Obama: Puppet or Pantywaist?

Bush hands off to Obama

Sometimes I’m confused about Prez Obama.  Is the Hopey-Changey King merely a wolf-in sheep’s clothing, a “candyman” for crypto-fascist corporations and the military-industrial-complex completing George Bush’s third term? Or is he just an ambitious, spineless, unprincipled opportunist ? Is he simply the Spokesmodel-in-Chief, if you will (Cinie’s World), caught in the headlights of history?

I feel no better knowing both of these descriptions could be spot on.  The BP eco-disaster and Israel’s high seas murder of humanitarian aid workers aboard the Free Gaza Flotilla are just the latest, and arguably most poignant, examples of feckless Obama fiddling, like Nero, while Rome burns.

Even Nero fiddled with a purpose.  He wanted Rome to burn. He had a grand plan for the renovation of the capital and scape-goats to burn for the destruction, when necessary.

Shame on Obama, shame, shame, shame!

Let’s take a look at Obama’s record, such as it is:

Generally, during the election cycle of 2008, Obama ran to the “left” of Hillary Clinton, giving progressives the impression he represented their core beliefs on civil and women’s rights, the environment, ending the wars, single-payer health-care, diplomatic outreach to Iran, green energy, governmental transparency, an end to the national security state, an end to military commissions and detention without trial, jobs, jobs, jobs, among others.  Based on trust of the Obama agenda, progressives pulled together to form a powerful coalition  which(along with corporate campaign contributions on a monumental scale) proved capable of electing the first “Black” president.  Progressives ignored all of the campaign “meta-data” that contradicted Obama’s stated positions, eg. his sincere admiration for Ronald Reagan, his vote for FISA, his change of position on campaign finance.

I don’t have to reiterate that Obama has not only failed to deliver on any of his major promises, in most cases he has delivered the opposite, aggressively reneging on many pledges.

So, to Obama’s die-hard apologists I say poppycock and more.  He’s not being forced to do what the “white man” wants and he’s not playing eleven dimensional chess.  He doesn’t have “too much on his plate”; did Lincoln, FDR, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson?. He’s the “incredibly intelligent” President of the U.S. A. for Chrissake! He’s selling out!!!!! Big time!!!!  As fast as he can!!!!

Specifically, of Obama’s ferociously loyal Black constituency, I ask: Where is our moral compass? Where is our understanding and compassion for the native and foreign victims of oppression,  colonialism and imperialism that previous generations of  African-American leadership, such as Dr. King and Malcom X were committed to?  Has the cult adoration of Obama led to our moral collapse?

Now comes BP with the biggest ecological mega oil spill ever.  Who can be blamed? BP and it’s Big Oil cohorts, certainly.  Obama fanatic, Spike Lee, wants Obama to “get mad, get loud”.

Spike talks to press about BP

But Obama, deliberately putting the Oil companies in charge of their own regulation and then allowing them to continue drilling without oversight or a disaster plan, bears the brunt of folly and cynicism.  Obama’s actions speak louder than words.  Watch Obama’s disingenuous photo-ops of the massive eco destruction (walking on the beach in dress shoes whilst picking up little balls of tar!)  There are many reports the U.S. Coast Guard is supporting BP’s efforts to keep reporters away from the spill site.  That’s government intervention.

oil-covered pelican in Gulf

Where are the thousands of volunteers to help clean off the devastated, oil-covered wildlife; the one’s present after the Exxon Valdez oil spill?

Now comes arrogant, brutal Israel murdering humanitarian aid workers while enforcing a vicious, illegal military blockade of the 1.5 million prisoners of Gaza. Obama’s mealy-mouthed and purposely inaccurate defense of of Netanyahu’s criminality caused me to shudder.  But then again, we got only crickets from Obama about Israel’s Gaza incursion in December 2008, where Isreal shelled and bombed unarmed civilians, employing illegal white phosphorus and cluster bombs.

Israel attack on Gaza 2008-2009

The domestic agenda will be next.  Obama will aggressively attack social security, fail on a jobs bill, borrow trillion$ for endless war, sell off to private interests the inner city housing stock that poor African Americans depend on.  The double whammy of joblessness, and homelessness will set us back many generations.

Black people and progressives, when will you fight back?