 'us problem' lines from his previous video with Obama's speech

  • ★★ Hank says Obama was amazing: the speech was given with no notes, with jokes and improvisation. — 00:00:55 · Barack Obama
  • ★★★ Watching John's video from the day before, Hank noticed it sounded familiar, and he intercuts John's 'us problem' lines with Obama's speech. (playful) — 00:00:55 · Barack Obama
  • ★★ In the speech clip, Obama says every child is our problem and our responsibility, and that we have to invest to make sure they are prepared. — 00:01:26 · Montana

00:01:57 — Hank's critique of the hierarchy of needs taught in school: the poor are not less caring, and the theory helps us ignore poverty

  • ★ Hank says his brother and Barack Obama are both very made of awesome. (playful) — 00:01:57 · made of awesome, Barack Obama
  • ★★★ Hank recalls being taught in school the hierarchy of needs: people lacking basics like housing and food don't care about higher levels such as social status and self-realization. He says that is totally untrue. — 00:01:57
  • ★★★ Hank says the hierarchy was made by someone who never faced the first need; lacking food does not make you an animal who doesn't care about others or doing good, it means you can't do those things. — 00:01:57 > «The hierarchy of needs was created by someone who never had to deal with the first need.»
  • ★★★ Hank argues that teaching the hierarchy makes it seem less of a big deal when people lack food, which is why we are so good at ignoring the world's huge, horrible problems. — 00:02:27
  • ★★ Hank says the hierarchy places two levels before love: food and shelter, then personal safety, before love, friendship and family. — 00:02:27
  • ★★ Hank adds that maybe it is about trying to create a world where people can live without feeling extremely guilty every second of their lives (what 'it' refers to is unclear). (hedged) — 00:02:56

00:03:25 — Hank gives the price of an Xbox 360 ($250) to Sean's PayPal; thanks John; sign-off

  • ★★★ Reasoning that if Sean could give his Xbox money he could too, Hank finds an Xbox 360 costs $250 and gives $250 through Sean's PayPal. — 00:03:25 · Shawn Ahmed
  • ★ Hank thanks John for being an awesome person and an awesome brother. — 00:03:25

Threads in this video

Replies to

  • Nerdfighting in Bangladesh — «But when I was watching your video from yesterday, I noticed that something sounded really familiar.»

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