Comments on: Obama and the Existential Crisis of American Capitalism http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/11/obama-and-the-existential-crisis-of-american-capitalism/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:26:56 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: John Hatch http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/11/obama-and-the-existential-crisis-of-american-capitalism/#comment-31731 John Hatch Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:23:55 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=4650#comment-31731 While I certainly wish Mr. Obama well, I was struck by the lack of substance by all candidates of both parties in the endless campaign. Mr. Obama talked vaguely, if eloquently (the terms are not mutually exclusive) of 'change'. His appointmentment of the rabidly anti-Palestinian Rahm Emanuel suggests 'more of the same'. Talk of appointing Zbigniew Brzezinski to Secretary of State or National Security Advisor suggests more of the same disastrous American meddling in foreign affairs. Talk of appointing tired old trickle-down voo-doo economist Paul Volker to Treasury or anything else smacks of more of the same. Expressing a vague desire to get out of Iraq? Same. Increasing the military budget and its presence in Afghanistan? Same. More bailouts for Wall street while ignoring ordinary people? Same. Say hello to the new guy. Same as the old guy. How could it be different in corrupt old America? While I certainly wish Mr. Obama well, I was struck by the lack of substance by all candidates of both parties in the endless campaign.

Mr. Obama talked vaguely, if eloquently (the terms are not mutually exclusive) of ‘change’.

His appointmentment of the rabidly anti-Palestinian Rahm Emanuel suggests ‘more of the same’.

Talk of appointing Zbigniew Brzezinski to Secretary of State or National Security Advisor suggests more of the same disastrous American meddling in foreign affairs.

Talk of appointing tired old trickle-down voo-doo economist Paul Volker to Treasury or anything else smacks of more of the same.

Expressing a vague desire to get out of Iraq? Same.

Increasing the military budget and its presence in Afghanistan? Same.

More bailouts for Wall street while ignoring ordinary people? Same.

Say hello to the new guy.

Same as the old guy.

How could it be different in corrupt old America?

]]> By: HR http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/11/obama-and-the-existential-crisis-of-american-capitalism/#comment-31704 HR Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:21:21 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=4650#comment-31704 It's a shame how, over the last 40 years, working people have carelessly discarded every gain they made during the 60 years preceding. Their gains, the result of years of struggle, sometimes violent, by their forebears, put them in a position of deluding themselves into identifying with the wealthy, to consider themselves members of the "investment" class, to vote against their own self-interest. It's been a sad thing to witness for someone born in 1950, one who saw the working class peak in the early 70s and decline ever since, one who no longer recognizes his country, and who may well live to see it completely destroyed from within. It’s a shame how, over the last 40 years, working people have carelessly discarded every gain they made during the 60 years preceding. Their gains, the result of years of struggle, sometimes violent, by their forebears, put them in a position of deluding themselves into identifying with the wealthy, to consider themselves members of the “investment” class, to vote against their own self-interest. It’s been a sad thing to witness for someone born in 1950, one who saw the working class peak in the early 70s and decline ever since, one who no longer recognizes his country, and who may well live to see it completely destroyed from within.

]]> By: Michael Hureaux http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/11/obama-and-the-existential-crisis-of-american-capitalism/#comment-31690 Michael Hureaux Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:12:37 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=4650#comment-31690 I do not believe that both parties have ripped apart infrastructure to the degree they have across the last thirty years just so they can turn around and give everything they've taken away back on the basis of the results of one election. I believe we are heading into a period of subproletarianization, as you put it, because there's nothing left of the labor movement as our grandparents understood it to prevent such a development. The labor bureaucracies that currently exist are not even as savvy to the games of power as those which existed in earlier decades. The community empowerment movement, which moves from one love affair with politicians who specialize in nothing but symbolism and pretty speeches to the next, is not prepared to counter any reactionary aims of the state. There's not much Mao said that I actually agree with, but one phrase of is always seems remarkably trenchant at moments like this. He used to say that there are many who can stand up to bullets of steel, but who cave to bullets of sugar. I think we are entering a period of sugar bullets now, and I do not see the intiative that can block the program of subproletarianization that will come with it. I do not believe that both parties have ripped apart infrastructure to the degree they have across the last thirty years just so they can turn around and give everything they’ve taken away back on the basis of the results of one election. I believe we are heading into a period of subproletarianization, as you put it, because there’s nothing left of the labor movement as our grandparents understood it to prevent such a development. The labor bureaucracies that currently exist are not even as savvy to the games of power as those which existed in earlier decades. The community empowerment movement, which moves from one love affair with politicians who specialize in nothing but symbolism and pretty speeches to the next, is not prepared to counter any reactionary aims of the state.

There’s not much Mao said that I actually agree with, but one phrase of is always seems remarkably trenchant at moments like this. He used to say that there are many who can stand up to bullets of steel, but who cave to bullets of sugar. I think we are entering a period of sugar bullets now, and I do not see the intiative that can block the program of subproletarianization that will come with it.

]]>