Obama: A Symbol for Hope and Change?

by Zig Zag

The election of Barack Obama as the first Black president of the United States has raised many people’s morale and inspired hope for positive social change. He has come to symbolize the aspirations of millions of people not only in the US — but around the world– for hope and change. Hope that the US can actually change.

As a result of Obama’s election to the White House, many now seem willing to believe once again in the US dream of a multi-cultural melting pot where anything is possible. Where even a Black man can rise to become president of the most powerful nation-state in the world. A nation built first on genocide (of the Natives) and then on slavery (of the Afrikans). Some have even gone so far as to say it signals a new day for ‘race relations’ in the US, an overcoming of the bitter legacy of slavery.

Capitalism is a tricky beast. It is not the primitive Roman empire, with its Caesars and Imperial rulers. Nor is it the feudal kingdoms, with their Kings and Queens authorized by God & Church to rule.

Capitalism is based, politically, on the illusion of democracy (’rule by the people’), a system traced back to the Greek empire (with its vast slave system). It works because it provides the illusion that the common people can influence the composition of the ruling class and, therefore, the system itself, by electing leaders who appear to represent their interests.

In the US, there are two main political parties: the Democrats and Republicans. The Democrats are presented as left-wing, concerned with the common people. The Republicans are the opposite: right-wing and more closely aligned with the ruling class.

The Left-Wing of Capitalism

When I say the Democrats are left-wing, I mean the left-wing of the capitalist system. In order to maintain social control, of which the illusion of democracy is central, there must appear to be two seperate, distinct and independent political parties. But it isn’t only about the illusion of choice, like Coke or Pepsi (which are in essence the same).

The left-wing of capitalism is important for many reasons. One is that it can recuperate a populace that has grown cynical and weary of right-wing rulers, such as George W. Bush. After 8 years of the Bush regime, which began with voter fraud in the 2000 elections (disqualifying tens of thousands of mostly black voters), proceeded to brutal military invasions in Afghanistan and Iraq, experienced Hurricane Katrina and the deaths of thousands of blacks in New Orleans (due to criminal negligence on the part of the government), then ended with a financial crisis that saw some $700 billion provided to banks to bail them out, many US citizens were clearly becoming frustrated. The election of Barrack Obama on Nov. 4 was a manifestation of that frustration.

To recuperate something means to recover it, to revive it and give it new life.

Here in ‘British Columbia’ we also had a recent experience with the left-wing of capitalism when the New Democratic Party (NDP) came to power in 1991. They defeated a hugely unpopular right-wing party (the Social Credit Party, or Socreds) that ended its reign of error with corruption scandals and a declining economy.

Many common people had high hopes when the NDP were elected. But the NDP carried on the same policies as the Socreds. They cut back spending on healthcare & education, welfare rates were reduced and tens of thousands forced off. In 1992, they initiated the BC treaty process, a fraudulent means to legalize the prior theft of Indigenous land, assimilate Natives further, and open up lands to resource exploitation.

In 1995, the NDP sent nearly 500 heavily-armed police to surround a Native sundance (Ts’Peten/Gustafsen Lake), where military APC’s were deployed and tens of thousands of rounds fired by police who had a shoot-to-kill policy. This use of force is generally seen as an attempt by the NDP to show their tough ‘law-and-order’ capability.

In 1998, the NDP initiated the bid process for the 2010 Winter Olympics, which has now resulted in dramatic increases in homelessness, environmental destruction, and greater corporate invasion. In 2001, the BC NDP were defeated in elections with a massive victory for the right-wing Liberal party. The NDP rule ended under a cloud of corruption scandals and a declining economy… sound familiar?

During this same period, the US itself had a Democratic president: Bill Clinton (from 1993-2001). His policies also differed little from his predecessor (George Bush Snr.). Under Clinton, the North American Free Trade (NAFTA) was implemented (in the interests of corporations), Iraq continued to be bombed while several hundred thousand died from trade sanctions, Somalia and the former Yugoslavia were invaded, new anti-terrorist laws were passed, and the death penalty was extended to cover over 60 additional criminal charges. A similar experience can be found in the UK with the left-wing Labour Party under Tony Blair.

Obama’s Plans: Little Hope for Change

Like any US president, Obama is just a figurehead, a symbol, some would even say a puppet, of the ruling class. By assuming the presidency, he becomes a member of the ruling class. As such, he serves the interests of the ruling class which at this time requires a political party that comprises the left-wing of capitalism in order to further its geo-political strategies. It requires a left-wing party to recuperate a cynical and frustrated domestic population, and to blunt the intense hatred that has built up towards the US as a result of its imperial aggressions around the world. But this does not mean an end to imperial aggression or domestic repression.

In regards to the hugely unpopular war in Iraq, Obama’s plan is to withdraw US combat forces while leaving a “residual force” to carry out “targeted counter-terrorism missions” and training of Iraqi security forces. US combat forces are just a fraction of overall US troops in Iraq, and it can be expected that private mercenary companies (already the third largest force in Iraq) will expand accordingly to fill the gap. This is not an end to US occupation and control of Iraq, but a re-organization of the forces used to carry this out. US combat troops will then be re-deployed to Afghanistan to intensify the ‘war on terror’ in that country. In addition, Obama plans on increasing US army forces by 65,000, adding 27,000 more Marines, and expanding special forces to engage in more counter-insurgency missions in the future (the essence of the ‘war on terror’ is counter-insurgency).

Although he speaks of strengthening civil liberties, Obama’s plans for Homeland Security will only strengthen the national police state already constructed. He has called for greater investments in intelligence-gathering and international cooperation between security forces, pledging $5 billion over 3 years for work with foreign intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Far from countering rhetoric about the ‘war on terror’, Obama enflames it by pledging to defeat terrorism worldwide and not hesitating to kill terrorists.

On other issues, such as health-care, the economy, and immigration, many of Obama’s pledges sound hopeful and inspiring in regards to improving social conditions for many poor and working class people in the US. But then he has to offer incentives to the poor and working class because these are the base supporters of the Democrats. It is on these issues that many people, the poor, Blacks, ‘Latinos’, Natives, etc., desperately wanted change and why they voted for Obama.

Like any US president, however, Obama’s primary task will be to strengthen the US empire, to stabilize it internally and extend its economic, political and military control over the global system. As recent history shows us, the left-wing of capitalism can be just as oppressive and violent as the right-wing, because that is the nature of the capitalist system. And that, apparently, is what many people still have to come to terms with, considering the euphoric celebrations that followed Obama’s victory.