One Year of Obama...Change Your Still Believe In?

Come and join Revolution Books in a Discussion with Larry Everest.A little over a year ago this week, millions of people in the U.S. greeted the inauguration of Obama with hope - that Obama would represent a sharp break from the nightmares of the Bush years - especially unending global war, torture, repression and spying. But what has Obama actually done? Most every case, maintained Bush's course - which has made things worse - making Bush's crimes into bi-partisan norms. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, Obama has escalated.Why has Obama done this? Many will say that "he has to do it." If they're pointing to the larger systemic forces dictating what any president does, they're right (and what are the implications of that?). But to the extent they use this statement to absolve Obama-and themselves-of any responsibility, they're wrong. What should Obama supporters and others do now? If the outrages were wrong under Bush,why aren't they still wrong today? And if you supported Obama to end them, don't you still have a responsibility to oppose them now - even if it's uncomfortable - uncomfortable in doing new things, and uncomfortable in thinking about this country in ways that can pose challenges to what you take for granted intellectually, how you live and what you dream about? That requires a significant degree of bravery. But there is no other morally viable course.See, "1 Year of Obama....Change You Still Believe In?" http://revcom.us/a/191/obama-en.html ************* Larry Everest writes for Revolution Newspaper and is the author of Oil, Power & Empire: Iraq and the U.S. Global Agenda.