Paul Street’s new book, The Empire’s New Clothes, closely examines the first year of the Obama administration, critically evaluating it within a context of strong liberal-Democratic support and fierce – even hysterical right-wing opposition. Barack Obama is seen very differently by Americans. Many see him as a symbol of how far America has come since the days of openly-supported racial segregation and the terroristic violence directed against the black community. Others see Obama as a dangerous “socialist/Marxist” who is threatening the American middle class and crippling future generations with “big government” and “unsustainable” debt.

The right wing has generally driven charity from its interpretation of religion. In the Middle East, radical wingnuts are sure that any charity is assistance of terrorism. The attempt to eliminate distribution of needed assistance by local organizations – that are continually involved in aid to the communities – only interferes with the assistance we ought to be giving freely.