The Activist

Every time I see Barack Obama on stage, booming in his low, reassuring baritone voice about the “Change We Can Believe In,” I begin to feel slightly uncomfortable. Perhaps it has something to do with his good looks, which our image-obsessed society can’t get enough of. Perhaps it is the almost messianic way he addresses his swooning (sometimes fainting) supporters. Or perhaps it is the confidence which almost always accompanies an opposition party candidate seeking election during an era of nearly unrivaled political corruption, crony capitalism, economic instability, and failed imperialist fantasies. Then again, maybe it’s none of these things. My uneasiness most certainly has to do, however, with his policy positions and the hundreds of promises he has made to the American public – many of which have no hope of ever being brought to fruition. Of course, there are many Obama proposals which we Democratic Socialists hold near-and-dear: a universal health care plan (sort of), more affordable education, a more equitable distribution of wealth, an end to the politico-military circle-jerk war in Iraq, the preservation of reproductive rights, and a general mitigation of American arrogance abroad. The success of these ideas and their implementation would be extremely beneficial for our country and our world. I’m inclined to believe, however, that an Obama victory in November would not usher in an era of economic stability (can there be such a thing in a culture in love with capitalism?), political accountability, and the slew of other happy-sounding promises made by the Obama campaign. That is why we need him to win.

Pragmatically, the Democratic Socialists of America cannot afford to have the Democratic Party assuage the nation’s woes. Quick fixes offered by the Democrats help for a time, but are still much too reliant on the exploitation of the working class and the continued profits of big business (how else would they run their political campaigns?). Obama is not offering the American populace a democratization of the economy. During his presidency, then, there will still be those who are impoverished, those without opportunity, those who could afford to buy malaria vaccinations for the entire continent of Africa and instead purchase enough cars to fill up a salesman’s lot. Each day, men and women of every color, every religion, and every worldview will walk into their place of employment and throw their labor into a product which will be sold for an amount of capital they will never be able to take home or control. Only until the working class has the ability to avoid economic exploitation can there ever be true economic stability and security. When Obama fails to deliver on his promise of “change”, when the average American continues to be alienated from the economic decisions of his or her employer every working day, perhaps the public will finally see the futility of its love-affair with capitalism.

Furthermore, perhaps if Obama is elected – a man whose eloquence and reasonableness seem to be the antidotal anti-thesis to eight years of a Bush presidency – and fails, the people in this country will finally begin to seriously question the two-party system. “Open Ballot” voting is currently only legal in seven states (and only two of them really utilize the option). This makes the creation and sustenance of new political parties almost impossible (where at one time, “Open Ballot” voting was virtually legal across the country – It was banned when the Populists used it to build a massive alliance of farmers and industrial workers around the turn of the twentieth century . . . Go figure). Too often I hear of people voting for “the lesser of two evils.” What a terrible predicament to find oneself in.

With the failure of what looks to be America’s “best hope” – that is, a President Barack Obama – the disappointment in America’s political and economic structures might become so blatantly apparent as to beg the question, “Why not significantly change it?” Not a change in the way Obama promises, a change of particulars in a universal mess, but a massive undertaking which might have the potential to bring about a more socialized economy and a more inclusive political regime. So vote for Obama. Let the Democrats control both the White House and the Congress. Some things will get better, but some things – those things which tend to be the most important conceptual pillars of the Democratic Socialist movement – will not. And they won’t until the majority of Americans can be convinced that the current socio-political structure they live in needs to be scrapped and rebuilt, not just filled with quick-fixes, promises, and a few tax-breaks.

Matt Mingus is a YDS Member from the University of Florida

This posting paid for by the Democratic Socialists of America PAC.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.