Last weekend, Common Dreams published still another in its endless string of fluff pieces about Barack Obama, first as a candidate and now as President-elect. The current fluff was a piece by iconic “left wing” historian Howard Zinn and called “Obama’s Historic Victory.” The persisting “progressive” enthusiasm about the election of Obama, despite his almost-unbroken record of distinctly un-progressive moves both as a candidate and as a President in waiting, joins with that of the mainstream media, always ready to help make news by promoting the view of anything that happens as “historical” and therefore newsworthy. Between the MSM and the mainstream of “alternative” journalism like Common Dreams, Alter Net and Nation, progressives are able to participate in this extended period of exciting foreplay leading up to the consummation of “the act” when Obama steps to the podium on Inauguration Day and delivers the urgently-desired “historic” moment.
Not to play the reluctant virgin for this orgy but: calling Obama’s victory “historic” as Zinn and so many others have done betrays a peculiar (if highly popular) view of “history” as occurring whenever anything is done “for the first time.” This reflects a profoundly neo-centric view of history that it is forever re-starting from the events of today; as contrasted with the view of history as representing the continuity of the present with a long historical past. It is only in this latter sense that the Obama win can be seen as truly historical. His elevation to the presidency is of one historical piece with a long history of white people in America using selected blacks as their allies in their domination over blacks. This began in slavery with certain “house” blacks and slave foremen in the field operating for the benefit of their masters. With the “freeing” of blacks, the form of this transaction changes, but the underlying reality remains the same. “Accommodating” black leaders are fawned over by the white power structure for their ability to keep black folks “in line.” Obama’s win is “historic” in the first sense only because it is the first time that a house black has become a U.S. President.
If you think that judgment is harsh, look at the almost entirely whites-only faces among his campaign leaders and those of his transition advisers; and look at the faceless corporation heads who have contributed so mightily to his campaign funding. The writers at Black Agenda Report have understood this dynamics of the Obama campaign from its inception. Eventually we’ll all come round to that understanding.
Jerry D. Rose – Editor, The Sun State Activist
VERY WELL said Jerry (as usual)! I have felt myself responding to the Obama addicts with intense isolation and silence. Even my friends who I thought ‘got it’ have signed on with this “historic” b.s and started parroting the propaganda that Obama and his possey are relying on. They finally shut up when I told them I wrote in Nader/Gonzalez and would not be joining the orgy (beautiful analogy Jerry). I had to give up on reading Alternet, Common Dreams, Nation, etc. for my heart just cannot take another spoonful of the Obama juice. In fact, I started throwing away my copies of the Nation without even reading them until the subscription ran out.
Thank you for speaking out loud for the few of us that still see through the smoke and mirrors… The few that crave truths and common sense… The few of us that are very ready for a revolution…
Thank you, Stacey, I appreciate your kind statement. Jerry
While I agree that Obama being (half) black should not be the only significant new” thing this election, I am disheartened by one of your statements. It is the one in which you point out that there are almost all white faces around him. This tell me that he is the man I voted or…not a guy pandering to one racial group or another or one religion or another or even one political group or another…but one who sees the greatness that exists in certain people and uses his considerable wisdom to choose those best suited for his team. As Bill Maher said last night, it’ll be great to have a president who isn’t dumber than we are!