In January, when the United States remembered the tragic death of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., an urban history professor at the University of Buffalo named Henry Louis Taylor Jr., bitterly remarked: “All we know is that this guy had a dream. We don’t know what that dream was.” Taylor was referring to an erasure of historical memory after King’s… return to article
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Reader Comments (2)Page 1 of 1 pagesI agree, but the audacious potential of “radical” or semi-radical rhetoric to influence political actors or to shape dominant discourses exists only temporarily. I.e. Obama’s (earlier offer of) Change - talking to Iran, Cuba, Venezuela - was radically attractive in its imagined contrast to Bush’s unpopularity; or, his Change represent(ed) real progressivism in our Modern American Political Climate—yet once broached these ideas were incorporated or incorporated themselves into dominant systems (Bush talking to Iran), immediately stripping Obama’s appeals of their very radical nature. Now, talking to Iran is not radical because it has been done - regardless of how. This is at least somewhat positive from a radical perspective, but only under the assumption that we immediately go one step further…working directly with Iran in Israel/Palestine, organizing a summit of Islamic organizations, etc. For Obama, whose “radical” ideas are restrained by his participation within/concessions to the normal American political process, his status as a dreamer was short-lived and is over, as far as we know. This is not a bad conclusion, and Change could possibly include an ever-progressing administrative ideology, but I think the actual change that voters may select would be a pragmatic version of actively fulfilling policy promises vs. one of radical rhetorical dissension against global systems.
Posted by gztourek on Sep 3, 2008 at 1:09 AM Joe Biden said on September 3 that he and Barack Obama will pursue criminal charges against the Bush administration.
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/news/16917#comment-129791
Contact the Obama/Biden campaign and tell them that unless there is repeated, emphatic commitment on this issue you aren’t going to vote for them and you’re going to encourage others to refuse to vote for them also.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/contact2
FREE AMERICAREVOLUTIONARY (DIRECT) DEMOCRACY
Posted by mschlee on Sep 6, 2008 at 9:49 AM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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