GPDP
28th September 2009, 08:34
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594516316/ref=ox_ya_oh_product
A book by leftist historian Paul Street.
This book examines Obama's career, his political stances and values, and the phenomenon that took the United States by storm, culminating in his election to the U.S. Presidency (though this book was written a few months before that), as well as the reasons for why that phenomenon came to be and why Obama became such a favorite within our ruling institutions. It leaves no stone unturned in wading through Obama's record in the Senate, as well as closely examining his speeches and writings throughout his political career, from his start in politics as an Illinois state senator, to his best-selling book, The Audacity of Hope, to his intense presidential campaign.
Make no mistake: it is a highly critical book. Street bases his analysis from a left-wing socialist point of view, and demolishes the contemporary myths (which Street foresees will undoubtedly come up later) that Obama is a "socialist," or any kind of progressive for that matter. Instead, he lets Obama's record, his speeches, and his writings speak for themselves, and thus identify him squarely within the mainstream ideological spectrum, indeed well to the right of center on a variety of issues (most notably that of racism and imperialism, on which Obama is particularly conservative). It gives credit where it is due, and denounces those statements and actions Street deems as particularly reactionary.
In the end, Street stays shy of claiming that an Obama presidency would be utterly worthless or even reactionary, as he sees a glimmer of hope of progressive grassroots movements pushing Obama to the left. But whether or not you agree with that analysis, I believe the book is enjoyable and supremely informative in helping debunk much of Obama's image, whether it is Obama the messianic progressive as his left-liberal supporters naively see him, or Obama the traitorous socialist (i.e. uppity black man) as his right-wing conservative/racist/proto-fascist detractors dishonestly brand him. I highly recommend everyone read it.
A book by leftist historian Paul Street.
This book examines Obama's career, his political stances and values, and the phenomenon that took the United States by storm, culminating in his election to the U.S. Presidency (though this book was written a few months before that), as well as the reasons for why that phenomenon came to be and why Obama became such a favorite within our ruling institutions. It leaves no stone unturned in wading through Obama's record in the Senate, as well as closely examining his speeches and writings throughout his political career, from his start in politics as an Illinois state senator, to his best-selling book, The Audacity of Hope, to his intense presidential campaign.
Make no mistake: it is a highly critical book. Street bases his analysis from a left-wing socialist point of view, and demolishes the contemporary myths (which Street foresees will undoubtedly come up later) that Obama is a "socialist," or any kind of progressive for that matter. Instead, he lets Obama's record, his speeches, and his writings speak for themselves, and thus identify him squarely within the mainstream ideological spectrum, indeed well to the right of center on a variety of issues (most notably that of racism and imperialism, on which Obama is particularly conservative). It gives credit where it is due, and denounces those statements and actions Street deems as particularly reactionary.
In the end, Street stays shy of claiming that an Obama presidency would be utterly worthless or even reactionary, as he sees a glimmer of hope of progressive grassroots movements pushing Obama to the left. But whether or not you agree with that analysis, I believe the book is enjoyable and supremely informative in helping debunk much of Obama's image, whether it is Obama the messianic progressive as his left-liberal supporters naively see him, or Obama the traitorous socialist (i.e. uppity black man) as his right-wing conservative/racist/proto-fascist detractors dishonestly brand him. I highly recommend everyone read it.