Dear Mr. President
My open letter to Barack Obama
“Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying in.”
Robert Frost.
President Obama,
You were by far the best President in my lifetime. You are an amazing speaker with one of the most powerful voices in the world. You have always been honest and transparent or at least tried to be. I did not believe in “hope” all of those years ago, nor am I now, but I did celebrate your victory and felt proud to be an American.
Earlier this month, I wrote how I have never been more ashamed to be an American than I am right now. The established world order is crumbling and while I would always cheer on when empires fall apart, the end of the American Exceptionalism and with it the American hegemony in the world is over. Would not be the worst thing in the world or in history, except… that the reason we are on the precipice of a historic disaster is due to proliferation of fascists and Nazis across most of the establishment across the world.
It is a tradition for American Presidents to quietly ride into the proverbial sunset. George W. Bush has been taking it a little too far but what else would we expect from him? You were not quiet in the months leading up to the election. You were fiery and you were honest, you were speaking the truth and you almost did not hold back. I say almost since while I completely disagree, I do understand that the decorum prevented you from calling another former President a fascist and a sitting US Senator running for VP, a Nazi.
You should have done that. You still can.. and you should.
You have an incredibly powerful voice. One that is desperately needed in this moment of civilization crisis. The so-called Fourth Estate has betrayed itself and us, and has been openly supporting, enabling and making a common cause with the fascists. Vast majority of the national Democratic party, elected officials and prominent figures are completely silent (I’ll keep listing the exceptions every bloody time: AOC, Bernie, Connor Lamb (!), Jasmine Crockett). That’s the best case scenario. Cuz some, like the pile of shit Senator from the Great State of New York, turned out to be utterly loathsome fascist sympathizer and enabler.
I was incredibly happy to see someone like Kat Abughazaleh announce her campaign for US Congress on BlueSky earlier today. What Kat said, is absolutely correct and nearly perfect for the moment. However, one has to be a very online person to know and appreciate Kat and many others like her who I am sure will follow. We need more people like Kat who can stand up and speak up and act against fascism.
We also need our esteemed leaders even if retired, to do their duty. Whether it is because of innate character or the oath you took to defend the Constitution or the weight of history that falls upon you in this moment, you have to speak up. I am not asking other presidents, one is sadly mentally gone, another one been a quiet little fascist, and the last one is a treacherous sexual abuser, a wolf in sheep’s skin among progressive. Highly doubt they would speak out against fascism anyway.
You are the one with principles and courage, you are the one with with hope. I may have had a few issues with your Presidency at the time - from Syria and Crimea from the foreign policy perspective to giving away Merrick Garland’s SCOTUS nomination… to the ACA. Yes, it was one of the defining moment of US politics this century. Yes, it made a serious difference to a lot of people, my own parents included. Yet, with the majority you have enjoyed in both chambers of the Congress, we expected more, you could have done more.
Alas, we are not here to debate the past. As I mentioned earlier, you were the best American President of my lifetime, all those and many other worts and all. Earlier today, I saw someone ask on BlueSky, Hey y’all, I’m genuinely asking and not trying to be facetious: What do y’all want Obama to do/say? I want you to say that we are in real serious crisis where we are faced with a world-wide fascist movement. I want you to tell the truth.
The whole bloody truth!
With all due respect to AOC and Pritzker, it would be nice if the former President openly stated that our nation has been taken over by a fascist coup and we need to wake up and fight the Nazis.
Chuck Schumer may think that "If he defies the Supreme Court, then we are in uncharted territory ... our entire democracy is at risk. I believe that if Donald Trump should defy the courts, the public will rise up. Democrats will fight it in every single way ... autocrats only succeed if the public lets them."
Which is bullshit.
Trump is already defying the courts and his Presidency was inaugurated not with one but with two Nazi salutes from an actual Nazi like Elon Musk. Trump’s Executive orders are fluctuating between unhinged, openly fascist, or both. Mr. President, yesterday, you posted “Figured I’d hop on here today for the 15th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. With everything going on right now, it’s easy to feel like regular folks can’t make a difference – but the ACA is a reminder that change is possible when we fight for progress.” You choose to create a Bluesky account and then you spent the day glorifying your own legacy. From 14 skeets from you, only one was not about the ACA and that one was about next year’s opening of your center.
To quote Deadpool, there are four or five moments - that's all it takes to be a hero. “Everyone thinks it's a full-time job. Wake up a hero. Brush your teeth a hero. Go to work a hero. Not true. Over a lifetime, there are only four or five moments that really matter. Moments when you're offered a choice...”
This is your moment to be a hero.
If anyone has a chance to get through to people it might be you...
This is your moment to rise up against fascism.
Are you a hero, Mr. President?
“It was not the truth they wanted, but an illusion that they could bear to live with.”
Anais Nin