Socialists Expecting Business-as-Usual from President-Elect Obama
by Stewart A. Alexander
November 18, 2008
It has been two weeks since a majority of Americans went to the polls to cast their votes electing Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States. However, socialists nationwide are not joining the celebrations; socialists believe Obama's victory is only a win for the capitalist ruling class and a setback for working class people.
Beyond the title wave of liberal Obama fanfare that has engulf much of the nation, Obama's election only represents a changing of the guard to usher in a new administrator for the capitalist ruling elite. As a result of his election Barack Obama is now beholden to big business and the corporate contributors that paid his way to victory.
Matt Erard, with Socialist Party USA, notes that Barack Obama's electoral victory "was established with the largest intake of corporate contributions ever received by any candidate in world history, within the framework of a corporate two-party system established to ensure that the only truly determinative option voters have, at best, is choosing which functionary of the ruling class they wish to represent them." It is important to note that the capitalist elite invested more than $600 million toward Obama's victory and billions more on television, radio, and print media.
Now, only days after the election, President-elect Obama is moving within the old Washington establishment to carve his pathway as president; recruiting his team of leaders and advisors from the Clinton and Bush administrations. His choices are already offering a glimpse into the future of his presidency.
Socialists, throughout the U.S. and the world, have been strongly opposed to the occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan; an occupation that has resulted in over 4,800 U.S. casualties and more than 1.2 million deaths in these two war torn nations. Barack Obama has already made clear that it is his desire to keep Robert Gates as Defense Secretary in his administration. Obama has offered no indication that he will take any positions to end the U.S. involvement in Iraq or Afghanistan; to the contrary, Obama has taken the position to protect the interest of the capitalist ruling class which will push U.S. militarism to greater limits in the Middle East and throughout Western Europe.
Socialists are also opposing the bailouts of big corporations that are now threatening a national and global financial meltdown. These bailouts have been designed by the capitalist ruling class, using public funds to protect the profits and interest of Wall Street and the billionaires of the world. Barack Obama has supported the bailouts of the Bush administration and has indicated that he will support another stimulus package that is now being urged by President Bush.
In early 2008, President Bush backed a $168 billion stimulus package that was an economic disaster; these public funds offered no relief to the millions of U.S. families that are now struggling to keep their homes, to keep food on the table and to pay their bills. Now the $700 billion economic bailout, that was also backed by Obama and rushed through Congress, is already being question by many of the nation's top economic analyst, with serious doubts whether the funds will ease the current economic crisis.
It is likely the Obama presidency will be a continuation of the present Bush White House; expanding U.S. imperialism and more repression for working people. It is also likely that working people will experience the greatest economic downturn this nation has experienced within the past 100 years and the world will witness the rebirth of the Cold War.
Barack Obama has offered no indications that he is prepared to make any major shifts from the present Bush White House; Obama is only a new face for the oppressors of the working class.
But from a Socialist perspective, would you rather have had McCain in the white house?