It’s funny–I’m thinking that to most progressives like me, Barack Obama’s presidency has been a bit of a struggle and a letdown. It’s my own fault. My expectations were way too high. It was hard not to get swept away in the idealism of the moment back in 2008. Reality could never live up to that, for so many reasons, whether because the President himself wasn’t gutsy enough or because the Republicans hated him too much. The presidency itself has become mired in so much nastiness–government shutdowns and gridlock and calls for secession and endless vitriol–that it’s difficult to recall that once upon a time, it was inspirational to watch this guy get elected.
So it’s been a little surreal to see Barack’s old slogan “Yes We Can” take on a life of its own on the international scene. The Prime Minister of India recently used #YesWeCan as a hashtag to solicit suggestions from citizens about how to improve the country. And the Spanish anti-austerity party, Podemos, has been chanting “Si Se Puede” at its marches. I suppose that for people in those countries, the phrase has not become soiled by our domestic political wrangling. Or maybe the world still loves a catchy American meme.
I find the Spanish left-wingers especially humorous. Watch out, if you keep chanting that, you might get a…paralyzed center-right government? Oh well, perhaps their willingness to protest will get them what we haven’t been able to achieve. The Europeans are pretty good about standing up for themselves when they feel their quality of life is being curtailed.
My personal aspirations for “Yes We Can” are a lot more humble than they used to be. “Yes We Can” elect someone other than Scott Walker to be the next President? Please?
02/11/2015 at 2:36 pm
Sure. Okay, not a problem.
02/11/2015 at 5:48 pm
Thanks π
02/12/2015 at 12:17 am
I think you might need to join us in the bunker. Space is limited, though. I’m taking skin care products. I’ll start stocking up on gourmet canned food.
On a serious note, I went on a news diet from the start of “Yes we can.” I had to ask some colleagues who won America.
Look, I can probably take anyone except for Chris Christie. Please, Jesus, not him.
02/12/2015 at 7:43 pm
Oh, Lord! That guy would be a neverending comedy show!
Also, I appreciate the bunker offer, but I think I’ll hold off for just a little while longer… I have a few more things I want to get done up here π
02/12/2015 at 7:51 pm
Okay, but bring your own moisturiser and thermal water. The corner bunk is mine! xoxoxxoxxoxo Happy Valentine’s Day.
02/12/2015 at 7:53 pm
Haha, it’s only fair and you can have it! First come, first served! Have a wonderful V-Day as well π
02/12/2015 at 7:53 pm
Will do, and lots of hugs. Try not to drink all the wine.
02/12/2015 at 7:55 pm
Nope! I’m pretty good at not drinking all the wine–I detest hangovers. Hugs back!
02/13/2015 at 2:13 pm
Wait just a damn minute here!!! That’s my fucking Luxury Survival Bunker! http://www.survivalcondo.com/ And I haven’t even started taking applications for “auditions” yet, never mind made selections. At this point in time, the only residents with reservations are me and my dogs. (And I still haven’t saved anywhere near enough money to pay for it yet.)
Thanks to Obama, the need for it is closer and my ability to pay for it is further away.
02/13/2015 at 2:18 pm
We will all pitch in. It will be a community bunker. But please let me do the decorating. Happy Valentine’s Day. xoxoxo SB
02/11/2015 at 2:54 pm
I still believe we elected the best man in 08 and again in ’12. And I believe we still “can.” Nice post. π
02/11/2015 at 5:48 pm
Oh, don’t get me wrong. I would still vote for him! Especially given the alternative. But I’m also not surprised that down-to-earth reality could not quite live up to my ideals…it probably never will. I always expect too much.
02/12/2015 at 3:51 am
An eternal optimist. That’s a good thing to be.
02/12/2015 at 7:43 pm
I try!
02/13/2015 at 2:06 pm
That’s only because the actual “best man” (aka Sedate Me) was born in Canuckistan and -like Ted Cruse- is “ineligible” for the job.
As long as you guys keep being forced to “choose” between Worst Case Scenario and Second Worse Case Scenario, Obama is about the “best” you’re ever going to be allowed to see.
02/13/2015 at 5:34 pm
Ha! If only we had known Sedate Me would solve all of our problems. And hey, if Ted Cruz thinks he’s able to run, you should be able to do so too!
02/14/2015 at 1:26 pm
Hell yeah, I’d be solving all of America’s problems!
That is, right up until the moment The Powers That Be decide to take me out like they did to JFK. Although, the time frame would probably be more reminiscent of Pope John Paul 1st. http://www.prose-n-poetry.com/display_work/10583
02/14/2015 at 2:02 pm
Tragic! But I like it when people have a sense of their (potential) role in history, so kudos to you, sir.
02/13/2015 at 1:56 pm
I had ultra-low expectations for Mr Hope & Change to produce any of either. But he somehow managed to fail to meet even those. What’s worse is that the few positives were vastly outweighed by the negatives. For example:
As I thoroughly expected, Obama failed to raise a finger to prosecute the Cheney-Bush crime syndicate. But then he intentionally protected them by blocking prosecutions, investigations, or even the release of already discovered evidence. More importantly, he then went on to normalize spying, drone use, the War on Terra and all kinds of abuses, including a larger attack on whistleblowers and the media than BushCo waged.
And from what little I’ve heard, his latest Congressional ploy in the War on Terra sounds a hell of a lot like another Patriot Act style blank cheque for unending, unwinnable, perpetual wars & Big Brother tactics. Yet another President expanding the limitless powers of the Military-Industrial-Spy-Complex. In this case, Obama did substantially worse than just doing the nothing I expected from him…and it’s something that he can’t blame on anyone else but himself.
The exact same can be said of Wall Street and good cases can be made for saying the same about Climate Change, Class Warfare and other issues.
If not under Black Jesus, then when will anything good happen?
02/13/2015 at 5:42 pm
It sounds like the obvious answer would be nothing good will ever happen, but I don’t know that I believe that. And, scratch that–something good did happen, at least for us. My mother got insurance coverage and she was able to get some medical treatment she needed last year. Without the ACA, she would have been uninsured and my mind spins when I think how high the medical bill would be. True, there were a lot of negatives besides that, but there’s a bright spot for you π
Personally, I’m going to remain active at the local level. We’ve got a swirl of scandal going on in Oregon right now, but there are also a few good bills coming down the pike (including a possible minimum wage increase) and hopefully they will pass!
02/14/2015 at 2:22 pm
Oh, I’ll never encourage any leftie to give up trying! Especially in the political minor leagues. (aka City Hall) The occasional good thing still slips through the cracks there.
I just encourage them not to be even slightly optimistic. The Powers That Be will attempt to strangle anything good in its crib and almost always succeed. They’ve killed countless times before and they’ll kill countless more times. They are mass murderers of good ideas and they get better every year. We all just have to realize the system is rigged to require a miracle to get anything good done. The chances of something good happening “by accident” are probably greater than good happening “on purpose”.
For example, Obamacare. Democrats were in the White House and had majorities in both Houses of Congress BUT:
1) Drugs were off the table before there was even a table. The power of Big Pharma prevented anyone from even thinking about thinking about debating drug costs.
2) The “Public Option” was killed off before the word “option” was finished being pronounced for the first time.
Yes, it IS great that more people are covered. But why did more people get coverage? Because (except for a small bump in Medicaid in Blue States) this puppy was going to be 100% private insurance all the way! The only way The Powers That Be were going to let this quasi-universal insurance happen was if it was going to be 100% private. The theory was “More customers = more money.” Positive change, but only “by accident”
Me? This smug bastard was BORN with government paid medical insurance. Piddling little Canuckistan has had Medicare-For-All since the early 60’s. Meanwhile, all powerful America celebrates almost getting everyone the ability to BUY private insurance… some 50 YEARS LATER!
To me, getting excited about Obamacare is kind of like saying,
“Congratulations America on finally giving all Americans the right to buy cans of beans…Lima beans, mind you. Because not everyone deserves to be able to buy Boston Baked beans, especially the ones containing real bacon”
02/16/2015 at 7:17 pm
Oh sure, and it would be nice to have a single payer system. Problem is, we have to battle over here just to keep the lima bean version in existence, with Republicans constantly trying to repeal it and half the country brainwashed into thinking that this is “evil socialist health care”. I don’t know that I’m excited about Obamacare–it’s more that I’m relieved it’s there. Medical bankruptcy vs. not makes a real-life difference to my family. But we hopeless American lefties will keep trying to make things even better.
Speaking of which, if I’m going to be active, I have to be at least slightly optimistic–otherwise I wouldn’t be active!
02/17/2015 at 2:06 pm
Being an eternal optimist (ironic smirk), I just want to encourage all you Americans to keep on Hoping for Change. There’s reason to believe that, 50 years from now, American health care will accidentally progress to where Canada was 100 years earlier. π
(Why don’t I just rub some more salt into the wound like the
assholeevil, socialist, asshole that I am?)02/18/2015 at 7:31 pm
Oh, by all means, feel free to keep going π I’m what my friends like to refer to as pig stubborn, so no matter what anyone says, I focus on what I want to do anyway π