Jajuna

Even up here in the snowy northern climes of Canada the inauguration of Barack Obama is shaping up to be a major cultural event. For the past few days its been wall to wall coverage on Canadian tv and radio. I am sure that today between the times of 11am and 1pm worker productivity will take a significant hit as offices and classrooms tune in to watch the big event.

After witnessing the utterly grotesque spectacle of Bush’s final media outings last week - designed no less to salvage what he could of his ignominious reputation - the contrast in personal style, intellect, and competency with Obama could not be more apparent. There can be no doubt that Obama’s inauguration signals a hopeful break with the Bush years as well as a moment of great significance in the ongoing history of race and civil rights in the United States. Most Canadians certainly recognize this and they appear relieved to have an incomming U.S. president who can a) speak in complete sentences and b) can locate Canada on a map.

While I cannot help feeling hopeful about what Obama’s presidency might mean for the direction of U.S. policy and political culture, these hopes are tempered by the sobering magnitude of the economic, environmental, and social challenges that lie ahead. Moreover, based so far on his cabinet appointments as well as his public rhetoric, Obama does not appear ready to take on the entrenched corporate and right-wing interests standing in the way of real progressive change. As such, I will be feeling a mixture of hope, joy, and apprehension as I watch Obama take his oath today.