People of color is not what made Obama's ascendancy to President possible. Nor, does his election make a mass of African Americans more apt to fight in imperial wars of aggression, and I believe one can simply check the historical record since the Buffalo soldier’s infamous slaughter of Indians. Negroes, have fought in all of America's wars, more or less. I of course do not think that anyone should endorse genocide. Nor was I aware that my vote for Obama meant I supported genocide. Really? The connection between voting for Obama and genocide is not apparent to me. Everyone who lives in America can be charged with supporting genocide to one degree or another by virtue of not being able to halt the murderous hand of American imperialism. Such an approach and charge, while containing its own truth, is a tad bit to narrow for my notion of politics as the art of the possible. What has changed in the history of American politics and ideological America is Obama. Not "what will Obama change," but rather, President Obama as the living manifestation of a change wave. Obama had to happen. Some call Obama's election the "Ending of the American Civil War," but this is not my specific opinion. The change that is Obama is bound up with Jim Crow and its long tortured history.
To prove my contempt for Jim Crow’s legacy, and Bush W., (a two for one opportunity) required an act, and existence of a political form where such an act could be made manifest. My individual act became part of a series of acts, which cannot be reduced to African American acts or support for genocide. My appraisal was that the millions of Americans in motion supporting Obama's candidacy was not a fascist movement, and anytime this many people are in motion I am going to be an active part of the moment and movement. I preach communism 24/7. Period. But there is a difference between simple preaching and the process of discovery. Our working class is in the early stages of discovering its "political legs" and we ought to assist, working within and outside the electoral arena. What Obama will change has already been answered. The moment he was sworn into office confirmed the change or was proof positive of the fact of a profound change in American history. The obviousness of this change is hard to get around. America has changed from the America of my youth. To see simply a black face in Obama and not sharp and historical ideological and political fights within the living bourgeoisie, as a class, is to miss the moment. But, then again there are those on the left and right who see nothing in Abraham Lincoln other than a bourgeois scoundrel. Communists come in all kinds of shapes and sizes with individuals having their own inclination. Voting or not voting for Obama and the historic significance bound up in Obama as an individual man, is hard to assess going forward, but my money is on the bet that says my vote for Obama is historically justifiable as a communist. Not simply because Obama was black . . .oops, is black, (which is of huge importance) but also because of the political reaction to the administration of Bush W. There was no communist candidate for president in the past election to my knowledge. I thought about voting "green" but wanted to be in on the real action. I did do Nader in 2000, but not this time. Hell, I voted for Gus Hall for President back in 1976 and 1978, and an SWP candidate for Governor of the state of Michigan, not because I supported the politics of the CPUSA or SWP, but because I wanted to manifest an act, against bourgeois politics, and real action was available. In terms of the meaning of the Bush W. administration, may I suggest as a primer providing insight into the ideology and politics behind Bush W. ascendency the smartly written book, "Made In Texas: George W. Bush and the Southern Takeover of American Politics," by Michael Lind? Obama ascendancy to President, is not a simple question of making pretty the image of imperialism, which cannot be made pretty. Although we discuss modern economics and capital as productive and notional, the implications for real world politics is mind boggling. This is not to suggest a direct one on one relations between economic and politics. It is to say that the political think tanks of the bourgeoisie see what we see and react to what we react to. Obama's task is to create a new international alignment with American imperialism (real people representing real financial - sectarian and broad, and political interest) at the head of various regional blocks. This process is only now coming into focus, at least for me. Obama faces insurmountable tasks, because capitalism cannot be reformed, yet it must expand, or rather an expanding value must be sought out for capital as productive capital, and profit for capital as a notional value. We have entered a period of sharp sectarian struggles and battle within capital, that is defining the political environment of America. Everyone is raging against “ the banks.” Saying that Obama will not change imperialism lacks depth for me. Obama will attempt to reform imperialism, because of a shift in the dominating form of capital. This is not your fathers fathers Oldsmobile the world is driving or Lenin imperialism we are grappling with. What this means in real world international politics is Africa as a continent. The pursuit of political support of various dictators in Africa is the quest for infrastructure development across the continent as the last refuge for productive capital, and its speculative dominator. Obama's task is to realign policy and this also means realigning Middle East policy and changing America's political relations with the state of Israel. To what degree American imperial policy will collide with imperial policy of the Russian state remains to be seen. It seems that a regional block of Russia and China is the wave of the future. And then there is South America. The point is that Obama's presidency is not to make imperialism pretty, nor is Obama to be understood as just a black face on imperialism. Obama had to happen. Domestically, the virtual destruction of the Republican Party, as the last refuge of a no longer existing reality called "the rich white man's party" has profound implications for those calling themselves Leninists. The old “ ideological/political back” of a historical Southern based political reaction has been broken. This process has been underway since Reagan. Not destroyed but broken and this opens a new political space. I probably would have voted for Hillary for President had she won the nomination, because of what she as a women expresses in real time aspirations as living American history. And because of the real shifts in American politics. Interestingly, I did not vote for President Clinton either time. The time is approaching when battle against the political middle or the Democratic Party can be waged. Hurling insults and ideological proclamations is not fighting. Declaring the Democratic Party the enemy for the past 200 years is no more than ideological pontification. Since no one is putting forth the probable path of the American Revolution - communist revolution, I do not understand the apparent outrage at a communist voting for Obama. Is the suggestion or inference not to have voted at all? Or to vote Green? Or that a communist was somehow duty bound not to vote for Obama? More importantly the profound emotions expressed by millions of Americans in support of a change in policy, needs to be explained and not belittled. Saying people are being hoodwinked is all right I guess, but not enough for me. Question: did this election represent America crossing a historical marker? If it did not, then the emotional response to a communist voting for Obama and comparing it to support of genocide makes a little bit of sense, in the topsy turvy world of Bizzareo communism. Genocide? Is this not a tad bit over the top? WL. **************From Wall Street to Main Street and everywhere in between, stay up-to-date with the latest news. (http://aol.com?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000023)
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