[Grovenet] A Canadian response to the election

[Walt Wentz]

A rather interesting take on the election by Taral Wayne, a Toronto 
freelance artist and thoughtful viewer of political affairs. Perhaps 
he can help us "see ourselves as others see us--" and he does give 
some indication of how US politics affects our neighbors.
Walt


Obama - On Election Night
Taral Wayne

The election was not exactly a landslide -- even though Obama has 
more than twice the electoral college votes, he had 48% of the 
popular vote. That means almost half the voters subscribed to 
Republican-Neocon baloney.  They believed that the GOP ticket (the 
party of do-nothing and business-as-usual) offered reform.  Then too, 
there's still Sarah Palin, the fundamentalist community's Great White 
Hope. She might not survive in politics long enough to matter, but 
it's disturbing to even consider the possibility of Sarah Palin as 
the party favourite for 2012. On the face of it, it would be insanity 
to pick such an unelectable eccentric.  But they did onceŠ

Perhaps it would be for the best if the GOP did repeat their mistakeŠ 
from the point of view of progressive Americans, of course.

Admittedly McCain conceded well, and Obama's speech was exactly what 
he needed to say on the eve of his victory -- cautioning people of a 
hard job ahead, and that there would be inevitable set-backs. Now, if 
only the knuckle-dragging element can resist the impulse to shoot 
him...

My guess is that the mere election of Obama will actually help 
restore some stability to the global economy. Hard to say how much. 
His election is no more than a symbol of potential change at this 
point.  But I think people feel hopeful about the outcome of that 
recent November night.  America is back!  The one that the world 
admired, not pitied and  feared.  Good vibes may well translate into 
some gains in the short term.  But make no mistake, there is much 
broken in the world's affairs that needs fixing.  It will be hard 
going.


Its also curious that Americans flocked to the polls while this time 
Canadians could hardly be bothered to put their beer down, and 
scratch an x on a ballot before going back to the beer. Whahoppen?  I 
didn't think the issues were that vague or boring.

In the meantime, our re-elected Tory government is in the act of 
retrenching itself.  While Americans are joining a world chorus for 
Change, Prime Minister Harper preaches Caution.  While the rest of 
the globe questions the institutions that led us to the brink of 
mutual catastrophes -- financial chaos, oil shortages, energy needs, 
food shortages, environmental change, political tensions, religious 
strife, terrorism, war - there is Canada - counseling delay!  Let us 
not act.  Wait and see.  Why fix what used to work?

For once it feels embarrassing to admit to being Canadian.


As for my thoughts about McCain and the President-Elect, Barack Obama 
represents at least a chance of change. He won't be able to alter 
anything truly fundamental in one term, or two.  I wouldn't worry 
about the USA becoming a peacenik, socialist, paradise, with free LSD 
given out by former DEA agents on the street corners. But all I think 
McCain could promise was more of the same that the Republicans have 
been serving America for the last eight years.   For that matter, 
there has been no basic difference in the way America has run for at 
least thirty years, regardless of which party sat in the White House. 
Ever since the Reagan Counter-Revolution, a fifty-year-long program 
of genuine reform had been systematically reversed, allowing once 
again the uncontrolled growth of corporate privilege and power, at 
the expense of ordinary people.

With Dubya, the counter-revolution took another giant step backward. 
America was being de-Americanized as corporations moved jobs, 
production, and assets, to nations even friendlier to the enjoyment 
of unfettered power.  Meanwhile, the armed forces began to take on 
more and more the aspect of the White House's private army.

At *best*, McCain was a throwback to Bush Sr., rather than the 
incompetence and autocracy of Bush Jr.  Trickle-down economics, 
deregulation, and lower taxes for the rich had done Americans little 
good since Ronald Reagan introduced them, and were unlikely to 
produce any bounty for average Americans in future either. 
Republican unilateralism had cost the nation its reputation 
world-wide, and deprived it of allies.  AndŠ Gawd help us.. what 
would have happened had McCain died of old age, mid-way through his 
inaugural speech, an over-seventy-year-old man finally worn out? 
President Palin would have probably turned the US into something 
resembling Dr. Seuss with nukes. Christian-Rights for Women, 
Creationism in schools, and a gun in every purse!

The idea that the Republican party could offer reform, and pretend it 
wasn't responsible for the ineptness, incompetence, 
short-sightedness, arrogance, and plain greed of the last eight years 
wasn't credible.  It is possibly the best thing that can be said for 
America, and for the future, that at least half the voters recognized 
it.



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