[Marxism] Mumia Abu-Jamal: Obama - Biden? Change? Not So Much

[Walter Lippmann]

Electing a Black person president of the United States would be a
good thing, a very good thing. The endemic racisim which is so
central to the political culture of the United States is one which
really needs to be overcome.

But to expect that Black person, coming up through, and rising to the
top within, one of the fundamental tools of capitalist rule in the
past century and a half, is unrealistic in the extreme. It would seem
a bit much to expect that an activist as radical as Besancenot could
get elected now. There's some time to go between now and the actual
voting. The capitalists have many ways to destroy the credibility of
alternatives which present themselves as to the left.

First and most familiar, is to simply ignore the candidate and their
campaign. That's what's basically being done today in the United
States with McKinney, Nader, LaRiva, Calero, and so on.

Second, is to make it seem harmless and toothless. It seems that's
what's being done in this case. It would seem the bourgeoisie in
Frants wants to generate interest in the election, and this candidate
seems to suggest that. But at the same time they're trying here to
suggest Besancenot isn't all that serious, that he's an amusing and
perhaps fun-loving candidate.

Let's keep in mind that capitalist elections are supposed to be, 
and serve the role of, legitimizing capitalist rule. If too few
candidates run, or too few bother to vote, then the legitimacy which
the system then likes to attribute to itself, is significantly
reduced.

Third, should a revolutionary candidate have the slightest possible
chance of actually taking the office of the French presidency, you
can rest assured that the bourgeois media would begin a massive
campaign of slander and vilification to try to discredit the
candidate by any means necessary.

Oh, by the way, here's a rather lively, if overlong, look at Obama,
in a communication from the Maoist RCP which is trying to communicate
with the audience which is drawn to Obama, critiquing both Obama and
McCain. It's well-written, and actually tries to address individuals
who are drawn to Obama, but still thinking in broader terms than just
"elect Obama". Here's the introduction:

On Obama’s Nomination: 

The Change You Believe In— 
And The Change You’ll Get

You bitterly opposed the Bush wars, and maybe you demonstrated
against them, but you got discouraged...and you’ve felt heartsick and
impotent as those wars grind on...

You wept or raged over the murder of Sean Bell, or the hanging of
lynching ropes, wondering when and how justice for Black people could
ever come when American racism is so very deep...

You watched as Bush filled the government with followers of his
fanatically ignorant crusading brand of Christianity...you looked on
in horror at the stripping away of what you thought were fundamental
rights...you witnessed torture being legalized, and heard first one
group then another—yesterday gay people, today immigrants—being
demonized, and you’ve wondered: "are we heading toward fascism?"...

You want equality for women, and you get furious every time you hear
of a new move against abortion and now, yes, even birth control, as
traditional values are restored with a vengeance...

Then you heard Obama talk about change. It was a little vague, but
you let yourself hope. Now, after the convention, you’re a little
euphoric...but at the same time, something gnaws at you, something
doesn’t feel quite right.

But you say to yourself something like this: a Black man, after all
these years, nominated for president. That’s got to mean change,
doesn’t it? And everywhere at the convention, there was Obama’s
slogan—"change you can believe in."

Maybe it’s time to pause and ask a little deeper about the content of
this promised change. Maybe it’s time to listen to Barack Obama’s
acceptance speech in depth, and take a sober look at where he says
he’ll lead you.

FULL: 
http://revcom.us/a/142/ObamaEditorial-en.html


Walter Lippmann
Los Angeles, California
========================================================
RUTHLESS wrote:
If Americans in fact won't tolerate any more change than
Obama is proposing, what would be the point of Obama's
offering more change? In fact, it would be suicidal for 
him to do so. No?
--------------------
‘Red postman’ knocks at Nicolas Sarkozy’s door
With the Socialists in disarray, a young firebrand 
is now the best opponent of the French president
-----------------
Compared with the deeply split Socialists, Besancenot’s
anticapitalist grouping seems harmonious, but he has come
under attack from some of the comrades for being a darling
of the media. He defends himself by saying that appearing
on television chat shows helps him to communicate his
message better.

The criticism of him just goes to show, as Le Figaro
newspaper put it, that in France “there is always someone
to the left of you”.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4641032.ece



=========================================
     WALTER LIPPMANN
     Los Angeles, California
     Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
     "Cuba - Un Paraíso bajo el bloqueo"
=========================================