In the Era of Obama: The Collapse of The Movement

(from Revolution newspaper...this is a sharp exposure of the crimes of the US government being continued by new commander-in-chief Barack Obama, as well as calling out the leaders of the so-called anti-war movement for capitulating to him and the Democrats.)

www.revcom.us...

In the Era of Obama:
The Collapse of “The Movement”; the Resistance and the Revolutionary Movement We Need

Part I. Introduction

A grievous, shameful and dangerous state of affairs permeates the movements of opposition in the U.S. Their outlook and politics have collapsed into passive acquiescence and even overt criminal complicity with the policies and actions of the ruling class, and are doing so by promoting the deadly illusion that the election of Barack Obama is bringing progressive change.

This is bull#, it’s knowable, and it must change.

Some basic reality of Obama’s first 80 days:

* Obama has escalated the illegal war in Afghanistan with an additional 21,000 troops.
* Obama has expanded the war into Pakistan areas, using troops and unmanned drones.
* Obama has extended the deadline for withdrawing troops from Iraq to 2010—and even that date may be extended by the Pentagon.
* Obama said he plans to leave 35,000-50,000 troops plus 50,000-100,000 mercenaries in Iraq after that, effectively continuing the illegal occupation.
* Obama said he would close Guantanamo within 1 year, yet prisoners there are still being force fed with tubes shoved down their throats.
* Obama approved $60 million to double the size of Bagram prison in Afghanistan.
* Obama’s Justice Department has defended the Bush policy of illegal warrantless wiretapping and asserted far broader claims of executive branch immunity than even the Bush regime.

This is not all, and it is not without lived impact. There are over a million dead in Iraq, 4 million refugees, civilians being slaughtered daily in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Yet, from within the United States mass protest, mass resistance, mass statements of condemnation are at an appallingly low level. An anti-war movement has not only been demobilized, but delivered into the war criminal enterprise of working to make Obama live up to his promise—a promise that Obama has always been clear about, that is nothing less than rescuing the U.S. from its multi-faceted crises.

In an act which concentrates the treachery of this collapse, United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), the largest anti-war coalition, at their national meeting in December 2008, voted to oppose organizing demonstrations on the 6th Anniversary of the Iraq War on March 19 and 21, 2009. In opposition to mounting a determined struggle to end the wars and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and instead of calling people into the streets to stand with the people of the world, they decided “to mobilize a new base of people who have been inspired by Obama” in a four month campaign in commemoration of Martin Luther King titled, “Beyond War, A New Economy Is Possible: Yes We Can!”

The practical results: first, the protests that were actually held by others to coincide with the Iraq War’s Anniversary on March 19 and 21 were not as large as they needed to be—which mattered. Then, on Saturday April 4, UFPJ led a dull routine walk through the deserted financial district of NYC with a couple of thousand people revealing their capacity for sapping the life and spirit out of a movement—egregious, but not the heart of the matter....

Continue reading: www.revcom.us...

[edit on 14-4-2009 by redwinter]

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[edit on 14-4-2009 by Gemwolf]

That's a very interesting article and I'm surprised more people aren't paying attention to this. As soon as I recognized how the Democratic party isn't for changed I switched my party affiliation to independent. They've turned the whole Democratic base from anti war people to econazis under Obama. I want Obama still to be the President who he campaigned to be. Not the one who he's turning into.

Obama is what he was from the beginning...he got the Job and will continue with the preplanned agenda he was told to follow.

Interesting article, but as always happens when true Change is at it's pinnacle, those who lead loose steam, and follow the status quo....it's easier to blend in than to stand out, even for the "right" reasons...apathy breeds like!

Just an observation.

~Holly