Barack Obama attempts to position himself as the Biblical
Joshua. But he is, in fact, the anti-Joshua. The Old Testament says Joshua
fought the Battle of Jericho, "and the walls came tumbling down." Barack Obama
has fought no battles as a U.S. Senator, except for his own political
advancement. He has been rewarded by the modern-day Pharaohs with the largest
war-chest in the Democratic presidential primary race - proof that he has convinced the corporate
rulers of the nation that he is safe, and will never assault the walls of
power. Instead, he wants to be an administrator of corporate power, a protector
of the status quo.
Obama tells us that Black folks are already "90 percent of
the way" to equality, when all the objective data say differently. In this way,
he most resembles the snake-oil salesman Bill Clinton, who threw more Black
people in jail than any previous president, destroyed the very concept of
governmental obligation to the poor, and laid the institutional foundations for
the de-industrialization of America - all the while visiting Black churches and
giving feel-good gospel-laden speeches. Clinton effectively opened the door for
George Bush, just as President Jimmy Carter's corporate, anti-progressive
politics opened the door for Ronald Reagan.
"Obama's job is to rationalize racial and class inequality
- to put us all to sleep."
Now we have Barack Obama opening wide the door for
corporate politics in Black America - while posing as a modern-day Joshua. He
interposes himself - his own acceptance within the ruling class - as a group
victory. Supposedly, the missing ten percent of Black progress that he says is
required to achieve equality will be provided by his own ascension to the
presidency. Then, all will be right with the African American world - despite
the fact of a million Black men and women in prison, unemployment at multiples
of the national average, dropout rates that sometimes exceed high school
graduation rates, and the whole panoply of racial oppression.
Barack Obama's mission is not to crumble the walls of a U.S.
Jericho, but to ascend to the pinnacles of power, for its own sake. His
campaign is fueled by mega-million dollars, and exceeds even his political
twin, Hillary Clinton. The enthusiasm for Obama among the rich is rooted in a
desire to once and for all dismiss the "Black Problem" - which requires a Black figurehead to
accomplish. Obama is that man. He is a loyal and trusted vassal. That's why,
during his entire term in the U.S. Senate, he has never stood up, has never
confronted power, but has always sent the right signals to the rulers, and
assuaged general white anxiety about ongoing, raging racism.
Barack Obama is a skilled professional. He knows his job. It
is to rationalize racial and class
inequality - to put us all to sleep. But, as
Shakespeare said through Hamlet's mouth, "in that sleep of death, what dreams
may come?"
For Black Agenda Radio, I'm Glen Ford.
Glen Ford can be contacted
at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.
To listen to or download a copy of this Black Agenda Radio commentary, click on the mic at left.
The Black Alliance for Peace released a statement in solidarity with the people of Gaza and all Palestinians under occupation in the racist, apartheid settler state of Israel.
The current political turbulence in France’s former colonies in Africa can perhaps be understood as the continuation of an unfinished project of decolonization.
No one better exemplifies the Democratic Party’s overarching identity politics than California Governor Gavin Newsom.
For the tenth time in the last 30 years, the United Nations vote to authorize an occupation of Haiti.
Millions of people voted for Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader in 2000 but now he has denounced them and himself by proclaiming his support for Joe Biden’s re-election.
