The Shape of US
Populism
<>By
Henry C.K. Liu
Â
Part III: The
Progressive Era
<>The United States
entered the twentieth century with impressive concrete achievements in
political and economic reform derived from the ideological ferment of
the final
two decades of the nineteenth century. Still it has failed to this day
to
address, much less resolve, several of the fundamental contradiction
and
problems that had plagued the young nation from the very beginning.Â
The Civil War brought about the abolition of
slavery but
racial discrimination has continued unabated in US
society and politics, keeping the nation divided along race lines,
largely into
two separate economies, two segregated societies and two antagonistic
political
cultures. Most equal opportunity among the races has been in the form
of
tokenism. Among those denied equal opportunity because of their race,
the
common complaint about tokenism is that the mainstream only lets in
people who
look like us, but not those who think like us.
<>The Race Issue Â
<>
The race issue is now threatening to torpedo the near
certain nomination of Barack Obama, born in the US
of an African father and a white American mother, as Democratic
candidate in
the 2008 presidential campaign. The controversy on the seemingly
shocking rhetoric
of Reverent Jeremiah Wright, long-time mentor of a young Obama, and
recently
retired pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, shows
not the
pastorâs views as extremist as much as how clueless the white
mainstream is
about the centuries-long anger and frustration the majority of its
black
brethrens are still laboring under.Â
Wright is not anti-US nor is he against what the nationâs ideals
stand
for; he is condemning those policies and practices that the US
government and society have regularly forced on African American
citizens in
violation of the moral ideals of the nation. Can any self-respecting
American
do less?Â
The mainstream US press has focused, sensationally
and out
of context, on Rev. Wright âGod damn Americaâ
sermon. Readers can judge for themselves what Wright actually said:
âThe [US]
government gives them [African Americans] the drugs, builds bigger
prisons [to
incarcerate African Americans], passes a three-strike law [against
African
Americans] and then wants us to sing âGod Bless America.â No, no, no, God damn America,
thatâs in the Bible for killing innocent people...God damn America
for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America
for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme.â
Â
The test is less about Obama as a viable bi-racial
candidate
for president for being partially a product of the black political
culture as
much as about whether the United States
can finally fulfill the national pledge of allegiance required of every
grade
school children of âone nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice
for all.â The test is whether the US
can accept Obama as president without molding him as another empty
token of
racial harmony. There is no need for
Obama to deny reality or to reject justifiable black rage against
racial
injustice. Obamaâs message of moving on towards a coming together of
all races
is right on. The issue of racial and religious harmony is of critical
geopolitical importance because the president of the United
States is also a world leader in a
world
where over 70% of the population is non-white and 65% non-Christian.