A Commentary on the Passing Scene by
Robert Paul Wolff
rwolff@afroam.umass.edu
Friday, July 29, 2011
SCARY THOUGHT
If, God forbid, Barack Obama and Joseph Biden should die, John Boehner would become President of the United States. We might want to think about revisiting the Constitutional Succession Act of 1947.
He might back a coup in Honduras? Torture Bradley Manning? Authorize no warrant, no trial, american citizen assassination overseas? Create indefinite detention? Expand a war into Yemen Somalia and Afghanistan? Create a new rendition and torture regime in Somalia? Cancel climate negotiations with world leaders? Maintain the worst of NAFTA? attempt to try Assange? Expand the war powers act to garner unprecedented presidential powers? Re-pass the patriot act? Deny exponentially more freedom of information acts than Bush? Expand our military bases in Okinowa against the protest ofthe mayor and the entire citizen body? (this list could keep going but I'm sick typing it)
Oh wait no... That was all stuff Obama did! Whoops!
OK. If you really think there is no significant difference between Obama and Boehner, then we inhabit different universes, and I cannot see how to engage in a fruitful disagreement with you on this.
"The executive of the modern state is nothing but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie."
Obama was the best choice for the ruling class in 2008. Just look at who funded his campaign. He's largely funded by the finance industry; the industry he consistently aids at the cost and expense of the average working class American.
I mean sure there's some differences between the two, but at the end of the day, when you add up body count and erosion of civil liberties, I have a hard time defending the man as "significantly" anything other than a monster.
I draw the line at murdering and torturing people. Call me old fashioned...
He might back a coup in Honduras?
ReplyDeleteTorture Bradley Manning?
Authorize no warrant, no trial, american citizen assassination overseas?
Create indefinite detention?
Expand a war into Yemen Somalia and Afghanistan?
Create a new rendition and torture regime in Somalia?
Cancel climate negotiations with world leaders?
Maintain the worst of NAFTA?
attempt to try Assange?
Expand the war powers act to garner unprecedented presidential powers?
Re-pass the patriot act?
Deny exponentially more freedom of information acts than Bush?
Expand our military bases in Okinowa against the protest ofthe mayor and the entire citizen body?
(this list could keep going but I'm sick typing it)
Oh wait no... That was all stuff Obama did! Whoops!
OK. If you really think there is no significant difference between Obama and Boehner, then we inhabit different universes, and I cannot see how to engage in a fruitful disagreement with you on this.
ReplyDeleteYou're a Marxist too professor:
ReplyDelete"The executive of the modern state is nothing but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie."
Obama was the best choice for the ruling class in 2008. Just look at who funded his campaign. He's largely funded by the finance industry; the industry he consistently aids at the cost and expense of the average working class American.
I mean sure there's some differences between the two, but at the end of the day, when you add up body count and erosion of civil liberties, I have a hard time defending the man as "significantly" anything other than a monster.
I draw the line at murdering and torturing people. Call me old fashioned...
p.s. Over the past year of reading your books, and blog, I can warmly say, you're always more than capable of engaging in "fruitful" contention.
ReplyDelete