It exhausts me and makes me sad. I'm glad that people everywhere recognize that Bush has been a complete disaster for the people of the US and for the world. That frustration is driving all this enthusiasm for change. But people don't understand why Bush was such a disaster, and thus don't know what real change would be.
Obama ain't it. He's a fresh face atop the same corporate-military empire. He's distraction, a sleight of hand. He'll do all the same things Bush did, only he won't be so brazen about it, which will make all of the operations go more smoothly. But those operations will have the exact same results: continual erosion of personal liberty, suppression of Democracy, bloody slaughter of impoverished brown people, enrichment of an elite few at the expense of the masses.
No, I'm not pleased with the outcome of the election. No, I'm not enthusiastic about an Obama presidency. No, I don't think change is coming. No, I don't care about the symbolism of a black man being the supreme warlord.
Eugene Debs said (and Dennis Perrin reminded me):
"I do not want you to follow me or anyone else; if you are looking for a Moses to lead you out of this capitalist wilderness, you will stay right where you are. I would not lead you into the promised land if I could, because if I led you in, some one else would lead you out. You must use your heads as well as your hands, and get yourself out of your present condition."People who are excited about Obama are being led by their hands, not their heads. BO is not a savior, but he'll certainly foster that imagery for his own political benefit, and for the benefit of the elite interests he'll serve.
4 comments:
I hope you're wrong, but I doubt it.
I know I could Google him, but who is Eugene Debs to you?
Debs was a socialist leader around the turn of the century. I haven't read specific biography on him, but whenever I came across him in other reading he struck me as a highly principled and heroic figure. Went to jail just for being a socialist and associating with anti-government movements. And obviously the quote I mentioned is pretty damn good. Seems worth reading more about this guy.
Sparks I appreciate your insights. How do we know that Obama is part of the same corporate-military empire? How do we know he's just more of the same?
Though most of his campaign support was from grass roots and his donations predominantly from small donors, how do you know he will still serve the elite?
Look at who he chose as a VP. Look at who he chose as chief of staff. Look at who he's going to choose for Treasury Secretary. Look at the people he brought in to advise his campaign. These are all the same old blood-drenched plutocrats.
Look at the policy he's actually supported and proposed. Look at the lies he's told. Look at his refusal to impeach. Look at his throwing Jeremiah Wright under the bus. This isn't a secret populist pacifist.
Nobody can predict the future, blah blah blah. But there's no reason to think this guy is going to be anything different than all the others.
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