Barack, Hillary, Jeremiah and Howard

The Reverend Jeremiah Wright was correct when he said that Barack Obama is a politician and thus he speaks and acts like a politician. Hillary Clinton is also a politician and she also speaks and acts like a politician. Which means for both of these politicians saying things most likely to get them elected, and not saying things that might tend to prevent them from getting elected, even if true and relevant to the electorate.

Jeremiah Wright is a former soldier turned preacher. He is a speaker of truths and, unlike a politician, does not need to worry about the popularity of the truths he speaks about, because he answers to a higher authority than the electorate.

Howard Zinn is a historian seeking to document truth. His speciality is looking at history from the perspective of the downcast, the underdogs, the victims; whereas traditional history is written from the perspective of the winners, the powerful, the manipulators and the oppressors.

Jeremiah Wright has said nothing about the issues of race and victimhood not previously documented by historian Howard Zinn. Wright is black and Zinn is white; the truth is universal and not subject to interpretation by skin color.

Hillary Clinton has probably never commented (as a political candidate) on the truths documented by Howard Zinn, with the possible exception of the victimization of women. Hillary is not about to touch controversial issues such as the victimization of other nations’ poor, support of favorite dictators by the U.S. in order to benefit U.S. economic interest, the suppression of democracy when it conflicts with U.S. economic interest, or even the congruency between the "extremist Islamic militants" who were supported by the U.S. government and CIA during "Charlie Wilson’s War" in Afghanistan until the same ideology led the same people into conflict with the U.S. and then the same people became "terrorists".

Barack Obama is caught between a rock and a hard place, and he is really getting squeezed. He is half black and certainly has experienced racism in his life. He went to church and heard the sermons of Jeremiah Wright and claims he will not abandon Rev. Wright because of their "friendship". But were they friends first or did the friendship emerge from the pastor/flock relationship? More importantly, when Barack Obama says he is offended by some of what Reverend Wright says, is it because the Reverend says things that are untrue or because he says things that are politically unpopular?

Doesn’t Barack Obama realize that by saying he is offended by the Reverend Wright’s comments that he is saying also that he is offended by public recognition of unpopular truths?

This confirms what the Reverend said all along — Barack Obama is a politician. He is trying to get elected with the burden of wanting support of the oppressed and the oppressors at the same time. No wonder Barack is getting squeezed! It is quite a burden to try to play the middle between oppressors and oppressed, pretending there is no intrinsic conflict in that middle ground!

Maybe the best solution would be for Barack and Hillary to step aside and let Howard Zinn run for President! The Reverend Wright would no doubt be qualified, but as a man of God, he would probably not be interested in the demotion. But Howard Zinn has the knowledge, the understanding, the empathy and the character to stand up for the common man. If properly organized, this should give him the best potential for electability in a democracy.