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if i had had more time when i posted initially, i would have asked how exactly the logic works that has the right squealing about "broken promises" and other such less than a month into the administration in a context characterized by a significant economic crisis that was brought about at every level through the implementation of the economic and social policies championed by the right itself for the past 8 years in power and for the previous 30 or so in periods that alternated between being in power (nixon, reagan, bush 1) and opposition (clinton)?
i would maybe understand the squealing if the situation left behind by george w bush resembled in some way that which w walked into--a period of relative stability in the context of which the new administration would have the luxury of having some time to work out exactly what directions it thinks best to take.
but this is not the situation, and everyone knows that this is not the situation: so either you have to figure out a way to pretend reality is other than it is--or you have to factor it in.
if you factor it out, it seems to me you render yourself incoherent.
if you factor it in, the question obviously arises of the reasonableness of the standard you're pretending to hold obama to, particularly---again---given the fact that the shitstorm he's walked into is a direct result of conservative ideology implemented.
so i don't see these criticisms as having a rational basis at this point.
i would maybe see them as legit at this point in a different reality---and to the extent that some of these claims seem good as goals to me, i'd expect obama to advance them in the medium term. if he doesn't, then the complaints would seem more reasonable. now they don't.
not that you'd care, but i am concerned about what obama has done so far because i don't see it as going anywhere near far enough fast enough. but that's another matter.
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a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear
it make you sick.
-kamau brathwaite
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