Friends, this week was a major tipping point in U.S. politics. The
Obama administration finally moved so far to the right that all the
liberal organizations, web sites, blogs, and grassroots erupted in
rebellion.
It started off with the administration deciding to send 30,000 more
troops to Afghanistan -- thereby bringing the military budget HIGHER
than it was under the Bush administration.
Then, at the climate change talks, Obama continued the US pattern of
obstructing the signing of a binding treaty. While he made a nice
sounding speech, there was great frustration from the rest of the
world on the US continuing to be a major roadblock to reform on this
ticking time bomb.
Then, to make matters worse, almost all the progressive and, quite
frankly, useful, portions of the healthcare bill were stripped out,
supposedly to appease moderate lawmakers, but in reality were not
particularly favored by the administration all along. What is left in
is a major gift to the insurance industry -- forcing all Americans to
buy insurance from private companies -- while removing the public
option, which would have offered us an affordable, non-profit choice.
While very little pressure was being applied to moderate lawmakers
from the administration for their obstruction, press reports came out
of Obama personally making political threats to those on the left who
were criticizing his plans.
While the administration and Harry Reid claim that 60 votes are
needed to pass anything in the Senate, this is mere cover. The
healthcare bill could be passed through a process called
reconciliation that only requires 51 votes in the Senate. In
addition, constitutionally, the filibuster could be ended altogether
with a vote of 51 Senators. The filibuster never stopped any crazy
right wing bill, but it's now being used an excuse to do nothing of a
progressive nature.
But, with a re-energized progressive movement, there is much positive
momentum that can turn this around. It won't happen through mindless
praise of Obama because of his charisma and rhetoric, when his
actions increasingly seem to be leaning the opposite direction.
It will come through keeping informed through such web sites as
commondreams.org, alternet.org and more. It will come through getting
on the lists of national political organizations such as
boldprogressives.org, democracyforamerica.org and moveon.org. And, in
the end, it will come through voting and participating in a effective
and strategic way, not simply voting for whoever happens to call
themselves a Democrat in the general election.
The Wall Street interests who have been getting bankrolled by
taxpayers under this adminstration have not achieved their success by
accepting mere marketing-speak and token concessions. They condition
their support on real actions, and progressives must do the same if
we are ever to get our country moving in the right direction.
While I too had hoped Obama's election would mean a substantial break
from the past, the last week has finally convinced me that Obama is
not the one who will turn our country around.
Rob Arnow
