The British View of the New American Presidency

Posted by admin on January 26, 2009

According to Sean Gabb, author of “Barack Obama: An English View,” the British opinion of Obama can be divided into two categories. The first regards him as a combination of Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela– a savior of both Blacks and Americans in general. The second view is not as politically correct, as some believe Obama is like any other stereotypical black person, who will either be too radical in the Black Power Movement or too ignorant to really affect anything.

In his opinion both views are wrong. The second view is wrong for obvious reasons, while the first view is way too idealistic. In reality, although his accomplishment shouldn’t be ignored, at some point it is only so much that he can do for the average American’s life, even if he holds the most powerful position in the country.

African Americans should be especially cautious about viewing Obama as the ultimate savior, particularly when there are still many white people who are uncomfortable having a Black man in office. In fact, just two weeks before Obama’s inauguration, a black man was fatally shot by a police officer in California. He was unarmed and handcuffed, (a fact that is evidenced on tape), so he wasn’t a threat to the officer.

It is erroneous to believe that such incidents, along with less elaborate acts of racism will completely be eradicated. Things might even be a little worse as racist whites try to hold onto whatever power they believed they had.

Whites shouldn’t expect miracles either, as even Obama said it will take years before the economy heals.

But of course, even then will life really be any different? If you’re not willing to work hard, get Corporate training , get an education and think outside of the box, you’ll always be on the bottom rung of the ladder. And this is the case regardless of who is in office.