[WS:] Right on. Actually, I like Obama because of his style and demeanor - he refuses to sling mud and fear monger, which is a healthy departure from the US political discourse. That is a big change. I do not think any substantive change is possible until the business is on its knees and both political parties are destroyed - so I did not expect anything but a change of style form Obama's presidency.
Wojtek
On Tue, Dec 1, 2009 at 3:06 PM, farmelantj at juno.com <farmelantj at juno.com>wrote:
>
> Julio is certainly to be commended
> for his honesty, but I am still
> left wondering how so many progressives
> were able to deceive themselves concerning
> as to what Obama was likely to do as president.
>
> Personally, I can't say that I am terribly
> shocked by his performance in office.
> I expected little from him and have not
> been disappointed. There was little in
> his record to lead one to believe that
> he would prove to be a radical reformer
> once in office. Furthermore, despite his
> campaign rhetoric about "change you
> can believe in," in his detailed statements
> concerning what would do as president
> he did not make radical promises.
> His proposals concerning health care reform
> are not that much different from what
> he was talking about in 2008.
> He said that going into Iraq was
> a mistake but was purposely vague
> about any schedules for withdrawal.
> And he seemed to take the line of
> most Democrats that the Afghan War
> was the "good" war.
>
> Frankly, I am less inclined to
> blame Obama for the illusions that
> so many progressives had in him
> as I am to blame the progressives
> themselves for their self-deceptions.
>
> Jim F.
>
> ---------- Original Message ----------
> From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Cc: pen-l at lists.csuchico.edu
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Obama's betrayal of hope
> Date: Tue, 1 Dec 2009 14:00:47 -0500
>
>
>
> On Dec 1, 2009, at 1:14 PM, Julio Huato wrote:
>
> > http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/world/asia/02policy.html
> >
> > I voted -- and asked people -- to vote for Obama. I made my case on
> > the grounds of what would better advance the class struggle. I still
> > think that, with the information then known, it was the best decision.
> > I didn't think I had high hopes or expectations about him as an
> > individual. I did think though that, under the right conditions, his
> > personal background made it possible for him to become a decisive
> > reformer, even if not an FDR. But I think I was entirely wrong on
> > that. He is not one of us. Period. I don't entirely understand his
> > motivations, but that matters little now. I am convinced that this
> > decision offsets anything historically progressive that Obama may
> > accomplish -- if at all.
>
> I admire you for saying this. Thanks.
>
> Doug
>
>
>
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