Idolizing Obama - The Cult of Personality
While I cast my vote for Barak Obama, in absolutely no way do I perceive him as an emulator of Dr. King. For Dr. Martin Luther King was a spiritual visionary non-parallel., with his only contemporary peer -- mentor -- being Mohandas Gandhi.
Both men made no excuses for war, calling it wrong at every turn. For they, Gandhi and King, were the living embodiment of peace -- absolute. And as has so long ago come to past, both men ultimately gave their lives, for a most noble cause, speaking truth to power -- fighting for the rights of the poor and oppressed all along the way.
Both men were humble -- to a fault.
But can any of this be said of the senator come president-elect, President Barak Obama; a power leveraging, Afghanistan War supporting, Gaza massacre endorsing, Hillary Clinton schmoozing, Rick Warren praising, George Bush wiretap approving, wannabe civil liberties attorney?
WHAT A RIDICULOUS COMPARISON TO MAKE...and yet, in the public sphere it is made -- time and time again.
In your exulation by the media and the masses, it might seem that I , as a critical supporter, am alone in my laments. But alas, at least one other -- Andrew G. Hughes -- has awakened, come to his senses...going on to say:
Both men made no excuses for war, calling it wrong at every turn. For they, Gandhi and King, were the living embodiment of peace -- absolute. And as has so long ago come to past, both men ultimately gave their lives, for a most noble cause, speaking truth to power -- fighting for the rights of the poor and oppressed all along the way.
Both men were humble -- to a fault.
But can any of this be said of the senator come president-elect, President Barak Obama; a power leveraging, Afghanistan War supporting, Gaza massacre endorsing, Hillary Clinton schmoozing, Rick Warren praising, George Bush wiretap approving, wannabe civil liberties attorney?
WHAT A RIDICULOUS COMPARISON TO MAKE...and yet, in the public sphere it is made -- time and time again.
I salute you Mr. Obama. For in the history of theses United States and indeed the world, you have risen high and fast -- your achievement merits acknowledgment. That said, I still nonetheless, see you as you are. As in my mind, you remain nothing more than a brilliant, seducer of public opinion , man of self-interest, an excellent motivational speaker ,manipulator of ideas, romanticized false -progressive and shameless people pleaser.
In your exulation by the media and the masses, it might seem that I , as a critical supporter, am alone in my laments. But alas, at least one other -- Andrew G. Hughes -- has awakened, come to his senses...going on to say:
Martin Luther King Day in 2009 precedes the dawn of the historic inauguration of America's first African American President. This inauguration is lauded as the realization of Dr. King's dream, a defining moment in the cultural paradigm, a tectonic shift in race relations and a beacon of real change for the plight of the poor and oppressed. Infusing the dreams and ethos of Dr. King in to the presidential persona demands a confluence of ideals and actions to truly deserve the association. To betray the dream, to profit from the sacrifice is to insult the legacy. To be worthy of the torch demands integrity.Read the rest of the poetically sobering entry by Andrew G. Hughes, here.
"Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now. I speak as a child of God and brother to the suffering poor of Vietnam.I speak for those whose land is being laid waste, whose homes are being destroyed, whose culture is being subverted. I speak for the poor in America who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home and death and corruption in Vietnam. I speak as a citizen of the world, for the world as it stands aghast at the path we have taken. I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours."
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