Why Obama’s win is important, even though little will change.

I suppose the first point to address here is that I live in the UK, so I don’t have any business expressing an opinion on an election that I wasn’t eligible to vote in. But, one, this blog is mine, so I write whatever happens to fall into my head, and two, and, much as many of us wish it wasn’t so, things that happen over there do have quite far-reaching international consequences. So there.

Now, the thing about the US election, is that, in many respects, it doesn’t matter who wins. Not even a little bit. The US (and the UK, to be fair) operates under a system that is closer to an elective oligarchy than it is to a democracy. Although, on the face of it, Democrats and Republicans appear to be bitter rivals, there is collusion to retain power in the form of that unchangeable two party system. The Pres isn’t about to change the corporate love-in that is US politics, nor will he alter the foreign policies or military stance. None of those in power will acknowledge that the American Dream, in its original form, is incompatible with a world with finite resources and a population of 7 billion. Climate policy is unlikely to change. Now, at the risk of being a pot shouting racial slurs at a kettle, I am aware that UK politics, and indeed the politics of many countries continue to act and plan as though social and economic systems built on constant growth are endlessly sustainable, but America is quite a lot bigger than most of those other countries, including my own fair homeland.

But, Obama’s win does matter. It is a good thing, for a number of reasons. One of the parties wants to force women to have their rapist’s baby. America chose the one that doesn’t. One of the candidates posthumously converts dead atheist loved ones to his own religion, violating one of the most sacred cornerstones of the very concept of freedom; that of freedom of religion. America chose the one that doesn’t. On the subject of religious freedom, one of the parties would like to dissolve the separation of church and state that helps prevent religious persecution. America chose the one that doesn’t. One of the parties will not even acknowledge climate change is something that exists. America chose the one that does. One of the candidates thinks 40% of the people he would like to represent are parasites feeding off a too-generous state. America chose the candidate that is able to respond to a person communicating in sign language without missing a beat. One of the parties wants dying people who cannot afford healthcare or health insurance (assuming they could even get cover for pre-existing conditions, which they often can’t) to hurry up and die already. America chose the party that is working towards providing healthcare for everyone. One of the parties wants to stop or at least reduce teaching the sciences in general and evolution in particular in an attempt to keep the population as dumb as possible. America chose the party that isn’t afraid of educating people, even if it means they start questioning the conflicts arising between what their religion tells them and what we now know about our Universe.

While I get the cynicism in respect of the illusion of choice (the same illusion exists here as well), the differences noted above are important. What is more important is the choice reflects an underlying feeling in the US; the feeling that the GOP, the tea-party and Donald Trump (by the way, Mr T – ‘unprecedented’ and ‘like never before’ mean the same thing) do not represent the way they feel. I’m no fool, I know the Republicans will gain power again sooner rather than later, but for the moment, there is reason to be positive.

In the long run, the most useful thing anyone can do, either here or there, in my opinion, is to attempt to effect change at a local level while still partaking in the voting charade that goes on at a national level. But I’d be surprised if even that ever begins to change things.