Lost 1995 Obama interview predicts America's decline, complains about racial politics

Doug Ross discovered a 1995 Crisis Magazine interview with Barack Obama. It's pretty frightening, because not only does he predict a fall of American economic might--something he is speeding along as president--but he forces race into the economic equation.

CRISIS: Having lived abroad, in Indonesia, how do you think that helped shape your views on race?

OBAMA: It made me realize that racism was an extension of other abuses of power. Living there you learned people can find excuses other than race to oppress each other.

CRISIS: Will race relations get better?

OBAMA: Not in the short term. We're moving out of a period of American preeminence on the world economic stage. Global competition means increasing economic uncertainty for the majority of Americans, black and white. Unfortunately, politicians in this country find it convenient to define these problems in racial terms -- affirmative action, immigration and so on. It's always easier to organize people around tribe than around principle.

And look who is defining those problems in racial terms. Here is what President Obama told his supporters last month:

It will be up to each of you to make sure that young people, African Americans, Latinos and women who powered our victory in 2008 stand together once again.

No white males?

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