Carolinian

Issue date: 11/18/08 Section: Opinions

It was impossible not to feel a historical euphoria when Barack Obama walked the stage to give his acceptance speech. Obama ran a superior campaign, and the election reflected this. To know that students shed the label of "politically apathetic" in order to elect the United State's first black president reflects a defining moment in our time. Hate speech and racially bigotry suffered a blow and the majority of the population has distanced themselves from the (hopefully) final death thrashings of a pathetic assassination plot and an instance of racist graffiti on NCSU's campus. With that said, a few points need to be made.

Capitalism is and will continue to be the prevailing system which exploits the poor for the benefit of the rich. White men will continue to be better paid than minorities. In sweatshops in America and overseas, people labor for long hours and low wages with little possibility of improving their conditions as U.S. consumers continue to buy Levi's jeans and Nike shoes. The environment suffers as low gas prices, due to the faltering economy, encourage us to drive wastefully once again. Thank you to those who continue to carpool, bike, walk, use public transportation, and utilize the "Think! Green" tips on the front page of The Carolinian.

The passage of the anti-LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) Proposition 8 in California and the ban on unmarried adoptions in Arkansas is a reflection of the enduring homophobia and pervasive control of the religious right. Elizabeth Dole's "Godless Americans" ad would have succeeded in ruining Kay Hagan's chances of winning if Hagan had not proved her church eldership status. In other words, Hagan did not claim the constitutional defense of freedom of religion, reinforcing the truth that one has to demonstrate their godliness to be elected to office.

The U.S. military occupation of the Middle East needs to end. Bush's final months in office has been marked by expanded War on Terror operations into Syria and yet another air strike in Afghanistan which this time killed 40 civilians, including 22 women and 6 children. This is at least the third instance since July where U.S. led operations yielded a large number of civilian casualties. How many more civilians will be killed due to "accidental" airstrikes before President-Elect Obama is sworn in on January 20? Will he immediately begin withdrawing forces with the support of a Democratic majority in Congress? On the contrary, according to his earlier comments Obama wants to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan to 30,000. Perhaps Obama will follow through with his promise to withdraw virtually all troops in Iraq by the summer of 2010, but the prospect of a total U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East under an Obama administration does not seem likely.

Of course, the economic crisis will be Obama's primary concern and progressive national policy regarding sweatshops and LGBT rights will remain non-existent. Meanwhile, in an effort to remind the citizens of the true victor of the election, activists last Wednesday replaced USA Today news covers with the alternative cover: "Capitalism Wins at the Polls." The Raleigh News and Observer received a press statement which read: "Capitalism has always won at the polls, and it always will. McCain and Obama's support for the financial bailout proved this, and ensured that any vote would be a vote for Wall Street. The real stories worth telling are those of resistance and struggle, any instance where oppressed people attempt to realize dignity, autonomy and equality in their daily lives."

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