The Real News Network

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In this interview, Naomi Klein reveals why Barack Obama needs to rethink some of his plans in a way that they can actually achieve what his campaign is promising. According to Klein, Obama must “earn the incredible trust he has been given” and prove his political integrity on matters like the war in Iraq, protection of the environment, and the economy, issues that are gaining Obama the most support. The “progressive movement,” Obama’s main vehicle for winning votes, seems to be concerned solely with winning the election and nothing beyond that. Thus there needs to be a “post-election strategy” so that the Obama administration can start work on all those crucial issues as soon as he is elected, if he is.
Klein blames the progressive movement of spreading misinformation about Obama’s plans and believes that they are sacrificing their own political and intellectual integrity only to gather Obama more votes. The anti-war movement, for example, is giving Obama countless votes even though Obama does not have a plan to end the war in Iraq. However, Obama is not to blame as he has made clear that he does not have an anti-war position in Iraq nor Afghanistan. What is problematic is the confusion that is created when what is said about Obama does not match what Obama is actually saying. For example, the Service Employers International Union, one of Obama’s major base of support, has carried out anti-Wal-Mart campaigns, while Jason Furman, Obama’s chief economic advisor, is a strong supporter of Wal-Mart.
The corporate funders of Obama’s campaing are already putting pressure on him and Klein fears that what happened with Clinton, whose views and plans were altered after he was elected, might happen again with Obama. Obama’s corporate funders have openly said that Obama’s tax plan is a “disaster,” that it will make America uncompetitive, and have urged him to soften his policies. The left, however, is more concerned with winning the election than giving voters an honest view of what Obama’s prospects really are.