Change? What Change?
With the election of America's first president of partial "African" decent, Black Americans, and indeed most all Americans are rightfully in a state of celebration as the United States finally turns a terrible page in it's history. The Bush Junta is being dismantled. We asked for change, and change has come. Now Barak Obama, a politician of enormous talent, is poised to take the reigns.
Change, change, change...that's what we were told, that's what we were sold, that's what America has been promised. Indeed, it was/is the clarion call of the Obama campaign. Yet, as President-Elect Obama begins his cabinet appointments, change it seems, is the last thing on his mind. And though no one would ever go so far as to directly compare Obama to Bush, there are some Bush holdovers, as well as some easily seen parallels with former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, neither of whom would be considered progressive.
A quick look at the facts. From the Clinton years, Barak has appointed President Clinton's wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, as his secretary of state. To this, he has appointed two hardcore Washington insiders and diehard Clinton devotees, to the highest levels of cabinet posts; Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff and Eric Holder as Attorney General. Then from the Reagan/Bush years Barak Obama has retained the services of one of the most strident supporters of deregulation and free-market extremism, Larry Summers, to be head of the National Economic Council, the top economic spot in the White House. He has also appointed another free-marketeer, Tim Geithner, as his Treasury Secretary. These men, Summers and Geithner are at the center of the current collapse of Wall Street and the financial sector. They are clearly part of the problem, and yet there they stand, lockstep with President-Elect Barak Obama; dusted off, back on the shelf.
So is this change? Clearly it's not. And yet, where is the outrage from his supporters. Why are they still drunk on euphoric adoration? This is not a pep rally, this is serious business. And true progressives, like myself, are vocally dissatisfied. We are kicking our heels and speaking out. We demand that Barak do what he said he was going to do. We see what's happening, and we are calling him out. Obama is not above reproach. He is a trusted servant and like all trusted servants, he must be held accountable. Spare the rod, spoil the President.
I voted for Obama and I congratulate him on his historic victory. But more than symbolism, America, and indeed the World, really needs change...REAL change.
Today on Democracy Now, host Amy Goodman, along with guest's Naomi Klein, Robert Kutter and Michael Hudson, makes an attempt to dissect Obama's new (old?) economic team. The link is here.
Change, change, change...that's what we were told, that's what we were sold, that's what America has been promised. Indeed, it was/is the clarion call of the Obama campaign. Yet, as President-Elect Obama begins his cabinet appointments, change it seems, is the last thing on his mind. And though no one would ever go so far as to directly compare Obama to Bush, there are some Bush holdovers, as well as some easily seen parallels with former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, neither of whom would be considered progressive.
A quick look at the facts. From the Clinton years, Barak has appointed President Clinton's wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, as his secretary of state. To this, he has appointed two hardcore Washington insiders and diehard Clinton devotees, to the highest levels of cabinet posts; Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff and Eric Holder as Attorney General. Then from the Reagan/Bush years Barak Obama has retained the services of one of the most strident supporters of deregulation and free-market extremism, Larry Summers, to be head of the National Economic Council, the top economic spot in the White House. He has also appointed another free-marketeer, Tim Geithner, as his Treasury Secretary. These men, Summers and Geithner are at the center of the current collapse of Wall Street and the financial sector. They are clearly part of the problem, and yet there they stand, lockstep with President-Elect Barak Obama; dusted off, back on the shelf.
So is this change? Clearly it's not. And yet, where is the outrage from his supporters. Why are they still drunk on euphoric adoration? This is not a pep rally, this is serious business. And true progressives, like myself, are vocally dissatisfied. We are kicking our heels and speaking out. We demand that Barak do what he said he was going to do. We see what's happening, and we are calling him out. Obama is not above reproach. He is a trusted servant and like all trusted servants, he must be held accountable. Spare the rod, spoil the President.
I voted for Obama and I congratulate him on his historic victory. But more than symbolism, America, and indeed the World, really needs change...REAL change.
Today on Democracy Now, host Amy Goodman, along with guest's Naomi Klein, Robert Kutter and Michael Hudson, makes an attempt to dissect Obama's new (old?) economic team. The link is here.
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