tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130830332820181818.post7035773421422669952..comments2024-03-27T13:13:25.164-04:00Comments on johnshaplin: On Patriotism by Randall Kenedyjohnshaplinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618981988062495637noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130830332820181818.post-36732128549276465572012-01-25T13:48:47.229-05:002012-01-25T13:48:47.229-05:00Obama was never as liberal as some progressives im...Obama was never as liberal as some progressives imagined him, to be. Apostles have consistently given his ambiguous rhetoric more of a leftish spin than was ever warranted. A revisiting of Obama’s speeches and writings reveals numerous instances of illusory promises. Moreover, the list of his retreats from progressive commitments is considerable and will undoubtedly grow. In defense of Obama, supporters cite the need for strategic prudence and adaptability. But, in my view, Obama underappreciates that sometimes a political leader can win in the long wrong by pushing a position or an appointment in the short. With Obama, unfortunately, his supporters on the left (champions of the poor, civil libertarians, gay rights activists, organized labor, environmentalists, antiracists) have good reason to worry about the extent to which he will fight to advance or defend their aspirations. Obama’s much-vaunted pragmatism degenerates at key moments into mere expediency, facilitating default on the difficult task of promoting progressive policies and values… his political cautiousness prompts him on many occasions to cede excessive ground to the right.johnshaplinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17618981988062495637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130830332820181818.post-26817984017188592012012-01-24T16:28:16.005-05:002012-01-24T16:28:16.005-05:00I am not blaming Obama – at least not solely or ma...I am not blaming Obama – at least not solely or mainly. The problems are beyond the capacity of any single person to remedy, even a president. They include a deeply flawed Constitution, prevalent strains of bigotry, and defective institutions, most importantly public schools and the Fourth Estate, that mis-educate an appallingly ignorant populace. Unless the obstacles that confront liberal reformism are removed, a presidency capable of delivering upon a truly progressive agenda may well be impossible.johnshaplinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17618981988062495637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130830332820181818.post-45331281252455051802012-01-24T16:26:23.061-05:002012-01-24T16:26:23.061-05:00The mass incarceration disaster that so starkly an...The mass incarceration disaster that so starkly and disproportionately burdens black communities dramatically decreases opportunities for employment, civic engagement, and family life. And nothing more reinforces the stigmatization of African Americans than their pervasive association with imprisonment and recidivism and all of their many dismal consequences. Yet little has been done or will likely be done by the Obama administration to address this massive problem. Challenging the destructive Romance of hyper-punitiveness would be risky for any politician. For Obama, though, the risk would be greater still, since taking a strong stand against mass incarceration would encounter intense opposition, invite association with the most despised sector of colored America, and prompt complaints of racial partiality. This is a risk Obama is unwilling to take.johnshaplinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17618981988062495637noreply@blogger.com