Paul Kingsnorth

What am I to think of Barack Obama? This blog is trying to wean itself off getting excited about politics - and especially politicians (here's why). I can still remember when I was a young and naive 25 year old, back in 1997, and found Tony Blair exciting enough to vote for him. Back then, I believed that individual politicians had the ability to change the Machine significantly, rather than just run it efficiently.

Well, I don't believe that anymore. And I particularly don't believe it when it applies to the USA. This nation, with its vast military-industrial complex, its enmeshing of corporation and state, its imperial outposts and its settled establishment interests, is never going to be amenable to serious change in a short time period. The office of president, in any case, is a weak one internally (partly whey they spend so much time waging war elsewhere). It follows, then, that however exciting/convincing/shameless a presidential candidate is, America will not be transformed into beacon of enlightened liberalism whoever is running it. It doesn't work like that.

Yet even I find myself getting excited by Barack Obama. I curse myself for this. Why, I ask myself, am I excited? I know none of his policies. I've heard none of his speeches. I'm simply refracting the distant excitement of others. I am being swept up in the moment, even though I know that moment will lead nowhere. It's truly pathetic. But hell, it's a confusing time and my thoughts have been accordingly confused. Here's a selection of my recent thoughts about Barack Obama:

Wow, this is really quite exciting. I wonder if he could be the next JFK?

Hang on: JFK started the Vietnam war.

And then he got assassinated.

Say what you like though, the guy has charisma.

And he does have a nice smile. And he used to write poetry and smoke weed, so he can't be all bad.

I wonder what his policies are.

I really hate Hillary Clinton; vile little plastic goldfish. I hope she loses.

I really hate myself for being taken in by this admittedly impressive PR.

Imagine Obama in the White House though. Wouldn't that be something?

Why do people keep calling him 'black? He's mixed race, but no one calls him 'white'?

Humans have an apparently limitless need to believe in leaders who will liberate them from the drudgery of reality. Idiots.

It's quite exciting though.

See. Stupid, isn't it? Still, I'm sure that soon enough the Hillary machine will roll over him, and we'll all deflate a little as she goes on to lose to John McCain, who will then start a war with Iran to show the towelheads who's boss, thus ushering in World War Three. Back to business as usual, then.