I remember seeing my first "1/20/09" bumpersticker shortly after George W. Bush re-elected himself to the White House in 2004. That date, of course, referred to the inaugural day of Bush's successor -- holding out the faint hope that if America could somehow manage to survive for another four years, there might yet be light at the end of the tunnel.
Of course, four years ago nobody had the faintest idea who Bush's successor was going to be. Some of us, admittedly, had recurrent nightmares about dour old men with military haircuts sitting on shady tropical verandas, drinking rum and Coke out of tumblers while liveried natives created a pleasant breeze with coco-palm fans. Let's face it, you didn't have to be a bomb-throwing anarchist to fear a total military coup in this country; between Bush's solipsistic electoral machinations, the arrogant hijinks of "Mr. Torture" Alberto Gonzales and the new sport that was sweeping the nation, waterboarding -- not to mention the Katrina debacle, the Wall Street bailout, and the general collapse of the economy -- America already looked suspiciously like a banana republic. In those dark days I was often reminded of Anatole France's comment that fascism is merely capitalism with the fig leaf of democracy removed. Trying desperately to look forward into some sort of redemptive future, we reminded ourselves that no one could be worse than Dubya -- only to witness the McCain-Palin tag team in action.
But now the fateful day of January 20 is finally upon us, and once again there is laughter and music in the streets. For the first time in American history, a man of color (the first, ahem, legitimate electee in eight years) will be ensconced on Pennsylvania Avenue. That the world changes, albeit slowly, is evident when you consider that our fortieth President, Ronald Reagan, once insisted on including restrictive covenants in the deeds to his residential properties which prohibited them from being sold to non-Caucasians. What would the Gipper have thought about Barack Obama, a Negro, sitting at his former desk in the Oval Office?
In the coming days and months, after the hats and hooters have been discarded and the champagne corks and confetti swept away, we will see what Barack Obama's policies will be. Many of us, while cautiously optimistic, can't help wondering how clean a sweep our new President will be willing to make. As badly as we need a new New Deal, some observers are already convinced Obama isn't likely to be a 21st-century FDR. For myself, I'm willing to set aside whatever reservations I might have and give him the benefit of the doubt. At any rate, next Tuesday will certainly be a much brighter day than its counterparts in 2001 or 2005 ever were.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Dark Horse Dub
I remember seeing my first "1/20/09" bumpersticker shortly after George W. Bush re-elected himself to the White House in 2004. That date, of course, referred to the inaugural day of Bush's successor -- holding out the faint hope that if America could somehow manage to survive for another four years, there might yet be light at the end of the tunnel.
Of course, four years ago nobody had the faintest idea who Bush's successor was going to be. Some of us, admittedly, had recurrent nightmares about dour old men with military haircuts sitting on shady tropical verandas, drinking rum and Coke out of tumblers while liveried natives created a pleasant breeze with coco-palm fans. Let's face it, you didn't have to be a bomb-throwing anarchist to fear a total military coup in this country; between Bush's solipsistic electoral machinations, the arrogant hijinks of "Mr. Torture" Alberto Gonzales and the new sport that was sweeping the nation, waterboarding -- not to mention the Katrina debacle, the Wall Street bailout, and the general collapse of the economy -- America already looked suspiciously like a banana republic. In those dark days I was often reminded of Anatole France's comment that fascism is merely capitalism with the fig leaf of democracy removed. Trying desperately to look forward into some sort of redemptive future, we reminded ourselves that no one could be worse than Dubya -- only to witness the McCain-Palin tag team in action.
But now the fateful day of January 20 is finally upon us, and once again there is laughter and music in the streets. For the first time in American history, a man of color (the first, ahem, legitimate electee in eight years) will be ensconced on Pennsylvania Avenue. That the world changes, albeit slowly, is evident when you consider that our fortieth President, Ronald Reagan, once insisted on including restrictive covenants in the deeds to his residential properties which prohibited them from being sold to non-Caucasians. What would the Gipper have thought about Barack Obama, a Negro, sitting at his former desk in the Oval Office?
In the coming days and months, after the hats and hooters have been discarded and the champagne corks and confetti swept away, we will see what Barack Obama's policies will be. Many of us, while cautiously optimistic, can't help wondering how clean a sweep our new President will be willing to make. As badly as we need a new New Deal, some observers are already convinced Obama isn't likely to be a 21st-century FDR. For myself, I'm willing to set aside whatever reservations I might have and give him the benefit of the doubt. At any rate, next Tuesday will certainly be a much brighter day than its counterparts in 2001 or 2005 ever were.
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Have been watching an Obama message this morning. I had signed up for newsletters from 2 websites. Most i just read quickly, to get an idea of what is happening. But is is amazing in a way, how they so very much focus on participation of the public, the voters, the American people.
ReplyDeleteThe little speech this morning had the word grassroots in it. Which became THE word for me, this Sunday. Because Obama is right. It's the grassroots thang, it works. It worked for him. It worked for you.
It will work for your country.
You know, i am soooo glad there is some of that teenage "let's all save the world" adrenaline again, because we had almost given up hope, right? I can't stop listening to Dvorak's New World symphony. I found the Kirill version in Greece (!) and as the sounds fill my living room here, i can't help but think that America will be a New World for Americans as well again :-)
Good for you!