I hear you Tate - and I do appreciate the huge symbolic statement his presidency is making for black people the world over - but that doesn't change the fact that he been lionised beyond what any mere mortal could possibly ever live up to.
The iconography of his campaign is that of a revolutionary or a rock star (depending on what appeals to you more) - people are in such a state of euphoria you'd think this was the second coming. Beyond his skin colour, he's just a mainstream American politician who faces ma**ive challenges.
It should also be pointed out that the euphoria is not just coming from African Americans (or black people from other parts of the world) - the whole world has been overcome by Obamania.
As a person, he is a way more accomplished that Bush, so he's a definite improvement, but that doesn't change the fact that there are incredibly powerful interests at stake who may not share his vision of the way forward.
So, in short, I'm happy Obama won, but let's see what happens...
D got there first.
Tate, understood. Completely. My point is not that the euphoria is misplaced - what he has done is historic, unprecedented and bloody fantastic. It shows how far the US has come.
But I will say again: as someone who does not believe in trusting politicians until they put actions behind their words, I do not trust him. Not because of who he is, but because he is a power broker who may or may not be beholden to a system he cannot control.
I think as a person he is a great man. And if he puts actions behind his words, then I will be convinced.
I understand what you guys are saying about the proof being in the doing. That was not the point I was trying to make.
You cannot dismiss the euphoria around the election of this man identified as black as "misplaced" or "beyond his skin colour" coz thats what makes it such a monumental achievement.
Even if it is just a symbolic achievement the fact that he is black & likely had to deal with some prejudices that we can all identify with as black people makes us ecstatic with joy that may seem a bit too much from the outside looking in as you are. But believe me, from the inside out, no amount of euphoria is too much for this achievement.
It will surely inspire an entire race to dream as MLK did of beating said prejudices and rising to the "mountain top" achieving the highest accomplishments as Obama has.
That's all well and good and I accept all of that... I'm not trying to tell black people not to be happy or even euphoric about the fact that a black man has become president of the United States. I accept that it is significant because it shows that years of activism has made America a more civilised place.
However, firstly, I'm not sure that becoming the leader of an aggressively imperialistic, ultra-capitalist, inward-looking country is such a pinnacle of achievement, especially when you consider who else has held the post (Reagan, Bush etc). It's not as if there are no other Black role models - Black people have been elected to high office and held prestigious positions before. Black people have been university presidents, business leaders and leading sports and entertainment figures. Obama is _just_ a politician - there is nothing radical about his election.
Secondly, the office of the president of the United States is not _just_ a symbolic post. He has issues to deal with in the real world - ugly, dirty, difficult, real decisions to make. Beyond the colour of his skin, he's just a man. As much as I'd love not to be cynical, we don't live in a fluffy bunny world where the good guy comes and saves the day.
What I object to is that people's response is so simplistic. All it takes is someone to come along against the background of years of Bush's incompetence saying, "we can make a change" and we all say, 'YES!', without any idea how we're going to do it.
So he's closed Guantanamo Bay? Big deal! Was that a tough political decision? No. Is there anyone in the world who feels strongly that it should be kept open? No. I will judge him on how he delivers on his promises of social justice whilst keeping big business happy. I will judge him on how he handles the Middle East, Iraq, Iran, Northern Korea and even South America. Being Black means nothing if he can't actually effect change.
"The Obama phenomenon, I think, reflects the alienation of the population that you find in the polls: 80% say the country is run by a few big interests. While Obama says we are going to change that, there’s no indication of what the change is going to be. In fact, the financial institutions, which are his major contributors, think he’s fine, so there’s no indication of any change. But if you say “change,” people will grasp at it; you say “change” and “hope,” and people will grasp at this and say, OK, maybe this is the savior who will bring about what we want, even though there is no evidence for it. ... So I think the Obama phenomenon and people’s alienation go hand in hand."
- Naom Chomsky
