Obama is no progressive

Newsweek reported at the opening of the financial crisis that Barrack Obama was charged with the task of "saving capitalism", just as Franklin D. Roosevelt was. This should be kept in mind when considering all of the President's actions, and it's precisely what makes the criticisms coming from the right so outrageous. Some of these pundits have played on the Red Scare residue still left over from McCarthyism in attempt to stir up some sort of revolt. However the notion that Obama is anything but a capitalist has yet to be evidenced. The plague of privatization that swept over the federal government during the Bush administration has yet to be remedied, so there are still contract killers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and no socialized safety net in welfare or health care has been seriously considered or pushed by the current administration. Obama, by any measure, has proven to be exceedingly moderate. He has appointed several neoliberals to his administration, failed to push any progressive legislation or action, and avoided alienating big business as much or more than his supposed electorate. Politically, this is a dangerous game. Obama is never going to convince the right of anything, they're immovable, so pandering to that crowd brings no gains. The left has been criticizing him since his early appointments, and has continued through his impotence on the public option in health care and his push for war in the Middle East. Many of his promises have gone unfulfilled, and opinion polls show that the public is quickly dropping their support. By shooting for the middle, Obama is pleasing no one and risks being defeated 2012 by whoever the Republicans can prop up to save their party. Congress isn't helping the democrats either, as the same old partisan games are only interrupted by favors for big business and industry. Good policy for the working middle and lower class is still missing, and history has shown if Democrats do not produce results in these areas, elections go to Republicans.

Despite his lack of public support, Obama is succeeding in his one task of saving capitalism. Most signs have been showing a slow but evident rebound since his taking office. Yet no one is happy (except Wall St.). This appears to be a sign that what people want right now is either a return to the Bush years of extreme privatization in all areas (and a drift towards corporate totalitarianism), or a more community based system with a bigger safety net which hasn't been provided since the New Deal, if at all. Unfortunately, no politician offering the latter is given a chance in the current system of campaign finance, whereby the elite give the population a choice between the proverbial Coke and Pepsi. Juice, with real sugar and no preservatives, is never offered.

Our current president, despite his promises, gives us little to hope for. One year post inauguration it is clear that if change is going to come to this system, it is not going to come via the approved avenues. The system is purposely resistant to change, and it is built to serve the upper class and big business. The structure must be torn down, and begun anew before real justice can be served. A new generation of trusted servants must be ushered in who are accountable to those with dignity at stake, not earnings, profit margins, and stock options. We have been abused by those corporate powers long enough, and our numbers are larger than theirs. It is time to take control of this ship, which was steered asunder long ago.