Congrats, again, to Obama!

June 3, 2008

We said this at the start of the primary season (over five months ago!).. but it is the kind of thing I have no problem repeating. The idea of an African American running for president is stunning.. and deserves to be turned around in the mind for a little while. Further, I cannot think of a political upset of greater magnitude during my adult life. Hillary Clinton began this race with all the key advantages: her husband's connections and fund-raising circle, key elements of the Democratic party leadership, and higher name recognition among the rank-and-file of the party. Obama's win was a stunning feat.. although given the closeness of the contest it was hardly what we might call a slam dunk. Obama is a unique candidate.. and at this point it is not just our thoughts, but our emotions that will be with him as he makes his run at the presidency.

update: Even as the November campaign kicks into gear, it is important to register the fact while Obama will be a great positive step, he is not a miracle worker. The fundamentals of the American situation are clear. We face a great challenge in learning to modify out lifestyle so that we live in a sustainable manner. Global warming is one aspect of this, but the simple fact of the finite nature of global resources is another. Ask yourself the question: Can every person on this planet—all 6.7 billion of them—live like an average American? Obviously that is impossible, there is not enough oil or meat or other resources to go around. Then is America committed to keeping the rest of the world living on far fewer resources? If we are not willing to allow that, we will see a growing global equality, beginning in parts of China and India now, and this will mean that all the prices for staples will go up until we consume less. Or maybe we want to try to preserve the global inequality in resource consumption.. in which case we will need to engage in more wars that bear a family resemblance to Iraq: rhetoric of freedom mixed with the underlying strategic goal of resource allocation. I fear that Americans will not take kindly to the reality of the imperative of less consumption.. and will insist on holding onto a lifestyle that demands global inequality. And that is ultimately a vision of the world that the Bushes and Cheneys of the world know well how to exploit.