Lenin: "Obama and his capitalist tendencies"

Barack Obama’s motto and promise for “change we can believe in,” would not affect Lenin the way it so radically influenced the youth population of this country. Lenin would say that the real power rests behind the scenes where the parliament is there for the sole purpose of deceiving the common people. Therefore, I will argue that Lenin does not see Obama’s victory as an impetus for large-scale change because of the restrictions and limitations posed by the Parliament.
Even though Obama’s victory is in and of itself a symbol for change, Lenin would still believe that he is not the exception. Lenin's point is that regardless of who the people elect to represent them in their state's legislature (e.g. Democrat or Republican, Labour Party or Conservative Party), there will never be any real, meaningful change in policies because there are built-in mechanisms in these institutions that prevent that from happening (330). Regardless of whom the voters elect, nothing will change because the parliament (United State Congress) is just a ‘talking shop’ with no true power (319-320, 342). Lenin argues that Parliament gives the working class the illusion of a free state in that they can have power with capabilities like voting. The power to “recall” and the right to vote are supposed to thwart class struggle, even though they act as false impressions and a shell for capitalism. Even as Obama commits to being a President and leader for the working people, his role depends on and benefits from bureaucracy that exists within the state machine (330). Lenin would question Obama’s economic reforms being instituted, like immediate relief for struggling families because he believes that ties to the capitalist class would take precedence and therefore have such reforms shelved (331). Lenin would argue that Obama’s working class mentality is simply a ploy and that his real function is shown as a member of the ruling class, using parliament as a vehicle to serve the capitalist class and continue to energize the capitalist system (342-343).
For change to even be possible, it would have to come marginally and incrementally. For example, instead of state finances and resources being used on the military there should be transformation to social services. Major shifts are extremely unlikely, if not impossible, and this can be clearly seen in the few decisions that President-elect Obama has made since the election. For example, despite campaigning on a fairly progressive and populist economic platform, his choice of Chief of Staff (Rahm Emanuel, a staunch free-trade proponent and one of the key advocates of Clinton’s welfare reform) and the people he is considering for Treasury Secretary (Lawrence Summers, Paul Volcker, Robert Rubin) seem to suggest that his economic policies will be no more progressive than that of President Clinton’s. Lenin would also say, the same goes with his choice of Defense Secretary: despite campaigning as an anti-war candidate (in fact, if it weren’t for his vocal anti-war stance prior to the invasion of Iraq, there is almost no chance he would have become the Democratic nominee), his list of potential people to fill the spot (Robert Gates, Colin Powell) casts considerable doubt on that. Obama’s platform and call for transformation of our country serves as the shell for the proletariat (working class) to feel like their hardships and troubles will be examined with the hope of solution.
I think Lenin’s criticism of Obama is drastic and harsh because he is looking only at the system that has existed for hundreds of year and not at the individual. I agree with Lenin that Obama needs to accept the ties of the capitalist class to the state and not make it seem like such red tape does not exist. However, Lenin needs to give Obama a chance to overcome the system and continue on with his promises of working class concessions. Lenin is correct to say that we live in a capitalist society with a false democracy only for the rich (374, 383). However, Obama is taking the right steps thus far in building a cabinet to help create more equality among classes and Lenin should sit back for a little bit before he can accuse Obama of contributing to the ruling class force and cycle of the “thousand threads.”