November 6, 2008
Oba-mania over already?
Geez … talk about limited attention span. A number of sites are already out to get Obama and make the next boogey man.
What a shame.
Now … is there any truth to this article ?
While the article isn't as well written as one might like, the concerns it raises about Obama have been the topic of discussion on the Left in Canada, the US and elsewhere for quite a while. Even some relatively mainstream sources (e.g., writing in the New Statesman, May 29, journalist John Pilger outlines the political convergence of Obama and McCain) have been critical of Obama regarding his foreign policy. Obama has stated clearly that he will expand the military, continue Bush's policy of hot pursuit of insurgents into Pakistan, escalate the war in Afghanistan, get tough with Iran (even when the US intelligence community has concluded there is no nuclear threat), stand up to Russian aggression, etc., etc.
The folks who have been euphoric over Obama's election have not been paying attention; alternatively, they have a different definition of “progressive.” Possibly the shock of 8 years of Bush and the threat of Sarah Palin being a heartbeat away from the Presidency has dimmed their critical faculties.
The best thing about Obama's election is that a slender majority of Americans overcame deeply entrenched racism to elect a black President. That is a cause for jubilation. It is not, however, an excuse for blindness.
Obama's election may make a contribution to social progress in America, simply on the basis of that a lot of people came together to vote for what they believed to be a progressive candidate, regardless of his program. Obama has focussed a lot of pent up energy. These folks may have to make the changes they voted for despite him.