Letter to liberales

Another day, another disappointment for progressives (this time, oil drilling), another reason to stop pretending that the Obama administration is something that it’s not.

Consider this an open letter to my liberal comrades, those who still believe that Barack Obama offers the kind of hope he promised during his campaign. He is better than the alternatives were, at least the major party candidates, but he is proving not to be a transformational president. In fact, he is nothing more than a milder, more liberal version of Bill Clinton, a member of the corporate status quo interested only in tinkering around the edge.

Liberal friends, as yourself these questions. Would you support a candidate who:

• expanded health coverage nominally by funnelling money to the insurance industry?
• signed an executive order endorsing a ban on the use of federal funds for abortions?
• expanded the war in Afghanistan and left much of the war in Iraq in place?
• opened off-shore areas to oil drilling?:
• supports the foolish notion that coal, one of the dirtiest fuels on the planet, can be made clean and green?
• defens the state secrets act, warrantless wiretapping, extraordinary rendition and other dubious, constitutionally suspect practices used in the war on terror?
• focused on budget cutting and deficit reduction when job creation demands a bigger stimulus?

You want to say “no,” but you would be lying to yourself, your continued, unquestioning loyalty to the president regardless of his actions is proof of the lie. Yes, Obama is better than McCain, Palin, even Hillary Clinton, but that is not enough, should not be enough.

Core principles matter. We have to show the president and Congress what our core principles are and make it clear they have to respect them, take them seriously and start building policy based on our core principles and not those of the corporate order.

• Send me an e-mail.
• Read poetry at The Subterranean.
• Suburban Pastoral, a chapbook by Hank Kalet, available here.

Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet