So Barack Obama locked up the Democratic Nomination a few days ago, and I’ve been thinking of what to write on it. I think it’s important to realize the historic moment Obama’s candidacy represents in U.S. racial politics. 25 years ago an African-American had little shot of doing nearly anything in the electoral arena, so to see this happen is a good barometer of where society and capitalism are at.

The 2008 presidential race isn’t the same election as last time. To claim as much is to ignore the historic fact that an African-American man and a woman were the two people left standing in the Democratic primary, and overlook what this means for the energy that exists. Such an about face by the power structure is unprecedented. It represents a concession on the part of power to try to stave off social struggle. Even as anarchists, puritanical political positions get us nowhere. Let’s think with strategy.

I’m specifically thinking about anarchist/anti-authoritarian movements here, which normally approach political campaigns in a dismissive manner. This tends to alienate us from actual movement in social struggles and essentially results in shooting ourselves in the foot. These groundswells of struggle represent themselves in electoral terms, and we as anarchists need to meet people were they are, and move forward if we want to be involved in the greater movement.

Though many of the social movements built around Obama’s candidacy admittedly ignore a more thorough analysis of capitalism, I think it’s important and critical to look at them closely. By this I mean look at the aspirations and desires of communities of color (especially African-American ones) and look at the message of hope and change people are projecting onto Obama as a figure. It is from this framework that we can work as radicals. We ignore the reality and importance of these factors at our own peril, and we risk an even more serious rift between white activists/“anarchists” and communities of color.

Dialogue/exchange/discussion is necessary with people who want a lot of what we all want: a better life.

I am not saying that anarchists should be volunteering for the Obama campaign, but I’ll be damned if I am going to be on the opposite end of one of the most amazing social movements toward progressive change in my lifetime within the Imperial power.
The African-American community, along with formerly unmotivated participants in recent social movements (people like my parents), are all interested in politics right now. How do we engage with this movement in a way that moves towards long-lasting change, political education, consciousness-raising, etc. How do we work with what we have towards the best direction possible?

Obama is a conduit for people’s real desires right now, so let’s work with that energy, that power. Ignoring/being ‘above’ the desires of ordinary folks (elitism/absenteeism from movement building) can only work against us.

Obviously the “change” Obama promises will never come to the point we would want it to as a movement, but I think that we need to take the road that is being laid out, and keep pushing it; keep making the road as we walk it. Obama is a politician, and politicians say what they have to in order to get elected. Movements can, however, use the rhetoric of politicians as a jump-off point to produce the change in people’s lives that candidates only promise.

In working with “Obama Nation”-esque folks, I normally say something along the lines of: “Oh, totally, some of what he has to say is 100% right on. I think it’s important to remember what he himself said about Dr. King. He said that Dr. King wouldn’t endorse him, that Dr. King would hold his feet to the fire and force him to give in because Dr. King knew that politicians need to be forced to be accountable by grassroots base organizations. My focus is on building that base.”

I think that analysis is a clear one, and it allows us to take the air out of Obama a bit, and redirect it towards long-term revolutionary gain. Politics is a process. If we look at Chela Sandoval’s theory of Differential Consciousness it is totally applicable here. We can shift in and out of different relevant modes of being/existing in struggle while keeping our eyes on our ultimate goal, and the long and contradictory road towards it.

Love,

Harjit Singh Gill

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