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The Gulf Between Hope and Change
A confession: I occasionally cry during romantic movies and History Channel documentaries.
Another confession: I often pretend that I'm coughing or clearing my throat in order to obscure crying from friends and family.
But watching the presidential inauguration, I — like millions of Americans — lost the ability to hide a public case of ocular Niagara Falls.
History undoubtedly spurred some of our national outpouring this week. A black man being sworn in to lead a country built on slavery, segregation and persistent racism is an unfathomable landmark.
There were also tears of prospective jubilation. Hearing a new president deliver a Rooseveltian "we're all in this together" speech instead of a Reagan-esque "every man for himself" implied the closure of an entire political era. In that sense, the moment felt like the first day of the rest of America's life.
Transcending our past and beginning a new future — these are heady undertakings whose complexity and uncertainty explains the apprehension many sensed rumbling beneath their inaugural elation.
Though presidential festivities and media superlatives tried to numb any feeling other than happiness, it's only natural to experience a twinge of anxiety while celebrating at the edge of an abyss.
America is certainly optimistic that Obama will take bold action.
But with failed get-rich-quick schemes now bleeding risk into every corner of the economy, it's hard to feel like rescue is even possible.
Indeed, with so many of the same people still calling the shots on Wall Street and in Washington, speeches about American resilience can seem like hospice anesthesia rather than promising reasons to hang on for a cure.
While rightfully commemorating Obama's victory as a step toward Martin Luther King's dream, African-Americans also wonder about new polls showing the country thinks racism isn't a problem anymore.
Black leaders fear the election could be used as another excuse to ignore rampant inequalities. As Dr. King's son warned: "Obama's election is not a panacea for race relations in this country."
Can White America accept that truism? Thinking about future generations, parents and youth fret about whether our government — even led by a forward thinker — can muster the will to fight climate change.
Is spaceship Earth the Apollo 13, headed for a miraculous recovery? Or are we on the Challenger, destined for a deadly explosion? These are only a few of what Donald Rumsfeld might call "known unknowns" — and the most opaque of them is Obama himself.
Cut through the meaningless platitudes describing our new president as a post-partisan, post-racial pragmatist, and you find an inspiring leader who organized us around optimism. Then consider that leader's behavior since the election, and you run into that nagging speck of doubt.
His less-than-inspiring Cabinet appointments, his support of Bush's Wall Street bailout, his embrace of nonsensical corporate tax cuts — these moves raise questions about whether Obama is willing to differentiate between his two campaign themes: hope and change.
While both those things have lately been in short supply, the distance between them on policy is the gulf separating ambition and realization.
Hope is a bill peppered with "may" — the word that merely asks banks or polluters to regulate themselves. Change is a statute teeming with "shall" — a term forcing its targets to comply.
Hope is telegenic glamour, winning smiles, and poignant one-liners. Change is all the grinding work and uncomfortable confrontations that come with challenging power and enacting transformative laws.
The reason so many cried this week is because we can finally glimpse that change in the distance.
And yet, those pangs of concern linger. They don't undermine the euphoria or diminish Obama's promise.
But they do recognize that we worry about hope's mirage — and pray there are no illusions this time.
- Posted in
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51 Comments so far
Show AllYes, concerns do linger, and they always should. We need to be watching our government all the time.
On the other hand, I admit that anyone who bet me Obama would take office could have cleaned out my checking account.
A year ago I was sure. Certain. Sure. There was going to be a "terrorist attack" that would require martial law and postponing the election.
Things do seem better, but then how could they have been going worse?
having never drunk the obama kool aid, i find these types of articles juvenile.
i went into d.c. everyday over inauguration, for 5 days. there was lots of goodwill, enthusiasm, joy and pride in d.c., esp. among the many, many african-americans on hand. very infectious.
and sad. b/c it's delusional. jesus people, if the u.s. is good at anything, it's cosmetics and p/r.
when obama does something that costs the power elite in this country something, then we'll have a reason to celebrate. i know it's only day 3, but this admin's forceful push for more TARP funds says all you need to know.
rush limbaughs taint January 23rd, 2009 9:54 am
"juvenile....delusional."
yup.
re: pulling punches to be a mainstream progressive 'player'
"less-than-inspiring" Cabinet appointments?
"moves raise questions"?
"pangs of concern linger"?
dumb-assed
flowery
insipid
Mr. Sirota has previously been critical of progressive organizations like moveon for "becom[ing] a reflexive appendage of the Democratic Party," though, at the same time, he extended them the olive branch, calling many of them his friends. (http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/08-12)
This is the unfortunate context of Mr. Sirota's present remarks: in order not to be a naysayer from day three - and to keep in strong with his marginally progressive buddies - he 'gently' questions Obama's will to carry through on the theme of change.
Prob is, it sounds stupid and deluded and insincere. Better the bracing, if uncomfortable, truth of Howard Zinn a few months ago - no progressive movement, no change:
"Obama will not fulfill that potential for change unless he is enveloped by a social movement, which is angry enough, powerful enough, insistent enough, that he fills his abstract phrases about change with some real content."
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2008/10/22-12
abramawicz
To suggest that moveon is an appendage of the Democratic party is an insult to the Democratic party. And I'm not to crazy about the Democratic party and its leadership.
As for Move-on and the Dems, dunno. Move-on sort of pulled a dirty deal on me for volunteer work, so we've gone our separate ways.
But as for abramawicz's take on Sirota, right and right again.
If you'd have told me a week ago that Obama would openly humiliate Bush as he did with his inauguration speech, end rendition flights, open access to the records of former presidents, say clearly that pro-choice is right, and order Guantanmo closed, all in the first two days of his admin., I'd have reached for the smelling salts.
The wingnuts must be in a state of shock.
Who, what politician are you crazy about?
I have experienced the same in regards to 'Moveon' basically the pot calling the kettle black. Fortunately they are free to change and very well might do just that.
What happens when snowflakes stick together?...............friends come together and have snow ball fights. :)
Leea
I agree with this take on MoveOn. Bad taste in the mouth.
.MoveOn is a loyal democratic party organisation, Thomas. They see no course other than support of that party.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoveOn.org
MoveOn is an American non-profit progressive, liberal public policy advocacy group[2] and political action committee which has raised millions of dollars for candidates of the Democratic Party in the United States.[3] Formed in response to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton,[4] it has been cited in some accounts as a factor which helped propel the Democratic Party to power in the 2006 midterm elections.[5]
...snip.....
They were founded in 1998 in order to deflect the calls for impeachment of Clinton. Joan, Wes and Eli, bored internet zillionares inb their 40's quickly found excitement and glamor in hobnobbing with the movers and shakers of Democratic Party politics, have remained loyal to that group and exist only to further the aims and ambitions of Democrats.
When these "neighbors" ( Berkeley) first began to become active a group with which I was associated met with them to see if we had common cause....We didnt.
We see things, not as they are, but as we are.
Anais Nin
Reading many of the comments on Common Dreams of late reminds me of the sort of conversations rampant in high school locker rooms.
As though the one who is most critical - dismissive - pessimistic, is the one with the smarts!
Face it - we've been in the dark so long we seem to have forgotten how to speak creatively!
Progressive politics is about what is possible and how to throw in one's invididual effort to make it manifest.
Prognostications of doom and gloom are NOT progressive. We can all see the problems... Progress is discussing and building solutions, overcoming inertia and fear of change...
Or of course we can simply follow old paradigms and feel righteous knowing (and endlessly declaring) what doesn't work!
Live Simply So That Others May Simply Live
Yup. You need to post that regularly at lots of sites.
After the smelling salts, next I would have reached for the Champagne.
Agreed. Amen.
While I agree with your sentiment, I must explain my predicament, as one with a view that is undoubtedly shared by very few…it is difficult to explain my position without being classified as pessimistic, although in my mind, I am merely being practical…my position is that ‘effort’ is precisely the problem, not the solution, and by that I mean effort in the wrong direction: effort directed toward the expansion, rather than the reduction, of human presence on the living environment…
I have very real and easily communicated suggestions for action, they’re simply not popular…I cannot, however, cease to present them, as I feel the need for this action is absolutely critical if humanity, indeed the living planet, is to survive…it will be interesting to see if the coming economic and ecologic devastation will make my suggestions not only more palatable, but perhaps even force them to occur without voluntary action…here are my concrete suggestions:
The widespread, legal use of naturally-occurring consciousness-enhancing subtances on a global scale to enable the ‘higher’ perspectives needed to see the benefits of the remaining suggestions
The selection of a global start date, upon which humanity agrees to move forward without industry and electricity
The use of the intervening handful of years to dismantle all existing infrastructure, clean up all existing waste and toxins, and replant viable vegetation, and to re-educate the populace on the lost, natural methods of survival and healthcare…this includes the returning to a model in which each individual actually has to gather their own food and water, as that connection is, to me, vital to maintaining a perspective of connectedness to nature…
All that being said, I withdraw again to my little corner to watch the discussion return to Obama, and the economy, money and jobs, and to watch the plants and animals and historically-normal weather patterns disappear…
Also, all of these changes must occur globally to be effective, so the old ‘well, you can go live that way if you love it so much while the rest of us work on the real issues’ comments really don’t hold water…
I just bought Barbara Kingslovers most recent book on doing exactly what you present above. I am inspired to read it and try to do some of it as I find the will to do it.
The hopi indians believe that if even one person lives right, it can tip the balance.
If they are right our salvation may rest on souls like yours dubet who live what they believe in the face of the greatest of challenges.
What happens when snowflakes stick together?...............friends come together and have snow ball fights. :)
Leea
AMEN dubet!!!!!!
But how do we get there? This nature-based paradigm you speak of is the only way we can divert from mass extinction of all species (yep, that means us too)on the planet. In fact, there are many days when pessimism (or logic)takes hold and I just except that we are doomed for extincion. That there's no way to stop the increase in our population, hoarding of natural resources, polluting our air, water and food, and running out of all non-renewable energy supplies.
How can we expect anyone to go and find there own water and food, when it's so easy to just go to the big box store down the road? The only way I see this changing is through catatrophy and/or some kind of apocalypse, so to speak. I'm fairly well convinced that the only way "humanity agrees to move forward without industry and electricity," is only after we are forced to live without those, hence the catastrophy or apocalypse mentioned above.
Maybe these are times that I just need to hear from the more optomitic people of the world...are the any of you out there?
I agree with what you are saying about more gardens and replanting but you don't need to be stoned or tripping to do that. Been there, done that, all intoxicants do is make you slow, wasteful, and forgetful and more vulnerable to being picked off by regressive neo-cons IMO.
Good not to confuse the wisdom of caution with pessimism.
right on Mainestay. BHO will fail completely to walk on water. But he is a Decent Man who in a few days has done MUCH. The first drops in a rain that is going to wash away the stain on our county's soul. I am so grateful.
I thank God. azjoe.
Wonderful mainstay......I have the bumper sticker 'live simply so others may simply live' every time someone sees it they are like...'oh I love that'
What happens when snowflakes stick together?...............friends come together and have snow ball fights. :)
Leea
"Progressive politics is about what is possible and how to throw in one's invididual effort to make it manifest. "
Well said, Mainstay...and I couldn't agree more.
Tonight's Bill Moyers had Sirota and a guy from the Wall Street Journal who said the truth - the right is implacable. They simply will not change no matter what the evidence is of their utter failure. They plan on seeing their agenda through no matter who it takes down, as we are seeing.
I'm with many here who are hoping with baited breath that Obama will be who he said he is. However, I'm not with those who do nothing but that. Waiting, or waiting and complaining, does nothing. Actually, it's worse than doing nothing - it is giving the fascist right a big green light to screw us to death.
Progressives have a history of working for good change. From the streets to the factories to the trees, progressives have fought hard for the things that they have gained. However, as of late, many have been resigned to seeing things darkly and doing nothing but stewing in cynicism. We need to put the "pro" back in progressivism and free our voices and our feet to help Obama be who he wants to be. He can't do it alone - no one on this earth can or ever could - it takes the people pushing and talking and not letting up. This is what the right has done and we are where we are. Let's push back, folks.
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." -- Martin Luther King Jr.
Mr. Sirota is Colorado's golden boy and gotten himself into a situation where he can be heard.
Lets not put too much into his words.
There has to be a movement of the people.
That is strong enough to be heard.
and make Obama notice.
That is where David can really help us.
Love
Zero
I agree with this. I saw him on TV today -- 0bama's azz kisser!
There are a lot of references in articles lately about people crying or tearing up during the inauguration. I tend to tear up fairly regularly, whether it's during some schmaltzy romantic movie or, more recently, listening to Palestinian's relaying horrifying stories at the hands of the Israeli's, but I failed to tear up last Tuesday. Correction, I did briefly, watching an interview of a black woman who, through her tears said, "I have a 10 year old son who now sees that he has more options than becoming a rap star or basketball player."
The euphoria says more about the last eight years than it does Obama. Watching a bungling idiot, with the brains of a lizard soaked in formaldehyde, slink off into the Texas desert is, in and of itself, cause for celebration.
But listening to the rhetoric from the Obama administration concerning the Palestinians and Israel is not cause for elation. So far it's the same Israeli pandering as ever.
There is much work to be done to educate the US population about the irrational grip that Israel has on a destructive US foreign policy. Obama has filled his cabinet with pro Israeli warhawks, and this is not a cause for euphoria, it's cause for deep concern. Israeli belligerence, with the full support of the US by means of financial aid and weaponry, must be reined in. Enough already! It threatens the entire region, causes untold suffering of innocent Palestinians who deserve every right to live out from under the yoke of a suppressive Zionist regime, and Obama must no longer support it.
Israel is like a rabid pitbull and the US needs to quit feeding it. Obama's rhetoric so far shows that he is still afraid of it's bite.
Sirota's gushing over the speech is fatuous, until toward the end when he returns to reality, from soaring in cosmic bliss over a sub-mediocre speech. Obama could have reduced millions to tears, I'm certain, if he had stood there reciting his ABC's and reading "The Pet Goat."
But at least Sirota revisits a semblance of the real world when he says, "His less-than-inspiring Cabinet appointments, his support of Bush's Wall Street bailout, his embrace of nonsensical corporate tax cuts — these moves raise questions about whether Obama is willing to differentiate between his two campaign themes: hope and change."
Obama's image as a religious figure sent from heaven to deliver us all from the evil of the past 8 years will soon enough fade. Who knows what will take its place?
"Hope's mirage"? No. Hope IS the MIRAGE. It means nothing. Deeds do. People are swallowing the Nuage feel goody of the moment, blinded by the ridiculousness of eleven, count them, eleven inaugural balls, and all those invocations to the Great Poobah in the sky. Would it have been monumental of the new president to decide to dump the balls (perhaps have only one) during this time of two friggin' wars? Sure would. Oh yeah. "We all have to sacrifice". Let's see now. Whose gown was Michelle wearing? DiLorenta? C'mon folks. This is the change you can count on?! And yes, things could have been far worse. Things ARE going to get far worse when the financial systems collapse, and soon. We are in free fall, folks. The D.C. crowd admits that the situation is like none seen before and that they, in effect, do not know what they are doing. And neither does Obama. So, let's roll up our sleeves and attend eleven balls! There is too much wiggle room on the executive order on torture. Why is that? Catch 22. They're you go. As for the drone missiles that killed those seventeen people in Pakistan, Obama IS being TESTED --- by the powers in the Pentagon. They are challenging the new prez and his mettle -- saying to him: "So, what you gonna do Obama?" Well? What you going to do?
Right, sacrifice. What does the little guy got to sacrifice? His heat? His well-used automobile, his house? If a billionaire loses billions but still has billions, what does he or she really have to sacrifice, materially speaking? It's the wealthy and elite who must sacrifice--hell, most of them won't even feel it (except in their ego). Let's see if Obama is really all about fairness.
Not to mention Obama is now siding with Bush's interpretation of the idea that phone spying on Americans is permissible by executive branch fiat in violation of the 4th amendment:
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/01/obama-sides-wit.html
Groan. :(
One part of the digging in needed follows the old saw - 90% of success is TURNING UP - being there. I think we underestimate the power of grassroots simply because the face does not appear on TV.
Natural Resources Defense Council in blocking the BLM Redlands auction had the unrelated, audacious actions of a young man who stepped into the auction itself, garnering nationwide attention and the NRDC already dug in, ready and in place to field outreach, court case, etc. An NGO structured for grassroots.
Each time something like this sloggs through it establishes the presence of ethic and method. Look around you, link up with 3,4, or 5 NGOs who write letters and engage action on issues close to your heart. Each of these ask that you inform your friends that they have the opportunity as well.
We're at the microbial stage of mushroom culture. In order for grassroots to 'mushroom' we have to expand and grow like mycelium. Its good for the soil!
PIPEDREAMS Says: "If it seems to good to be true, odds are it's not true!"
Ok, so u think this stimulus $$ is going to work? Then read this story about how a Dem. NY Congressman from Long Island wants to spend 20 mil. of that $$. Then tell me this is about change.
http://www.hamptons.com/detail.ihtml?id=6152&apid=12598&sid=27&cid=54&hm=1&iv=1&townflag=
What is Obama fawning?
perfection is impossible
Living simply is a skill. I think that it would be wise to form camps of willing participants to set up ecologically friendly living villiages to demonstrate the possibilities There are already communes who do that. This would allow education and example as well as opportunity.
Good idea. The Amish do it. It's an especially good idea since the economy is in the tank. What needs to be done to get this off the ground? I'm in.
Pretty much the whole Pacific coast from Big Sur up to Alaska is very friendly to the off the grid community oriented sustainable lifestyle.
perfection is impossible
There are alot of folks in West Virginia who follow this life style. I once lived in a house that was completely off the grid. Solar and wood heat, solar electricity, water from a spring on the property. Reforrested the property. Planted 3500 trees and found that by digging down our own waste, an entire hillside volunteered trees of all kind. House was ferracement half dome with a green house built on the front. Cooking done on a wood stove.
Note that within just a day or two of getting our new President, the Right Wing has stepped up its attempt to create fear, panic and hate in our society. Guess who's leading the pack? John McCain for one. I really think this was planned by the GOP. They've got nothing else at this point. Expect a book from Palin before long to stir up some more trouble. There are lots of sore losers out there.
Add to the above the fact that the MSM is so desperate to make money that it will pick up on anything that it can spin into dirt. And the GOP knows that. I used to think CNN was relatively objective. But CNN has changed in the last week. Their website is starting to look like Fox.
Money talks. Boycott the MSM media. If the public demands it, the MSM will turn some of its attention to substantive news. Or maybe we need to launch a progressive news service.
And yet Obama's wasting his time reaching out to Mccain while leaving the base to rot yet again although he and his party have done some making up recently on equal pay and reproductive rights at home and abroad for which I'll commend them. Still, trying to placate the enemy only causes you to lose more of your allies.
Obama will have to learn that he doesn't have to get permission from these 'somber monsters,' which is just a waste of time and energy anyway. They have no good ideas, which was decisively proved over the last 8 years. If they attempt to stonewall his efforts, they will only further hang themselves--and they well know it. Stop the pretense of trying to 'include' them. He must take the course he knows is true and right (if he does know), and ignore their objections.
All the MSM from NPR to Fox is the same pro corporate, pro bankster, warmongering crap dmia, I stopped listening to NPR for example when they were fawning over Rumsfeld and his jokes about "re-bombing" Afghanistan because they ran out of targets in 2002. The number of decent media sources available in the U.S. is easily countable on one hand and they are all on the net:
http://commondreams.org (you are here)
http://counterpunch.org
http://democracynow.org
http://antiwar.com
and just to get a reaction:
http://amconmag.com
Add in the Guardian UK, and you can almost figure out what's going on in the world:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Hope can be turned into change if only we see to it that President Obama and Congress make good on their promises. Yes we can!
Well, as I type this, 7 people have now died from Industrial Food Terror (the peanut butter poisonings), and a futher host of innocents worldwide. The seven are a result of BushCo, and more will die as a result of their wreckage. I will celebrate the deaths of the Bushes, Cheneys and Clintons with fervor. May the celebrating begin soon.
You are not fit to lick the Clintons' boots.
Right, we must all defer to their 'greatness,' no questions asked.
Bill Clinton should be hanging from a noose for war crimes along with both Bushes:
http://www.chomsky.info/articles/200005--.htm
http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/O-W/Presidential-Power-The-indispensable-nation-and-president.html
http://www.fff.org/comment/ed0699c.asp
Once Hilary gets behind the slaughter of innocent Afghanis and Pakistanis the same will be true of her as well. No peace without justice for the innocent people cruelly burned to death by American bombs.
Reading comments contained herein with an array of statements of supposed facts I wonder if they could all be true? To think I have been born into a country built from the bonds of slavery, segregation and racism. That I have relations that fought and died during two world wars for this. It truly leaves tears in my eyes. No mention of freedom of religion, individualism, fear of government intrusion, philosophies like we are all endowed with certain inalienable rights and men are created equal and so on.....how has it come to this?? Are we to believe that any and all changes are going to set "this" right? Erase greed, envy, and jealousy from Washington just like magic. Your hope that this democratic regime will be better than those of previous administrations. As long as their are races, racism will never die, it maybe controlled but never erased. Once this fact is accepted maybe we can move on to address the real problems in our society. Relying on government to set things straight is ridicules. I believe that we the people must take a more active role to protect our individual rights and freedoms, hoping that solutions will come from Washington where power and greed flourish is a sad mistake.
"History undoubtedly spurred some of our national outpouring this week. A black man being sworn in to lead a country built on slavery, segregation and persistent racism is an unfathomable landmark."
- I guess I just don't get it. I don't really see what the big deal is. Strip Obama of his nappy hair and the color of his skin and what you have is Hillary Clinton. In terms of policy there isn't a great deal of difference between Obama, Hillary and McCain. None are opposed to Israeli war crimes, the GWOT fraudulent framework, or bailing out Wall Street Fat Cats.
To gush and get teary-eyed over the what amounts to hair and skin color is beyond silly and approaching preposterous. Remember, Obama has done almost nothing for Blacks. Obama has never mentioned the word "racism" during his campaign. He keeps controversial Blacks at arms length. He rarely if ever mentions the poor let alone goes to bat for them.
His priorities are:
1) Continue George W. Bush's war policies while posturing as being "anti-war", add 100,000 more troops, escalate the killing in Afghanistan, and increase military budgets. The keeping of George W. Bush's War Secretary is telling.
2) Make grand symbolic gestures like closing Guantanamo for public relations but transfer the prisoners to a different detention center not let them go. These people have been held for many years and haven't been charged with anything and Obama wants to keep them another year before transferring them. The CD saps are jumping for joy!
3) Continue the flow of wealth to Wall Street Fat Cats with no-strings-attached.
The more peripheral the policy to the overall frame of imperialism the bigger the "change" you'll likely to see. "Change" is a good, award-winning marketing gimmick.
Obama's job is to continue the basic imperialistic and militaristic policies of the US and rehabilitate the badly damaged US image by appearing to make "changes".
Well put, thanks.
.The last shall be first.
I agree with the last half or your post and have said I believe Obama to be a false progressive in the past. His decisions to close Guantanemo and end the torture of prisoners are rays of sunshine however.
As to the first part of your effort we have a bit less agreement. I will assume you are a white man in the way you dismiss the importance of a black man's ascendancy to the highest office in this land.
.
We see things, not as they are, but as we are.
Anais Nin
Sorry, my friend ardee, with whom I share some opinions, although I do look white, I
am partly Black. My great, great, grandmother was 100% Black.
I would have been thrilled to have MLK as a president. I would be celebrating an African-American as president if I shared his values.
I couldn't give a dead rat's ass that Obama is president, Clarence Thomas sits on the Supreme Court, or that Condi Rice was Secretary of State.
I am color-blind. I would rather have a White Kucinich to a Black Obama any day! It's not like Obama didn't have a White parent, grew up in the ghetto, and is a socialist. He is an establishment politician and a defender of the status quo.
We see things not as they are, but as we want to see them.