14th article by Cendrars, posted 11/15
The Targeting of Scarecrows and False Hopes
by Marcelle Cendrars

In a recent article, “An Appeal to Barack Obama,” formerly Fonda-funded Tom Hayden, well-known activist/politician, berates the Oprah-endorsed Democratic candidate, asking him to turn over a new leaf.

Why is such an experienced “leftist” wasting the heartbeats?

On the surface, it appears as if the mainstream California Democrat is responding to the following Obama comment, which appeared in the (November 4, 2007) edition of the New York Times Magazine:

“The Democrats have been stuck in the arguments of Vietnam, which means that either you’re a Scoop Jackson Democrat or you’re a Tom Hayden Democrat and you’re suspicious of any military action. And that’s just not my framework.”

Setting the record straight ’cause he’s been mislabeled? ‘Cause Obama’s done a bad job of characterizing activists of the past? Reacting to a sloppy delineation of our present?

I’d say none of the above, really. What seems to be going on here is very common. Essentially, someone is writing an article about a straw man, knocking down a wooden dummy. And, then, acting as if there’s a chance in hell –which there isn’t– of the targeted scarecrow turning around, recommendations are proffered.

I understand that Hayden almost has an obligation to respond to Obama’s rundown. Nevertheless, his piece is typical of many engaged writers of the so-called Left. It goes over old ground, repeating familiar, time-worn complaints directed at new players with slightly different masks…ad infinitum.

The biggest problem here, as I see it, is the creation of false hopes. The perpetuation of the notion that such writing will change anything. The suggestion that such mainstream players are open to criticism, truly looking for advice from anyone.

The scorecard is in. Neither Obama nor any of the candidates will be changing any time soon (like any time in THIS lifetime) or changing anything significant, ongoing.

This is a huge No-Brainer.

And, although unsolicited, what I humbly recommend to all the Haydens, Jacksons, and activist-oriented writers out there in the real world is to spend more time on calling a spade a spade. Once a mainstream politico, always…? Discussing what hopes we can harbor midst the hopelessness that’s represented by our representatives.

That would be more worthwhile than continuing to try to do things that are tantamount to making an appeal to Fonda or Winfrey to take a cut in pay.

Marcelle Cendrars, Algerian-American activist, can be reached at bcendra@yahoo.com.