Beyond the 2008 Election - Democratic Underground

H2O Man

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Fri Dec-12-08 10:19 AM
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Beyond the 2008 Election

{1} "…..(W)e as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a ‘thing-oriented’ society to a ‘person-oriented’ society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.; A Time to Break Silence; April 4, 1967.

Although I never met Martin Luther King, Jr., he has been a major influence on my thinking. One of my friends knew Rev. King, and I remember him once saying to me that only he who attempts the ridiculous can ever hope to achieve the impossible. I’ve thought about that during the 2008 election season, when a brown-skinned kid with a funny name from a single-parent family was running for President. Now that was just as surely ridiculous, as it was part of Martin’s dream.

I am an ideologue: I subscribe to the belief that the Constitution of the United States offers us the only realistic avenue towards repairing our nation. That concept may seem ridiculous in the face of all the evidence confronting us today. Although the Bush-Cheney administration has done the most damage to the Constitution, they were not alone: many members of the democratic party in Washington, DC, have also betrayed that document.

And so it was that I backed the improbable campaign of Barack Obama, the Constitutional attorney who promised to do everything possible to repair the damage, and to attempt to heal our nation. I’m glad I did, and I certainly still have high hopes for his years in office. A presidential candidate who quotes phrases from men such as Malcolm X and Frederick Douglas speaks my language.

I am aware of the enormity of the problems he faces. And I understand that, especially in the beginning of his administration, he will have to make choices that I do not necessarily agree with. Yet I also know, without question, that this country cannot pursue a foreign policy which is based upon racism, materialism, and militarism abroad, and hope to establish a democracy that values human beings at home. That is beyond ridiculous.

{2} "Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now. I speak as a child of God and brother to the suffering poor of Vietnam. I speak for those whose land is being laid waste, whose homes are being destroyed, whose culture is being subverted. I speak for the poor of America who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home and death and corruption in Vietnam. I speak as a citizen of the world, for the world stands aghast at the path we have taken. I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.; A Time to Break Silence; April 4, 1967.

Selecting an administration based upon the concepts behind President Lincoln’s "team of rivals" is, in theory, a good idea. And it may be that such an administration will begin with more conservative voices in foreign affairs, and – hopefully – more liberal voices in the domestic positions. That is a start. But there is also a danger in that this is, by definition, the position taken by the originators of the neoconservative movement. And that movement has proven to be anything but democratic, and has little regard for the Bill of Rights or the concept of a balance of powers between the three branches of the federal government.

It is unlikely, for example, that those who participated in the crimes that are known as the Iran-Contra scandal yesterday, are going to favor the rule of law today. Hence, while I can certainly understand why it is tactically necessary for President-elect Obama to keep Robert Gates on at this time, I still have serious reservations. And those serious reservations grow into solemn concerns when his influence is not counter-balanced by the influence of a rival on that administrative team.

We cannot hope to conquer the crises that we face today in the towns and cities across the country while we continue to occupy by force a country that we invaded based upon lies. We cannot hope for social and economic justice in this country, when the elected officials in Washington, DC, continue to support the heads of banks and industries that have declared a cruel form of class warfare upon the majority of the citizens of the country. We cannot hope to deal with the environmental problems which confront us, when some people are encouraged to capitalize on the exploitation of the land, air and water that we depend upon to survive.

Recent events should provide ample evidence that it is not only republican politicians who are the stumbling blocks in the path to repairing our democracy. Therefore, while I will continue to support democratic candidates in general, I recognize that it is essential for the progressive/liberal grass roots to pressure the politicians in Washington, DC relentlessly. We will need to study, accept, and practice the tactics of Martin Luther King, Jr., in this struggle. For, indeed, that is the only way in which we can insure that we have a voice in Washington, DC.

Thank you,
H2O Man