"....I was just speaking with someone who was at a Montclair fundraising party for Barack Obama a year and a half ago. And he quoted this famous quote from A. Philip Randolph, when he went to FDR to demand something, and FDR turned to him and said, "Make me do it"...."
Amy Goodman from Democracy Now, regarding FDR's first 100 days in office.
It is likely true today just as it was during the era of Franklin Delano Roosevelt that American Presidents have to have a major reason to act counter to the power and wealth that actually control elected officials.
Unfortunately this is a truth that we must come to realize and that is in order for the political establishment to move beyond the control and influence of the military industrial complex they have to be made to do it. Now a few politicians, like President-Elect Obama, are more willing than other politicians to be made to act in the interests of the American people. A lot of politicians, like President G.W. Bush, would never consider acting in the interests of the people unless there was a revolution.
Fortunately, we do have a President that is willing to "make me do it" and for that we should be grateful. But instead of just being grateful, it is time now for the people to speak on issues of health care, the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and now in Gaza (this is an Israeli/American operation in Gaza), the economy, the rights of workers, human rights, and a just society.
It is now time to demand that our government act in the interests of the people. We must make President Obama do what he seemingly wants to and that is to change some of the systemic abuse that we call the military industrial complex.
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By Grant Lawrence (about the author)
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I work as a school counselor and mental health counselor in Gallup New Mexico.
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Obama Capone
by Edward Safranski on Saturday, Jan 10, 2009 at 8:42:05 AM
Brick Brack...
by William Whitten on Saturday, Jan 10, 2009 at 8:13:13 PM
It doesn't have to be this way...
by David Kendall on Saturday, Jan 10, 2009 at 9:10:44 AM
See FDR's team
by Deena Stryker on Saturday, Jan 10, 2009 at 11:19:48 AM
HR 676
by treehugger on Saturday, Jan 10, 2009 at 11:56:16 AM
Re: Difficult Situation
by Grant Lawrence on Saturday, Jan 10, 2009 at 12:21:31 PM
JFK
by Bill Cain on Saturday, Jan 10, 2009 at 5:09:49 PM
Hard job
by Bill Samuel on Saturday, Jan 10, 2009 at 8:34:39 PM
Re: Hard Job and JFK
by Grant Lawrence on Saturday, Jan 10, 2009 at 9:39:48 PM
nada
by William Whitten on Saturday, Jan 10, 2009 at 11:56:40 PM
Re: Nada
by Grant Lawrence on Sunday, Jan 11, 2009 at 12:13:33 AM
nada re-do
by William Whitten on Sunday, Jan 11, 2009 at 12:45:57 AM
#2 nada re
by William Whitten on Sunday, Jan 11, 2009 at 12:50:32 AM
Make Obama do it.
by Bryan Emmel on Sunday, Jan 11, 2009 at 2:32:46 AM
Re; Make Obama Do It and Nada Re-Do
by Grant Lawrence on Sunday, Jan 11, 2009 at 11:31:04 AM