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Barack Obama and 21st Century Politics: A Revolutionary Moment in the USA

Horace G. Campbell

Pluto Press, December 2010

Barack Obama and 21st Century Politics: A Revolutionary Moment in the USA cover

Barack Obama has been called a transformative and transcendental figure, and this book shows just how significant the movement behind him was for the politics of the United States. Professor Horace Campbell examines the networks that made the electoral victory possible and discusses the importance of self-organization and self-emancipation in politics.

Situated in the context of the agency of new social forces galvanised in the 2008 electoral season, the book develops a theory of politics that starts with the humanist principles of ubuntu, healing and reparations for the 21st century. It argues that key ideas like quantum politics and a "network of networks" move away from old forms of vanguardism during a period in history that can be characterised as a revolutionary moment. This book is an essential undergraduate guide to new forms of political organization in the U.S.