"Our new leader understands the value of our collective voices."

Ashton Kutcher Beats the Kettledrums So We All May Answer the Call of the New Fuehrer, uh, I Mean "Leader." (OK, so "fuehrer" means "leader" in German, so its six of one half-dozen of the other.)

Left-coast deep thinker Ashton Kutcher has issued a call at The Huffington Post for "Creating a Nation of Philanthropists, One Pledge at a Time."

Go here to read the whole thing.

Some relevant excerpts:

When I graduated from high school, I had three opportunities -- go to college, get a job, or join the service. Although I considered putting my eight years of Boy Scout experience and love for our nation to the test by joining the military, I did not want to put myself in a position where I might be commanded to take the life of another, and quickly ended my flirtation with military service. Today, serving our country no longer simply means drop and give me 20, this is your rifle, defend this land we call home. National service is becoming a term used to define a much broader and equally passionate category of patriotism. This brand of patriotism is inclusive of a pure humanitarian effort guided by the simple virtue of the giving of oneself for the benefit of another in the name of the United States of America. Americans are on the brink of the Newer Deal where we will join hands in an effort to resurrect the pride in a government that supports us in supporting ourselves. Our new leader understands the value of our collective voices, he believes in our ability to create a greater good, and knows that as a nation we are willing to sacrifice selfishness for a more robust happiness. . .

A wise friend once told me that every time you serve someone else you take on all of their good traits. Maybe this explains the outstanding character of Barack Obama. He is a servant to this country and he has inspired me to adopt his spirit and to serve him with that dream of a great America in tow.

A year ago my wife and I looked one another in the eye and promised to dedicate ourselves to finding a cause to champion. . .

We found ourselves in such a place and realized that the only way to create effective change is to first state your intention. Thus the Presidential Pledge was born. Making a pledge forces you to be accountable not only to others but also to yourself. Establishing a pledge also offers an opportunity to create community and unity around the cause, thus accelerating one's pursuit. Once you are on record, your community and your peers can and will hold you accountable for results. Therefore, we as individuals will be forced to deliver. This may be one of the only positive attributes of our egos. So let us put our egos to work.

We call it a Presidential Pledge. We have gathered a group of individuals who share the courage to pledge to our president, and the world at large, what it is that they are willing to do, give, or sacrifice, in an effort to help their fellow man. Our hope is that this effort will inspire others to do the same, with individuals posting their initiatives within their communities. This is not a selfless utopian action. In fact it is a very selfish one. By improving the lives of those who surround us we will in effect improve our own. At the very least. if these pledges allow someone a moment of contemplation as to what they could do, say, or pledge to do for someone else's benefit, we will strengthen the state of our union. If we can build a collective consciousness of service for one another, the echo of these actions will reach beyond our borders. We will stand truer in the resolve that this country is in fact a great one, and we will be one step closer to achieving the goal of creating a nation of philanthropists. I encourage everyone to take a few moments to reflect on how they can serve our great nation and to create their own Presidential Pledge at http://www.myspace.com/presidentialpledge.

"A Nation of Philanthropists," hmmm. I must be about Absolved this night, so perhaps some of you want to go to his Facebook pledge page and tell him just what you'll pledge to do for the new fuehrer. Be nice. No threats. Heavy sarcasm is at least called for.