A question that my barber posed months ago...That I immediately dismissed was "Is Obama change?" As an black man, I very easily embrace that Obama automatically equals change for America? But? What America? The black and white America?
The uber rich BUSH Family supported their idiot son (over the son with decent instincts) and allowed him to run and ruin the US Economy, wage two unsuccessful wars AND placed that which they value most (privileged status) in peril. The curtain that hides the machinations of the US fiancial system is about to be pulled back.
What do they do?
Last night's Saturday Night Live skit of Obama's accomplishmenst provides healthy fodder for discussion:
Follow me after the fold
There was no way that the uber-rich could hold the dike filled with disgust for Republicans by the American electorate (the poor) SO the choices were The Clintons (who had toiled in Arkansas in relative obscurity) but had now been allowed into the clique (Hell let's not forget that Sr. Bush is like an uncle to Bill these days and although the Clinton's went into the White House solidly upper middle class they are now WEALTHY) or the exotic Barack Hussein Obama.
Obama: a flash of genius. Obama's selection was easily packaged and sold as CHANGE. GW's continued screw ups had driven the masses (poor people)to demand change. The corporate mouthpieces could go to hell as Limbaugh and Hannity pushed the ubers (Romney, Fred Thompson) the masses supported Mike Huckabee. As a final concession the ubers had to rally around one of their own who had proven to be....mavericky...John McCain. But the country demanded CHANGE and Obama was served.
Many thought the status quo was on the block but:
Changes in banking system: NO (Wealthy's bonuses largest ever)
Health Care for all: NO (Baucus' bill = Wealthy's bonuses largest ever)
Wars ended: NO (Prior to banking collapse, the greatest theft of wealth in country's history)
At a time in the country's history where the masses should easily unite and work toward the improvement of all. The old standards of capitalism were reshuffled and replayed.
The have nots were polarized: whites, blacks, latinos, asians, gays, straights, pro life, pro choice (ALL POOR) blamed their struggles on each other. Hell the corporate media controlled by the uber rich even have a playbook that cautions the poor against allowing the other poor to drag them into class (rich versus poor) warfare.
The poor people on the right actually support the rich not paying taxes. As the argument is reframed not rich versus poor but left versus right. One of Hannity's favorite line is "10 % of the people pay 70% of the taxes" What is ignored is that they take 95% of the money. They escape scrutiny of these crappy arguments by establishing the straw men.
The straw men were set up during the election cycle. The left's rallying point (Barack Obama) and the right's point of pride (Sarah Palin). Both were part of the upper middle class in their respective worlds and now the Rich were going to allow them access into the club if they proved able to control their networks: Obama (blacks, Yuppies, gays, labor pro choice), Sarah (Reagan Democrats (Whites in the South and the Heartland (Nascar)) and the religious right(pro lifers).
The middle class is simply a new concept in the battle between haves and have nots that have been waged throughout time. This new American middle class placates those who might actually organize and lead the poor in it's rebellion against the rich. The middle class (that group whose lives are 10 times better than the poor) celebrate success and look down on their "lessers", labeling them: lazy, sorry, ghetto, trash, dumb, etc; while never making the connection that the rich live lives that are 100s of times better than middle class and thousands better than the poor.
The Obamas and Palins making it serves to keep the middle class docile and contented with the belief that their moment of acceptance is just around the corner. The lotto of advancement only needs to be possible not probable for the middle class myth to work.
Barack has done very little to improve the plight of everyday American's and particularly as it relates to removing the yoke of the Rich. It has been noted by many Kossacks that the lines blur quickly when a good look at Bushes and Obamas policies are taken.
UNTIL Americans can WAKE UP and view each other as equals (as the rich do), the rich view us all (poor people) as equals. We are all equally unimportant except to allow them to lead lives that the rest of us only dream about while we fight for scraps.
UNLESS WE CHANGE IT....IT WILL NOT CHANGE......