Editorial
Not All America is Racist
On January 21, 2017, we predict that the drag on the U.S. economy will, finally, be lifted. Just as would have happened if Mitt Romney had won the November 2012 General Election against Barack Obama, those forces that are keeping the American economy back will, magically, evaporate the day after Obama leaves office. But of course, this is a tad hyperbolic since Bill Clinton faced his hordes of economic Hades. The 42 president and last liberal before Obama was severely cast as a socialist, and even when his Southern bona fides weren’t in doubt – he was Governor of Arkansas – the Republicans went after him for dodging the Vietnam draft, they never left his non-traditional wife alone and actually escaped with two scalps; successfully defeating ‘Hillarycare’ and impeaching Bill.
Nonetheless,the heart of the matter is that after Barack Obama leaves office – with a 95 percent chance that the 45th president of these United States will be either a white man or woman – many will calm the f*#k down! And here, we resort to such uncouth language simply because nothing expresses the current much ado about nothing better than expletives.
The reason the U.S. economy is suffering or not performing at par must be reduced to a certain section of the American populace who refuses to share in building the nation because of Barack Obama. And although we tend to disagree with Dennis Matanda, our resident expert on American politics, we cannot help but see the sense in his reductionist logic.
Right wing populism has, since time immemorial, been part of the American fabric. This political ideology rejects existing consensus, focuses on appealing to the common man, is anti-elitist and is not necessarily concerned with preserving the status quo like conservatives or, in this case, the Republican party. Today, the Tea Party, which has, single handedly, brought the U.S. economy to its knees – begging for mercy, so to speak – basically ‘worries’ about the growing power of political, economic, and cultural elites and is now a platform for conservative populist discontent.
But beneath the latent anger is something more. Just like the irrational anger seen in the Midwest against immigrants, the sentiments expressed against Barack Obama are almost suicidal. Obama is seen as ‘the other’ and is not a legitimate leader of the free world. Anything he does is considered ‘alien’ and anti American. And yet, Obama’s favorability in poll after poll has not been under water. In fact, even if many do not approve of the way he handles the economy or whatever crisis Congress seems to manufacture, they like him, his beautiful family and cannot juxtapose him with the philandering liberal in Clinton.
Yet the Tea Party continues to march against him and his initiatives. They say he wants to socialize the country and ensure that the Federal Government takes over. Even in the face of evidence that government is much smaller than it was during the time of George W. Bush. Many federal employees have lost their jobs and the state governments are being allowed additional leeway. For example, in the federal government asking them to run health care exchanges under a law conservatives sneeringly call ‘Obamacare,’ states would receive large amounts of money to basically ensure that their own people have more access to medical insurance.
To the outside, it would seem irrational that a governor like Texas’ Rick Perry or Florida’s Rick Scott would not want to improve the health of his state. After all, those who go to the emergency rooms and receive treatment for free simply increase the cost of health insurance on everyone. Nonetheless, it comes down to this: There are a few institutions benefiting from the status quo.
Obamacare changes things much too fast – radically, in fact – and suddenly, better quality coverage must be afforded to over 30 million people. Polls show that although Americans are suspicious of health insurance, most also think that insurance companies should not reject people simply because they have a hole in their hearts or other pre-existing conditions. Obamacare addresses that ever so well, and soon, many people will not go bankrupt simply because a child or spouse fall gravely ill.
And yet, its the poor people in the South and Middle of the U.S. who are mostly against Obamacare. Is there a chance that they do not want to receive a handout from a socialist who also has something to do with Islam? It does not help that this man in the White House is black – and for the record, the Affordable Care Act is much more popular than Obamacare. Many do not even know that its exactly the same thing.
The Habari Network Editorial Board
October 14 – 20, 2013
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