Thanks for your powerful and compelling piece in Counterpunch, Carl.
I was not present during the AWARE "conversation" on the rights and
wrongs of leafletting Obama, so I can't judge that, but it does occur
to me that a possible reason, among others(?), for resistance to
attacking Obama directly for his positions on the occupation and war
is that our "black critic" has in the past had good relations to many
in AWARE, and on a personal level alone some would feel uncomfortable
in going against her. Tactics often involve compromise they would
think. I have no idea as to how typical are her views in the black
community. From your letters (Were there others of contrary
opinions?) it would seem that many, perhaps most, Afro-Americans are
incensed that Obama would use his blackness to subvert what they in
fact feel about/against the war/occupation/civil rights/torture. They
seem to have felt that about Powell, Rice and Thomas.
I think that on this issue, we need(ed) to calmly explain to Imani
our strong feelings about politicians who equivocate on the war,
irrespective of some of the other, positive, stances, such as voting
against the nomination of Roberts, they might take. Was that done? Of
course, Obama is not "all bad", as some have pointed out, but the war
and its consequences are our main thrusts in AWARE, and we ought to
stick to them. I would like to hear what the Ammons feel about this
issue, especially in view of the impending Unity March.
On the issue as to how to bring someone like Obama around to our
way of thinking, if possible, I have no crystal ball. He is clearly
behaving like a politician on the make with the power élite, and only
if very many of his "base" opposes him strongly is he apt to change.
The omens are not good, as you distressingly outline.
--mkb
On Sep 30, 2005, at 1:53 PM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:
> [A longer version of the piece on Obama and AWARE that
> appeared in the News-Gazette has been published on
> Counterpunch <http://counterpunch.org/estabrook09292005.html>,
> and I've gotten a number of interesting comments. Here are
> some. --CGE]
>
> [1] Thank you for pulling back the curtain on Barack Obama,
> one of the greatest political disappointments I've ever voted
> for. Following his support for Condoleezza Rice as Secretary
> of State, I swore never again to vote for Obama. Also, some
> months ago I was shocked to see that a unanimous majority in
> the Senate had voted for a supplemental appropriation to
> continue financing both the illegal incursion into Iraq and
> the highly questionable invasion of Afghanistan. Obviously,
> both Durbin and Obama voted in favor of additional funds.
> We have to come up with ways to hold our elected officials
> more accountable. Obama's votes on both Rice and these
> murderously stupid wars were absolutely the reverse of what
> his constituents wished him to do. He's in there another 5
> years, but Durbin's re-election effort will soon be getting
> underway. Peace groups across Illinois have to organize to
> either find an alternative candidate, or to hold Durbin's feet
> to the fire over these issues. (I recognize that Durbin did
> vote against Rice, but he's been consistently wishy-washy on
> Iraq.)
> The position of the peace movement must remain an immediate
> pullout, no if's, when's or but's.
>
> [2] It is really disturbing how easily activists can be
> coopted by smooth talking fakers who stroke our sensibilities
> while supporting policies dimentrically opposed to our power
> interests. People want to identify with power to legitimate
> and validate their aims, even when the aims of people and
> power fundamentally diverge. It is this tendency that has
> helped political leaders sell out their populations throughout
> history. No fundamental change will occur in power systems
> unless the population understands and resists this tendency.
> But how can this be done?
>
> [3] Frightening when the ‘one party’ system reveals itself,
> but the ‘AWAREs’ of this country are beginning to pack a more
> powerful punch, besides, to borrow a Rumsfeldism, ‘we have to
> wage politics with the party we have’.
>
> [4] As a very prominent member of the African-American
> Community recently told me: "He ain't one of US."
>
> [5] EXACTLY! He's what I call a 'top-percentile follower.'
> You've got him perfectly: a member of the enabling class.
> I remember when I was first trying to figure him out. I
> listened to a C-SPAN archive recording of him speaking on his
> book tour in New York. He said "his salvation was tied up with
> the salvation of the country." My god.
> This fellow is dangerous because he can play his Clintonesque
> style to the influential, still, DLC left, as well the
> ignorant left, and the corporate and social conservative
> right. And obviously he's riding his black skin, though he's
> being used for it as much he is using the right groups, sects,
> power people on his way to power (I'm black myself). Like
> Clinton, he has displayed from earlier in his career he wants
> power for power's sake. Of course, you have to like power to
> want to be president, or senator, or ceo, but those who only
> seek power end up selling out whatever it takes to get it and
> maintain it. Hence Clinton. Really don't know why black
> people, or any working person (PNTR, NAFTA), thought he was great.
> This is a guy, Obama, who I read in the New Yorker said "he
> wants China to succeed", and that the union worker here in
> America was really just interested in cheap sneakers. The
> writer of the article revealingly portrayed him ability to
> morph into whatever he thinks works with the person who
> happens to be in front of him at the time.
> My fear is that the white left, happy to have a black skinned
> Harvard graduate as an example of who they would like all
> black people to become, will unwittenly yield to a servant of
> economic injustice that will affect all but the top 20
> percentile, white, black, yellow, brown.
> I actually thought Kweisi Mfume gave a better speach at the
> DNC Convention last summer, and let's hope he wins as Senator
> in the state of Maryland.
>
> [6] When Mr. Obama was elected senator there was quite a lot
> of excitement among my friends in Illinois concerning his
> Democratic identity. I found their enthusiasm engaging but I
> was privately skeptical. Your piece colorfully illustrates my
> doubts about Mr. Obama.
> The Iraq invasion -- and its consequences -- will eventually
> be judged even more criminally irresponsible than the American
> experience in Vietnam. I am of that generation, as are the
> decisionmakers in the White House that invented it and those
> in congress that support(ed) it. I cannot comprehend the
> stupidity -- there's really no other word for it -- that
> persuaded them to re-create the horror of the Vietnam War for
> themselves and their children in an otherwise peaceful United
> States. I remain amazed at the absence of resistance among
> what must be the better-informed members of our national
> government. If politics is their only excuse for supporting
> this disastrous adventure I can only conclude that my
> representatives are irresponsible cowards.
> And Mr. Obama seems to be fitting-in well among them. So
> this private message seeks to encourage your exposure of his
> Harvard-inspired tendency to equivocate in his own interest
> while ignoring that of the United States and his constituents...
>
> [7] Nice piece on the Counterpunch web site. Obama seems to be
> the newest in vogue Democrat. As you point out, he seems to be
> parroting the same line on the war as a number of other
> prominent Democrats in the Senate and House (HRC & Nancy Pelosi).
> Unfortunately, the war in is a military, political and
> economic disaster for the and I would go so far to say that
> this may well go down as the biggest foreign policy
> catastrophe in the 200+ years of existence.
> What options does the have? We consume 25% of the world’s oil
> but have 4% of the world’s population. We are also running
> astronomical deficits ($500 billion federal and trade
> imbalances). These are not sustainable positions. The path
> that Bush has taken is to invade, threaten (and maybe attack)
> . . . etc. Given our relatively weak economic position, I
> would argue that these policies are actually a sign of weakness.
> From my vantage point, the Democrats, while having some
> tactical differences with Bush, are basically in sync with his
> policies (witness the latest vote on Roberts). They are
> determined to stay the course in Iraq, to insure control of
> Iraqi oil reserves -- this is one of the major components of
> the new Iraqi constitution
> The US is losing the war in and will be forced out. I think
> this is going to have negative consequences for the US --
> dollar is going to drop, and oil is going to continue to get
> more expensive.
> Obama is a photogenic and articulate establishment
> politician. The last thing he wants to do is deny Exxon-Mobil
> the chance to take over some Iraqi oil fields. I suspect he
> will come out against the war when the outcome becomes more
> apparent. Until this time, expect more wishy washy positions
> from Obama, Feinstein, HRC, Kerry, etc.
>
> [8] I just read the subject article on Counterpunch.org. Thank
> you for the insights about Senator Obama. The Democrats have
> been a BIG disappointment vis-a-vis Iraq and myriad other
> issues. Sadly, at this crucial point in our history, We the
> People have NO opposition party to fight for us.
> If I still lived in IL, I would have voted for the
> independent candidate, not Obama, based on issues alone. I'm
> tired of being asked -- no, expected -- to vote for the
> supposed lesser of two evils...
>
> [9] I am an African American Myself The Media which can’t be
> trusted made it seem as if Obama had progressive views Know
> That I know He’s just like The Rest. He should be condemned
> for his actions. As should Condi Rice and Even Though he’s
> gone now. Mr Powell also in his lies that led up to The War.
> They should all be held accountable. And given no slack just
> because of their race. If your not for The Withdrawal of The
> Troops Now. Then You’re an enemy to The Anti war Movement and
> should be treated as such regardless of Race Religion or
> Gender. Keep up The good work...
>
> [10] Good job in calling out Barack Obama. This guy is
> exactly what the antiwar and justice movement doesn't need:
> another liberal shill for war and racism. We also took him to
> task for his opposition to marriage equality for same-sex
> people. Obama was noticeably absent from other Black
> politicians rightly condemning the obvious racism revealed in
> the New Orleans debacle.
>
> [11] Many thanks for your column on the Obama personality
> cult. My hackles started to rise when the media was
> presenting him as the best thing since sliced bread, when the
> cat is to the right of where Edward Brooke used to stand as a
> republican senator from Massachusetts decades ago. His speech
> at the convention was nauseating and pretentious, and he got a
> free pass because he played the race card.
> But as another light skinned black, I can tell you it's an
> old game, shameful to the nth degree. I come from a family
> that has played it for generations, and when the working poor
> do it, it's a ticket to insanity. I won't go into any
> details. But Obama is trying to prove to the most
> retrograde elements in white America that he can be trusted
> with a fruitful aggression on behalf of mom, applie pie, and
> the gross national product. He wants to be president? He
> thinks himself as one like Lincoln? Well, Lincoln had a lot
> of problems, but he also was able to re-create himself in
> the right order when the heat was on. Obama is just about
> shine and polish.
> He is a shit. I truthfully hope he has gone as far as he
> can go, but the ruling elite of this country are desperate,
> and unfortunately, all too many blacks are hungry for any
> evidence of black power. Obama is not that, but it may take
> hard experience and pain for many of us to learn otherwise...
>
> ###
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