Age of Obama: Beginning of the End of Racism

Almost a year after Obama's historic victory in the U.S. election, the strange wave of euphoria that swept around the world is finally morphing into some long-awaited rational discourse. What was it that appealed to people's emotions around the world?

I have been hesitating to write about Obama from the race angle as the man stands for a lot more than just his bi-racial ancestry. It felt as if talking about his race would somehow distract from his 21st-century global persona. Followers of U.S. Politics have been scratching their heads over recent phenomena like the 'birther' movement, the silly 'tea parties', and the riveting signs and antics of right-wing (and exclusively white) demonstrators in the United States. A pattern has started to emerge -- a pattern that finally hit home for a lot of us at the same time, and which Maureen Dowd of the New York Times captured quite well in “Boy, Oh, Boy” (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/opinion/13dowd.htm).


Structural Racism and Social Mobility

Rich Benjamin (http://www.richbenjamin.com/about.html) is writing a book called 'Whitopia', and he has divided racism into 'interpersonal racism and structural racism', and he concludes that while the former is going down, the latter is still there. He also finds class differences to be a major part of the current struggle. Poor whites in America, and formerly privileged classes elsewhere in the world, are suffering and not being able to make much sense of it are being exploited by opportunistic politicians. In the U.S., it was the plight of poor whites that Obama was somewhat successful in channeling as part of his victorious electoral coalition.

With Obama breaking the highest glass ceiling there is, the poor non-white class has finally broken out of the spotlight on its plight and the general put-down perceptions created by prevalent structural racism. Hot-button dividing issues in the U.S. and elsewhere – such as crime, welfare, laziness, prison populations, lack of education etc. – are economic issues, and structural racism keeps class and ethnic divisions alive.

The structural racism that developed over time to prolong the status quo is now working against the poor white class itself. In other words, the thinly-veiled non-egalitarianism that took root with Thatcherism and Reaganism, together with the glorification of privatization and greed around the world have resulted in less social mobility and reduced safety nets. There has been little growth, and even a slight decline, in social mobility since 1970 levels, and social scientists have studies showing that people are driven to paying less taxes and being less charitable when they perceive that their money will be spent on 'others'. For example, the cost of higher education has gone up for everyone everywhere, but non-whites in the America and the general under-privileged elsewhere (e.g. India) have prospered as less racism or ethnic-centrism has opened up opportunities for them, while the privileged have seen a reduction of opportunities as funds have dried up and the profit motive has invaded all spheres of human activity.

In the U.S., laws enacted against racism have finally enabled a multi-racial person to electorally gain the highest possible office, but at the same time, the structural response to those laws has created an economic shift that in turn has created a predicament for a new poor white class. In Pakistan, conversely but with the same theory, the flexibility of laws for the privileged has created increasing lawlessness as social mobility has gone up dramatically due to business income, but without a corresponding increase in access to education. India and China have had better success: the advantages that were not accessible to the formerly under-privileged ethnic groups and 'scheduled castes' have resulted in increased access to education, a vibrant economy, and an increasing social mobility for the formerly under-privileged, with the slight risk of flight for the formerly privileged.


The age of Obama: Challenges for purity-seekers from A to Z

Diverse champions of 'purity' like the Gulf Arabs, RSS of India (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) , Al-Qaeda and Zionists, are all struggling to come to terms with the multi-racial Barack Hussein Obama as the most powerful leader of the world. I was in the Gulf in the period leading up to the last American election season, and being able to read a bit of Arabic, I was surprised at very little mention of Obama in the Arabic papers while the English papers would be full of coverage, most of it negative. It was an 'Obama moment' for them: despite the egalitarianism of early Islam, and the story of Bilal (ra), it was clear that Arab tribalism and nationalism was very uncomfortable of the success of a multi-racial society. As a matter of fact Gulf Arabs sometimes look up to white Westerners, questioning non-white Westerners with an abrupt 'asl'? 'Asl' means origin or root.

Al-Qaeda cannot find recruits if the son of a Muslim with an Islamic name and Muslims in his extended family can become the president of the United States. Hindu nationalists are subdued in their anti-Muslim rhetoric, and Sudarshan perceived the change and finally had the courage to write the truth about Jinnah. The struggle of Zionists with Obama will be another article altogether, hopefully soon.


Implications for the U.S. And Britain

Britain, like the current U.S., was once a melting pot of hard-working and thinking people from all national and ethnic origins. In both these countries that have led the world for the past four hundred years, there is a deep realization that diversity breeds ideas and egalitarianism results in economic progress. However recent political opportunism has backfired, and they are faced with a tough choice: Which message to send to the poor white class, on whom the spotlight is focused right now, and will be for the next 10 years.

The two messages vying for the support of the poor white class are:

1. Racial Message: The non-whites, through sheer numbers, are going to take over and change our way of life. Meanwhile they are the burden on the government that does not let you benefit from its largesse, and you remain poor and without opportunities.

2. Equality Message: We are all very similar in our strengths, weaknesses, and problems. The solution to our problems is to pull together and provide a level playing ground for the weakest of us, so that economic security and social mobility returns.

When you see Obama comfortable in his skin as he is, you can see a truly post-racial leader, who does compromise but does not appease any special interest or ethnic group. When he told bankers that they were talking to a person who had recently relied on credit cards to get through life, or when he says that no sick person should have to worry on their death-bed like his mother had to, he really means it. What a situation: in addition to the economic upheaval, throw in a multi-racial, socially conscious and supra-national president of the United States, and suddenly the plot has thickened beyond anyone's anticipation.

Which of the two messages gets picked up by the current majority poor white class in these two countries will determine the tone of national and international peace for the rest of this century.