Thursday, November 8, 2012

The results are in and as an African American I have to admit they are awe inspiring. Four years ago America elected its first Black president. Now that first black president has been reaffirmed for another term.  Not only has his efforts been recognized and approved by the majority of Americans, it was done in a resounding fashion. These are days I wasn't sure I would live to see. While as a young man in my twenties I was sure I would someday see a black president, the older and more experienced I became, the more skeptical I grew. In fact, in recent years my biggest fear has been losing many of the hard won gains blacks have achieved socially in America. I still have great fear that my grandchildren may yet have to re-fight the battles that cost us so much.

While we celebrate the re-election of Barack Obama, we must quickly begin to also consider the other ramifications of what has happened. I would submit that if we are not careful, this could be the beginning of a great slide back to a past we do not want to see. I am certain that as the dust settles, there will be a great deal of soul searching among those who fought so hard but lost. Especially among those who spent so much money only to not achieve their goals, there will be a great deal of discussion about how that money would have been better spent. I predict that with the realization that elections cannot be bought solely through the use of media, we will see an increased commitment to other possible measures.

The one thing Obama's re-election has clearly proven is that the greatest fears of the 1% has been realized. The nations diversity has already reached the point where the old time power of the WASP ruling class can be overcome. While the main stream republicans debate how to re-frame their message to attract more diversity  the nefarious few, the far right conservative fringe exemplified by the 1% will take a different course, I predict. There is absolutely a desire by conservatives to eliminate altogether majority rule. We have seen this effort grow since the 80's, beginning with the Reagan revolution. Until now conservative strategists felt that control of the supreme court was the key to re-litigating and therefore re-defining the social change this country has gone through since the end of segregation. But now that long term control of the court has been thwarted by the re-election of Obama, I predict there will be an increase of more direct action to reduce the number of people who can vote in any election. Not only will there be a dramatic increase in efforts to rig the vote and to reduce voting rolls, there will be even more dramatic efforts undertaken to legally limit the right to vote that so many Americans think is guaranteed by the constitution that in fact are not. Historically the term conservative has always meant those who oppose majority rule. What the majority of Americans need to come to grips with is that this imperialistic minority want to be the ruling class, and so no matter what they say publicly, they do not care about the fate of the common person, Democrat or Republican.

If you go back and take a long look at what Franklin Roosevelt did to insure the success of the New Deal, you will also see the answer to our current situation. Roosevelt not only put people to work, employing them in public works when private industry could not fill the need, which produced the much needed revenues to pay the nations debts through the increased number of taxpayers, which actually benefits the rich and the poor, he also led a social change in our society. People were urged to become involved in local politics. Roosevelt knew the conservatives would do all they could to undermine his efforts, so he got democrats to become precinct committee people at their local election boards and to take active roles in making sure the process could not be rigged for failure by those who opposed him. In every area where conservatives tried to undermine his efforts, he took swift action to deal with them and the more obvious his policies were working, the more aggressive the people became in supporting what he did. This is how we overcame the great depression and this led directly to the industrial revolution and the creation of the worlds strongest middle class. This kind of action is what we need now.

It is very important that we remember that in just two years, 2014, there will be another election. Progressives must get involved now to take back the House of Representatives from the obstructionists of both parties and elect progressive democrats and republicans who will work together to serve the best interests of the people. The willingness to compromise and work together must become the new bench mark for measuring the success of our elected officials, and when they fail to do so, they must be replaced immediately. We cannot allow a repeat of 2010 which gave us the most dysfunctional congress in history. If we do not take these actions, and we revert to the kind of complacency that allowed 2010 to happen, we will surely be laying the foundation for what can only ultimately end in bloody revolution. We must also push our officials, Obama on down, to create a constitutional amendment affirming every citizens right to vote and setting the criteria by which it is to be carried out, with severe penalties for those who attempt to undermine or violate it. We must put in place tariffs and restrictions on access to our markets by those who manufacture elsewhere, and we must reaffirm the role of the supreme court as a legal body without powers to legislate, as was the purpose of the constitution. The time is now.