Settling for the Symbolic
Bernard Creamer, Jr.
I remember in 2008 exactly how I felt watching the election results and watching Obama take the helm as the Commander in Chief of the United States. Even as an Afro-centered teacher of History, Political Science, Sociology, Financial, and Media Literacy, I got caught up in what the moment represented. I’ ve always known that it doesn’ t make much of a difference who the POTUS is, as America’ s foreign and domestic policies tend not to change, and I teach this to my students. In general, America’ s foreign policies are anchored in Manifest Destiny / Imperialism, and it’ s domestic policies are firmly entrenched in exploiting the poor and people of color for profits. All foreign and domestic policies are children of America’ s economic system, capitalism. Profits over people. The evil deeds required to bolster capitalism are generally carried out through America’ s powerful media and it’ s political system which provide Americans with the illusion of inclusion; we get to vote, so we therefore believe that it is us, the people, who elect our leaders. Nothing is further from the truth. Corporations, banking interests, and lobbyists select this country’ s Presidents. We reside in a“ corporatacracy”, not a democracy. Even firmly rooted in what I’ ve long known about American politics and it’ s elections, I still got caught up.