It’s been hard not to feel somewhat elated during the past few days. I’ve been soaking up the euphoria on the streets of West Philadelphia where I live, the joyful tears of civil rights leaders on the news, the energy and exhilaration everywhere I turn. Although I expect no more from Obama that from any other moderate liberal in the two-party system, it’s definitely been exciting to watch the election of our first president of color – a man who did not grow up owning class, who worked as a community organizer, who talks explicitly about race, who says thoughtful and intelligent things on a regular basis, who (despite his selective denunciation) has as a mentor a radical Black reverend who vocally critiques the racism and imperialism of the U.S.
I also know that this victory by no means symbolizes an end to racism, let alone imperialism, injustice, and exploitation. And I know that Obama never could have been a serious candidate if he posed any opposition to corporate and imperial power.
Recent campaign coverage has reminded me how far we are from any sort of economic justice. From the unambivalent vilification of the concept of wealth redistribution by both candidates, to Obama’s repeated disavowal of Republicans’ (absurd) claim that he’s a socialist, to Obama’s consistent overlooking of poor people in his strong campaigning to the middle class, it’s clear that we’re not looking at any deep structural change from this new administration. Obama enthusiastically embraces both capitalism and the free market – here is a useful article I found that helped me understand more about his approach to the economy.
But this election gives me hope. For the past couple months, I’ve been thinking a lot about change – not just the change Obama symbolizes as an individual, but about the change that our grassroots movements are working towards and the openings that become available in a post-Bush era, when every move towards social justice may not be violently repressed. I hope we can see this victory not as some sort of answer in itself, but as an inspiration to keep up our momentum as grassroots organizers in a political climate that may leave more openings for some more of our own victories.
Other things I’ve enjoyed reading include Uncritical Exuberance? by Judith Butler, and this post on Upping the Anti. And Democracy Now and GRITtv have both had interesting coverage of the election.