AvonVilla reviewed Dreams from my father by Barack Obama
Long before the presidency, Obama tells his story
4 stars
I have complicated feelings about Barack Obama. On the one hand, the vast power of American racism is so great that his breakthrough in 2008 was a monumental achievement in itself. On the other hand, it's wrong to focus only on the racial aspect of his life. We need to consider the extraordinary abilities and actions that allowed him to become the first black US President, and assess his politics and whether we agree with them.
I have to say I really enjoyed reading this memorable book. Obama's parents feature heavily, and although his father is mentioned in the title, he gets a massive amount of reality from his mother rather than just dreams. His time in Indonesia, and his mother's revelation that there were certain "American values" he was missing out on, is a turning point in his life.
In the end it's his "belief in America" that turns …
I have complicated feelings about Barack Obama. On the one hand, the vast power of American racism is so great that his breakthrough in 2008 was a monumental achievement in itself. On the other hand, it's wrong to focus only on the racial aspect of his life. We need to consider the extraordinary abilities and actions that allowed him to become the first black US President, and assess his politics and whether we agree with them.
I have to say I really enjoyed reading this memorable book. Obama's parents feature heavily, and although his father is mentioned in the title, he gets a massive amount of reality from his mother rather than just dreams. His time in Indonesia, and his mother's revelation that there were certain "American values" he was missing out on, is a turning point in his life.
In the end it's his "belief in America" that turns me off Obama. After the nightmare of Trump, I no longer believe in America. America is over as far as I'm concerned. Trump brought it home, but it was already over long before 2016; it was over as soon as Reagan got elected. Then Clinton and even Obama maintained the features of Reagan's America established in that dark period. Anyone who aspires to be President, and indeed achieves it, must be a morally flawed person.
That aside, I can't imagine a better flawed person than Obama, who could weave their way through the extraordinary process of winning the Oval office. Especially when you compare him with Trump. In so many ways he was by far the worst, worse even that Nixon.
